‘Beggars belief’: AFL CEO punts premier’s request

Tasmania’s Premier has had harsh words to the AFL in the wake of a last minute response to an official request for a timeline granting the island state its own team. See what the AFL had to say >>

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UPDATE, 5.30PM FRIDAY:

TASMANIAN Premier Peter Gutwein has been left angered and dismayed after the AFL asked for another year to do its own report on the feasibility of a Tasmanian club in the big league.

In the most recent indignation to a football heartland state, the AFL waited until 5pm on Friday to respond to Premier’s request for a timeline on a Tasmanian club.

However, the AFL’s letter to Mr Gutwein — which was released by the Tasmanian Government — calls for more time before making a decision.

“The AFL Commission understands the importance of Tasmania to our code, appreciates the work done in your submission for a Tasmanian team, and believes it warrants a detailed review by the AFL,” CEO Gillon McLachlan wrote.

Gillon McLachlan, Chief Executive Officer of the AFL. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

“The AFL Commission will seek an independent consultant to lead this review with support from the AFL Strategy team to provide a detailed response.

“The substantive nature of the work would examine your submission from an industry perspective including all financial, fixturing, talent and other relevant considerations.

“This should be completed by late 2021 or early 2022 when we expect to have a clearer picture of our own financial position and that of the wider AFL community.”

It was not a response that pleased Mr Gutwein, who said it was simply not good enough.

Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein. Picture Chris Kidd

“After receiving our business case 12 months ago, it beggars belief the AFL has not been able to consider it fully over the last year and now, to add insult to injury, want to take up to another year before providing clarity on the future of a Tasmanian team,” Mr Gutwein said.

“As a footballing heartland state we have paid our dues and deserve much better.

“We have supported the AFL and before them the VFL, providing some of the best talent to play the game and it’s now time for the AFL to treat Tasmania fairly.

“As there is significant interest in this matter in Tasmania I am releasing the response from the AFL and I will be seeking a meeting with Mr McLachlan at the earliest opportunity to continue to press our case.”

The AFL’s delayed final decision also puts Hawthorn and North Melbourne in a position of flux, with their combined $8 million-plus contracts set to expire this season and the Premier previously stating numerous times he would not start negotiations with either club until their was a verdict either way on Tasmania joining the AFL.

FEBRUARY 18:

TASMANIA’S game of chicken with the AFL is expected to come to a head on Friday.

The Tasmanian Government has sought and been given assurances it will get a response from league headquarters by the end of this week on whether the state will be given a pathway and timeline to its own AFL club or the league has put a line through a Tasmanian AFL side forever.

Premier Peter Gutwein reiterated his hard line stance that he would not enter renegotiations with Tasmania’s fly in, fly out clubs Hawthorn and North Melbourne until an answer from the AFL was received.

The deal is worth more than $8 million to the two clubs and expires after this season.

The Premier’s hard-line stance came as St Kilda emerged as a third AFL club with links to playing games on the Apple Isle. The Saints have not ruled out the ­prospect of playing games in Tasmania if “an appropriate opportunity” arises.

“My office has been in touch with the AFL this week, I’m expecting to receive it (a response from the AFL) this week,” Mr Gutwein said.

Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein. Picture Chris Kidd

“I’ll certainly be very disappointed if we haven’t received something back from the AFL by the end of this week.”

“We provided a business case to the AFL 12 months ago that demonstrated that Tasmania could afford and sustain an AFL team.

“I’ve made it perfectly clear to the AFL until we have an answer either in terms of a timeline or they tell us once and for all we are not getting a team, we are not in a position to finalise those arrangements with Hawthorn or North Melbourne moving forward.”

The Saints have a deal with Tourism and Events Queensland to host a game in Cairns this season, having previously had deals to play in China and New Zealand.

“We’re not presently involved in any discussions with the Tasmanian government regarding playing games in Tasmania,” the St Kilda spokesman said.

North Melbourne Kangaroos and the St Kilda Saints at Blundstone Arena. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images via AFL Photos)

“But most people are aware that we have strong ties with Tasmania so would not be surprised to hear we would never rule out discussions regarding playing games in that state.”

Tasmania’s AFL Taskforce business case has been aimed at the creation of a 19th licence.

But the impact of COVID on the league’s finances was believed to put paid to this avenue.

However, leading economist Saul Eslake said the AFL’s announcement this week of a much smaller operating loss, just $22.8 million compared to the $100 million first forecast, meant expansion was still a realistic goal.

He said the loss represented a minuscule 2.9 per cent of its operating revenue.

“And they still had $231 million to distribute to their 18 existing clubs, representing an average of $12.8 million to each club – so if they’ had a 19th club it would hardly have made much difference, less than two per cent of their diminished operating revenue in 2020 or 1.6 per cent of their 2019 revenue,” Mr Eslake said.

“So to say that this is a reason for not having a Tasmanian team would just be an extension of the usual pathetic non-excuses that the AFL has given for not becoming a ‘truly national’ competition since (former AFL chief executive) Andrew Demetriou was running the show.”