AFL heavyweight’s disaster warning on Macquarie Point Stadium

The man who laid the blueprint for Tasmania’s AFL team has fired a shot at Macquarie Point stadium opponents – kill the stadium, kill the team.

What Hobart's new multi-purpose stadium at Macquarie Point could look like. Images supplied by AFL

The man who laid the blueprint for Tasmania’s AFL team has fired a shot at Macquarie Point stadium opponents – kill the stadium, kill the team.

“This is not an option,” said former AFL Commissioner and Geelong president Colin Carter.

“The AFL is very serious when is says no stadium, no team.

“It sounds rough, but the AFL only managed to get the support of the other 18 clubs for a Tasmanian team on the basis that there would be a new stadium.”

The architect of the Carter Report into the health and viability of Tasmania’s AFL licence bid, Carter urged non-believers to broaden their view.

“I understand their concerns but at the end of the day if you always took the view that the money should always go into urgent social needs, you’d never build another stadium, you’d never build another museum or another art gallery or another theatre,” Carter said.

“It’s a balancing act. Every community has got to have a mix of certain infrastructure.

“I see this stadium as essential because it is central to the success of the team.

“What people don’t realise is a modern stadium gives a whole lot of commercial opportunities and we’ve learned this in the AFL system.

“None of the teams are playing in old stadiums. That’s what has been disappointing [about Mac Point opposition] but I can understand the reactions because it’s a lot of money and people can always identify other uses.”

Carter has worked closely with and independently of the AFL on the Tasmanian licence case and knows the machinations of AFL House and out in clubland.

“I can understand why some people wonder about the reason for a stadium build, and it comes back to a belief that a new stadium is essential to the economic model that this club will need to survive,” Carter said.

AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan, Hobart stadium at Macquarie Point.

“The big thing I had to convince the AFL about was that this new club would not be a financial drain on the competition.

“I am absolutely in the camp that says a new stadium is part of the business model which gives this team a chance to succeed.

“The feeling around the AFL was that if this new team comes in playing at the worst facilities in the whole competition, that’s lead in the saddlebags and that’s not a platform for the team to be successful.

“It’s going to be hard enough to succeed in any case but that’s too big a weight to carry.

“If you want a team that has got chance of success in the national competition, competing against the Eagles and Collingwood and Richmond and all of these clubs in modern 21st century stadiums, you’ve got to have a good stadium.

“And you’re very lucking to have a CBD location to build it on.”

Carter was in the crowd of dignitaries, officials and future Tasmanian players at North Hobart Oval on the day AFL CEO Gill McLachlan announced Tasmania had been granted a licence.

Official announcement for the 19th AFL licence for a Tasmanian team, Colin Carter at North Hobart Oval. Picture: Chris Kidd

“It was a terrific day,” Cater said.

“It had been a long time waiting for it to happen and it was a matter of justice being done.

“I don’t think people realise Tassie was a full participant in the national game up until the national competition was started.

“Tasmania was playing in carnivals, like every other state was, but the national competition essentially took over and that’s what Tasmania got excluded.”

The announcement came with a sense of pride given Carter’s involvement in the process.

“I was thrilled to be part of it,” he said.

“I was a case of that if you looked at the facts that’s why it triumphed and so it was very gratifying to be part of it.”