ANALYSIS: Without a new Macquarie Point stadium, Tasmania’s AFL dream dies
The demise of Macquarie Point stadium would consign Tasmania’s AFL team to mediocrity even before the first bounce, writes the Mercury’s sports editor James Bresnehan.
Sport
Don't miss out on the headlines from Sport. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The demise of Macquarie Point Stadium would consign Tasmania’s AFL team to mediocrity even before the first bounce, or a Devils player takes the team’s first mark and Devils AFLW star kicks her team’s first goal.
That’s assuming the AFL budges from its No Stadium, No Team condition, which is locked into Tasmania’s AFL Licence Agreement, otherwise no Mac1 means the team dream is dead.
As loud and long as stadium opponents have called for a re-negotiation of the terms of the contract, the AFL says it will do no such thing.
“The stadium is not optional - it represents a fundamental requirement for Tasmania’s entry into the competition,” said AFL Commission chairman Richard Goyder.
It’s stadium or bust.
The 23,000-seat, roofed Macquarie Point Stadium would be owned by Stadiums Tasmania, whose boss James Avery says the state’s future is so bright in a world that includes Mac1, that figuratively we will all need sunglasses.
Stadiums Tasmania owns and operates York Park in Launceston while Ninja Stadium on Hobart’s Eastern Shore, is owned by Cricket Tasmania.
Avery says Macquarie Point Stadium would be the jewel in the crown.
“The design and capacity of the venue is going to enable us to bring a whole host of events to Tasmania that previously weren’t accessible to the state because we didn’t have a venue of this nature,” Mr Avery said.
“It allows us to enter into discussions with concert promoters about events that we wouldn’t have been able to attract to Tasmania.
“The capacity of the venue affords us the ability to have conversations about different types of entertainment and different types of events that most Tasmanians have had to go to the mainland to be able to experience.”
Macquarie Point Stadium will have superior transport infrastructure, superior access, superior earning capacity, superior design adhesion, state-of-the-art light and sound, and deliver a superior patron experience compared to renovated York Park and Bellerive Ovals.
Upgrades to the existing two venues would require a significant amount of time and money, would impact on suburban residential zones, and lack the design cohesion of a purpose-built venue.
It is estimated the difference in income earnings between Bellerive Oval and Macquarie Point would be almost $6m a year for the Devils.
York Park’s $130m redevelopment will extend its lifespan as an AFL venue.
But it can’t be considered as a full-time home for the AFL team.
It is not based in the capital city, which has the highest concentration of people and is the financial powerhouse of the state, has better visitor connectivity, and better hotel and hospitality capacity.
Like York Park, Bellerive Oval would also require “bolt on” upgrades and expansion that would produce the same problem of amenity cohesion, and take place in a more concentrated residential zone with a severe lack of transport infrastructure.
Aside from being a non-negotiable condition for AFL licence approval, Mac Point Stadium would provide a critical relationship between stadium infrastructure and financial sustainability for the AFL club, on top of the transformative social and economic benefits the development would deliver statewide.
Mac Point Stadium would have higher crowd capacity than the other two, and as a world-class act strengthen the Devils hopes of retaining its AFL players, as well as Hobart providing a greater option for player partners and the club’s 130-ish employees to find jobs, schools and suitable housing.
Mr Avery said the possibilities for Mac Point were far greater than anything offered by his other existing venues.
“It opens up a whole new range of events we couldn’t have contemplated previously,” he said.
“From a sporting perspective, it gives us the ability to host things like, or at least enter into the discussion and entertain the concept, of hosting things like Gather Round or International Test Cricket on a regular basis, not one-offs.
“Tasmanians deserve more than one-offs, every-now-and-then, as an after-thought, or as a consolation prize events.
“We deserve the ability to have a seat at the table to try to secure these events along with every other state because they have been doing it for decades.”
Named: The SFL’s best players since 2000
The Southern Football league has been home to some of Tasmania’s top local footballers throughout the 2st century. Now we’ve named the best to play in the competition since 2000.
Tassie bolter relishing ‘amazing’ Australia A debut
Tasmania’s Australia A bolter Louis Smith left for Darwin simply to play club cricket after injuries. Bowling against Sri Lanka surpassed his wildest dreams.