Tasmanian AFL star Mitch Robinson urges Tasmanians to turn out in numbers in support of state’s own team
Tasmanians have answered the call to turn out in droves to today’s Roos v Suns match support the state’s push for an AFL team. DETAILS + HOW TO GET FREE TICKETS
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PREMIER Peter Gutwein said the crowd at today’s match at Blundstone Arena could be as big as 7000.
“What a fantastic day to be at the football in Tasmania, blue sky, the sun is shining and I’m sure that we’re going to have a cracker of a game this afternoon,” he said.
“Earlier in the week, we were expecting a crowd that could have been as low as 2000-2500.
“My understanding now is it has increased by around 100 per cent and we will see somewhere between five and six [thousand], possibly even 7000 people attending today.
“So that’s a really good turnout from Tasmanians that want to demonstrate that support of achieving the goal and aspiration of achieving our own AFL licence.”
‘Don’t forget to wear green’
PROUD Tasmanian Mitch Robinson has urged Tasmanian footy fans to turn out in droves for today’s AFL match at Blundstone Arena.
The in and under former Carlton and now Brisbane Lions player took to Twitter on Saturday morning to rally Tasmanians to flock to the match between North Melbourne and Gold Coast.
“Any of my fellow Taswegians going to the game today, don’t forget to wear green,’’ Robinson wrote.
Wear Green!
— Tasmanian AFL Team (@TasAFLTeam) June 26, 2021
💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚#AFLNorthSunshttps://t.co/P4oYJnxAfApic.twitter.com/8DhqraqEii
Others have also joined the call on Twitter, posting photographs of the “Team for Tassie” poster in today’s Mercury.
Wear green today at the footy a show support for a Tasmanian afl team. Imagine when people turn their tv's on a see a sea of green what that would look like. #AFLNorthSuns@TasAFLTeampic.twitter.com/Di5BG6yem8
— Fletcher Burns (@Fletch_Burns) June 25, 2021
Tickets to today’s match are free, redeemable by using the QR code on the front of today’s Mercury.
Premier’s message for Suns foes
TASMANIA’S champion of the AFL team chase Premier Peter Gutwein has a message for Tasmanian Sun Hugh Greenwood and Gold Coast boss Tony Cochrane ahead of their clash with North Melbourne at Blundstone Arena.
Hugh, stick to what you’re good at, playing footy, you’re a star.
Tony, I should have challenged you to chess rather than goal-kicking.
That was Mr Gutwein was responding to Greenwood’s tweet objecting to the Premier encouraging locals to boo Cochrane at the footy in response to the GCS leader’s strong stance against Tasmania getting a 19th AFL license.
Greenwood tweeted: “Would be great to see @GutweinTeam spend a bit more time celebrating and highlighting the Tasmanians playing AFL football in Hobart this weekend - (Tarryn, Aaron, Lachie*, Myself) - as his promotional driver. Instead the priority and focus is around potting other AFL Clubs.”
Mr Gutwein did not take that.
“Hugh Greenwood, what a fantastic footballer he is, and I think tomorrow we’ll see Aaron Hall and young Tarryn Thomas running around for North Melbourne as well. Three very good Tasmanians,” he said.
“The Gold Coast Suns chairman has denigrated the state in terms of its business case and in terms of its weather.
“He has taken a shot at the leader of the Taskforce that put together the business case.”
Then he said the GCS chairman could “be a little more open-minded towards the benefits of having Tasmania as a part of the league.”
As for challenging Cochrane to a goal-kicking contest, which he labelled as a stunt, Mr Gutwein will now kick with kids.
“I wasn’t aware that Mr Cochrane had never played the game so I probably should have taken him on in a game of chess or something,” Mr Gutwein said.
“That aside, I get the sense that Mr Cochrane is a very competitive person. But having never played the game he’s declined politely taking part in the goal kicking competition.
“Hopefully I’ll be able to have a kick on the ground with some kids at half-time, which I’m very much looking forward to.
“I’ll take the time to talk to Tony Cochrane about Tasmania’s aims and why it’s so important for this state to be able to play on the national stage.”
The sell-out 15,000 crowd at the Hawthorn-Essendon clash in Launceston last Sunday has strengthened Mr Gutwein’s resolve.
“One of the things that’s certainly motivating me was last weekend we saw what happens when you bring two big teams together, 15,000 people, capacity crowd under the current circumstances… I think we would have had a capacity crowd under any circumstances up at Launceston if Covid wasn’t playing a role here.
“I’d like to see as many people get along to this game as possible and to be frank I would hope that Hugh Greenwood and Tony Cochrane would accept that talking up this game might actually see a few more people come through the gates.”
Gold Coast boss punted by Tassie footy legend over AFL license
TASMANIAN football legend Robert Shaw delivered a smack-down to Gold Coast Grinch Tony Cochrane for disrespecting Tasmania’s football “culture and tradition” in the debate over a Tasmanian AFL license.
