Clock ticking for Tassie team with 2028 looming for the AFL start-up

Time is the enemy for the Tasmanian AFL club’s newly-blooded board. Chairman Grant O’Brien says that launching a “start-up” is a huge challenge.

TFC AFL Club Inaugural Board of Directors, Chair Grant O'Brien at UTAS Stadium. Picture: Chris Kidd

TIME is the enemy of the Tasmanian AFL club’s newly-blooded board and chairman Grant O’Brien says that launching a “start-up” is a challenge in itself in the lead-up to the team’s debut in 2028.

The club has a name _ Tasmania Football Club _ and the rest will be in place by the start of the next AFL season in mid-March.

That gives the board less than six months to settle on an emblem for its men’s and women’s teams, team colours, different jumper designs for home and away strips, and a team song.

TFC AFL Club Inaugural Board of Directors, Chair Grant O'Brien with (Club Ambassador) Julie Kay, James Henderson, Kathy Schaefer, Alastair Lynch, Kath McCann, Alicia Leis, Roger Curtis, (Club Ambassador) Jack Riewoldt, Graeme Gardner and Laura McBain at UTAS Stadium. Picture: Chris Kidd

There is also a membership launch to take care of, as well as appointing a CEO, and turning attention to the VFL team scheduled to debut in 2025, and appointing its coach and recruiting players.

Now team Tasmania has a nine-member board, unveiled in Launceston on Wednesday and made up of men and women from all three regions of Tasmania, it’s time to roll up the sleeves and get on with the job.

“When you look at the scheduled first game, or the year the team is due to run out being 2028, you might think that’s a long time away,” O’Brien said.

TFC AFL Club Inaugural Board of Directors, Chair Grant O'Brien at UTAS Stadium. Picture: Chris Kidd

“When you start stacking up what needs to be done during that time-frame, it’s pretty tight.

“So time is definitely a big challenge, and one of the examples of that is the stadium.

“Getting that built within the time frame is doable, for sure, but we’ve got to manage all of the risks and work around that.”

The Tasmania FC needs a business plan to set out the financial foundation of the club.

“We’ve got a good sense of where to go but we’ve got to formalise that in a business plan so we can get alignment and get other people involved,” O’Brien said.

“The board are not going to deliver this.

“It’s a much bigger group of people who are going to deliver this, and I’m not even talking about the executive, which is going to be employed along the way. It’s going to take people who are yet to get involved.”