Port Adelaide chairman David Koch says club presidents will not relent on their Tassie stadium demand

Port boss David Koch says he is all for a new AFL team down in Tasmania, but like all club bosses, is refusing to bend on the non-negotiable price of entry into the competition.

Port Adelaide chairman David Koch has delivered the blunt message to Tasmania that a “prestige” roofed stadium is the non-negotiable price of entry to the AFL.

As Koch challenged the state of Tasmania to step up to the mark and join the AFL, he made clear the 18 current AFL presidents would not relent on their vote to approve a team conditional on a new stadium.

When Tasmania’s parliament eventually forms a new government after a recent election it has until June 2025 to tick off the planning stages for that Macquarie Point 23,000-seat roofed stadium.

But having witnessed the extraordinary success of Adelaide Oval and the footbridge linking the state-of-the-art stadium to the city’s CBD, he said Tasmania should have similar aspirations.

The planned Macquarie point stadium.

But he said the presidents would not relent on that demand for a new stadium.

“No. I am big supporter of Tasmania coming in. We are all not-for-profit organisations. We are a community-based league. If Tasmania wants to put a team in, fantastic. We welcome you with open arms but understand you are coming into Australia’s game. A prestige sport where fans play in stadiums like this (Adelaide Oval) around the country.

“Your ticket is to make sure there is financial stability and also facilities that live up to that prestige status. There was marching in the streets against the redevelopment of Adelaide Oval, of building the bridge over the river everyone loves. Can you find anyone today who will admit to being part of that protest?”

Koch told the ABC Adelaide Oval was “the best bit of public infrastructure in this state for the last 20-30 years in terms of generating economic activity.”

Power boss David Koch. Picture: Supplied

Koch also gave a ringing endorsement of senior assistant Josh Carr as the club’s next coach when Ken Hinkley decided it was time for him to pass on the baton.

“Ken is really supportive of Josh developing into a senior coach and Ken has said publicly he would love to see him as a senior coach of Port Adelaide,” he said.

“We have an extraordinarily high regard for him. He has gone away, worked at other organisations, he knows the Port Adelaide way and we put a lot of effort into coaching development. We would rather train up from internal rather than outside. I am not sure if a lot of clubs do it but we have a development coach for the coaches and put a lot of resources into it and we have produced great head coaches for other clubs.”

Originally published as Port Adelaide chairman David Koch says club presidents will not relent on their Tassie stadium demand