Only days after Cochrane’s double-barreled blast at Tasmania’s push to be the AFL’s 19th franchise, the Gold Coast chairman will arrive in Hobart with the Suns tomorrow ahead of their game against North Melbourne at Blundstone Arena on Saturday.
Cochrane says the AFL cannot afford an additional team, and at the same time Gold Coast banks a hefty $27m-per-season handout from the AFL.
As if that was not enough, Cochrane says the Suns need more cash _ primarily for the development of young players through its academy.
He says Tasmania also does not have the money, the players or a friendly climate.
Those comments from the top dog at the AFL’s most under-achieving club incensed Shaw, a renown former TFL premiership coach, coach of the Tasmanian team that beat Victoria in the 1990 State of Origin triumph at North Hobart Oval, and No. 102 inductee into the Tasmanian Football Hall of Fame.
“When the best you’ve got Tony Cochrane is to play the weather card, we will see you and raise you ‘People, History, Players, Culture, and Tradition’, which we’ve had since June 12, 1879,” Shaw said.
“Self-interest never has the good of the game at heart.
“One day it will be great to show him how to start up a club, build up a club and culture and more importantly, how to lead a club.
“At the moment, he’s not giving us a great example to follow on any of that.”
Cochrane’s preference is for Tasmania wait its turn for an expansion to 20 teams, which would create a 10th weekly game.
Until then, Tasmania should stay out of the big time.
“The money is not there, the depths of playing group is not there, and at the end of the day, thank God, that decision has to go to the 18 existing presidents,” Cochrane said.
“I doubt there would be anybody who would move a motion. At best there might be somebody who moves a motion and seconds it.
“It will not get more than three votes out of 18. It will not get up.
“The AFL as an industry cannot afford a 19th franchise, I don’t care whether that franchise is in Timbuktu, Tailem Bend, or Tasmania. That is my point.”
The coronavirus pandemic hit the AFL as hard as any industry.
“Right at this point in time, we’ve got 12 of the 18 clubs have significant loans, are significantly in overdraft or whatever financial cover you want to put on it. So I don’t believe we’re in a position to expand the competition; as simple as that,” he said.
Tasmania’s former Richmond star Matthew Richardson joined the cause on Twitter.
“Cannot understand the resistance from your average footy fan to a Tasmanian team. Grassroots Aussie rules state. Produced 4 of best 15-20 players all time _ Hart, Hudson, Stewart and Baldock. Always batted above.”
Gold Coast Suns boss to make appearance at AFL game in Hobart
HE’S been called a big mouth and dream crusher, and while Tony Cochrane will be the most “hated” man in Tasmania on Saturday the Gold Coast boss does not expect a hostile reception when his Suns play North Melbourne at Blundstone Arena.
The GCS chairman expects to be welcomed warmly, despite his intense opposition to Tasmania’s attempt to be the 19th team into the AFL.
While legions of fans and footy greats back Tasmania as a future AFL franchise, Cochrane fiercely leads the opposition.
Cochrane does not expect to feel a backlash at Blundstone.
“I will take whatever is coming,” Cochrane said.
“But I’ll be disappointed if that’s the attitude people take.
“Tasmanians are known for their hospitality and as welcoming people and for attracting tourism.
“So it would be a pretty strange approach to treat a high-profile person in that manner.
“I’m down there as a guest of North Melbourne. I had North Melbourne not that long ago as my guest at my Chairman’s Circle up here on the Gold Coast.
“It would be a blight on Tasmania’s push to be a tourism place if people couldn’t safely come down there are watch a game of footy.”
Cochrane’s firm stance has riled supporters of Tasmania and its dream of entering the AFL.
It won’t stop him from being in Tasmania to watch the Suns try to win their fifth game of the season against a rapidly-improving North Melbourne.
“I go everywhere with the team,” Cochrane said.
“And if Covid restrictions allows me too, I will be in Hobart to watch them play too.
Cochrane believes the AFL cannot afford to create a 19th license _ his main reason for opposing a Tasmanian franchise.
His solution is to wait until the time is right _ he says “a number of years” _ to admit two new teams and create a 10th weekly fixture.
Otherwise, transition a Melbourne club into a pseudo Tasmanian team, playing eight games in the state and the rest in Melbourne and on the road.
“With a 19th franchise, and it doesn’t matter where it is, the big problem is that it doesn’t add to your media rights,” Cochrane said.
“To get a lift in media rights you have to add in twos.
“It is not just in AFL, it is Rugby Union, the EPL in England, all over the world.
“If you add two new teams, you’re adding an extra game, so in the case of the AFL you go to 10 games each week.
“That is valuable to a media organization, whether it is streaming, free to air, Foxtel, it doesn’t matter. That has real value.
“Adding one franchise is enormously challenging financially because you don’t get a media rights uplift.
“That is one of the biggest issues you’ve got to get around with your bid.
“I don’t see that covered in your business case at all.”
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