Editorial: Tassie has score on the board

EDITORIAL: The push for a Tasmanian AFLW team is really on, with a local business Zap committing $1 million over five years for a stand-alone club

How much more can one state do?

Tasmania has provided talent and cash to the AFL, eyeballs on TVs and bums on seats, pleaded, begged and pushed for our own team only to receive a pat on the head and flimsy statements of “next cab off the rank” or “sooner rather than later”.

Now the push for Tasmania’s AFLW team is really on, with health and fitness business Zap committing $1 million over five years for a stand-alone club.

After Zap chairman Bob Cheek put his money where his mouth is, the onus is now on politicians, AFL Tasmania and the AFL.

With operating costs estimated between $500,000 and $1 million, the sponsorship pledge is a sizeable start to putting “The Map” into AFLW.

Politicians from all sides support the push, as does AFL Tasmania chief executive Rob Auld, who wants a team in by the expansion of the eight-team competition by 2019.

But the Tasmanian football public is sick of hearing words. We want action.

In reality, 2019 is not that far away when building a new entity from scratch.

As Tasmanian Greens senator Nick McKim suggested, form a working committee with MPs from all sides and levels of government, leaders of industry, the tourism sector and the footy community and then push for more sponsors and build a case so strong even the AFL and its blinkered view of all things south of Victoria cannot ignore it.

Already four Tasmanians played in the inaugural season, with two — Jess Wuetschner and Britt Gibson — starring in the Brisbane side that lost the grand final by one straight kick, the side’s first loss.

How great would it be to give these women and so many others the chance to represent their state in a truly national competition?

For them not to have to pack up and leave family and friends behind to chase their dream? For one day Tasmania to be represented in both the men’s and women’s leagues in Australia’s biggest domestic sport?

Cheek’s demand for a stand-alone women’s team could cause issues because of Hawthorn’s long association with Tasmania and North Melbourne’s involvement with the state’s Next Gen Academy (developing girls and boys), but the size of his cheque demonstrates yet again how proud and committed Tasmania is when it comes to all things Australian rules football.

All we are asking for is an opportunity.