Punting Roos gets cautious tick of approval from tourism sector

It is a bold move – give us our own team or we are punting the Roos, but the opposition’s policy has received some strong support.

Tasmania’s hospitality industry has given the opposition’s plan to give North Melbourne the boot a thumbs up and tourism is also on-board — but with a caveat. Picture: MATHEW FARRELL

TASMANIA’S hospitality industry has given the opposition’s plan to give North Melbourne the boot a thumbs up and tourism is also on-board — but with a caveat.

As The Sunday Tasmanian revealed, the state opposition has released a policy that would stop funding the Roos games in Hobart if the AFL does not give the state its own licence or a commencement date.

Instead, the estimated more than $2 million saved annually would be redirected to bring other sports and events to the south, while backing Hawthorn in Launceston as an events strategy as opposed to a football one.

Tasmanian Hospitality Association chief executive Steve Old said he fully backed a move for a Tasmanian AFL team and backed any move that made that possible.

“Anything we can do to put pressure on the AFL to give Tasmania the next licence is a good thing.

“It is also good that any money they pull from North Melbourne goes into other events in winter that still attracts the same amount of people if not more to our restaurants, pubs and accommodation venues through that period.”

CEO of the Tasmanian Hospitality Association, Steve Old. Picture: ZAK SIMMONDS

Tourism Industry Council Tasmania chief executive Luke Martin also welcomed the move.

“I understand what Labor is trying to do here in pushing along the AFL debate, and the eventual goal of a team of our own,” Mr Martin said.

“I think everyone agrees we will need a transitional model over coming years, and the debate is now about what that model entails.”

The policy includes redirecting the Roos TT-Line/Spirit of Tasmania sponsorship to the Hawks, but Mr Martin believes how the company spends its marketing budget should be a decision for the TT-Line, not the Government or the opposition.

“Frankly it chills me to the bone every time I hear a politician talk about what Spirit of Tasmania, or Tourism Tasmania for that matter, should and should not be investing in,” he said.

“But I do agree with Labor with the additional hotels coming on line, and the challenging visitor market, we do need more major events in Hobart over winter.

“I’ve said we should go hard to get Wallabies to play a test in Hobart, or the Socceroos and Matildas.”

Tourism Industry Council of Tasmania's Luke Martin. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

Opposition sports spokesman David O’Byrne said this policy sent a clear message to the AFL, that the state was playing hardball and was ready for its own club.

He said it made sense to back in Hawthorn in Launceston due to the economic impact in the north during the winter months, while North Melbourne playing all its home games in Melbourne would cause headaches for the AFL as a smaller club competing in a highly saturated market.

“If they (the AFL) don’t commit to a Tasmanian team, the view of those two agreements moves from a football strategy to an events strategy,” Mr O’Byrne said.

Tasmanian Health Minister Sarah Courtney accused the opposition of abandoning the tri-partisan approach to AFL

“It is really disappointing that Labor is seeking to play politics and trying to grab a headline with a stunt like this,” she said.

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Mr O’Byrne scoffed at the suggestion, saying the opposition had supported all the recommendations from the Government appointed Taskforce business case, and now it was about finding a way to get a Tasmanian AFL team.

Both the AFL and North Melbourne declined to comment.

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