Key meetings with footy bosses as Tasmania’s AFL team bid reaches crucial stage
This could be the week where Tassie’s bid for an AFL team is won or lost. Here is why the next seven days is so crucial.
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The official lobbying of AFL heavyweights has begun with the Tasmanian government inviting all club presidents south and the Premier to meet league boss Gillon McLachlan face-to-face for the first time this week.
Mr Rockliff will meet the AFL boss in Tasmania within days where he will confirm there is $150m on the table for a Tasmanian team, but nothing for a relocated team.
It comes as Mr Rockliff confirmed the proposed new stadium for Hobart is not part of the state’s official bid to land a 19th team.
Mr Rockliff told News Corp on Monday the state was prepared to walk away from its bid for a new team if the league attempted to foist a relocated side onto the state.
The state and its Tasmanian Taskforce have positioned this bid as the last possible chance for an AFL licence as the AFL’s presidents prepare for a potential August vote.
Mr Rockliff confirmed the $150 million figure being offered to the AFL in the form of a $50 million start-up fund and $100 million over ten seasons.
But despite Sydney president Andrew Pridham’s weekend statement that the AFL must be open-minded to a relocation, Mr Rockliff was adamant there is only one model which works.
“Our $150m bid is for a stand-alone Tasmanian AFL team only,” he told News Corp.
“We have been clear from the get-go that Tasmanians are not interested in a team that has half its heart in Melbourne. Granting Tasmania its own licence is the only way the AFL can be a truly national competition; Tasmanians will accept nothing less.
“I’ve been in regular conversation with AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan and we plan to meet in person in coming days.
“Plans are also underway to invite the club Presidents to Tasmania to see for themselves what our island State has to offer and the passion and force behind the campaign.”
Mr McLachlan has been in constant contact with new premier Rockliff but is yet to travel to Tasmania for an in-person meeting since Mr Rockliff replaced Peter Gutwein as Premier.
Instead he has let his key lieutenants Travis Auld and Sam Graham carry much of the heavy lifting.
Tasmanian football sources say they were taken aback after the sudden resignation of Mr Gutwein when the AFL’s mood instantly changed.
Mr McLachlan sent one of his AFL underlings to a scheduled meeting with the premier and immediately upped the yearly asking price for investment into the new team.
AFL presidents remain nervous about the league’s investment into a new state in the same year when the league is threatening to take as much as $2m per season from their annual distributions.
It means the AFL’s ability to broker a significant TV rights deal is critical and closely linked to funding for a 19th team.
Mr Pridham echoed the thoughts of many club presidents who have not yet been given the financials on the side when he said: “At this point, all options have to be on the table. You can’t ask the clubs to have an open mind to Tasmania coming into the competition and a 19th licence if Tasmania can’t have an open mind to a different model.”
After repeated questioning from Opposition leader Rebecca White, Mr Rockliff also ruled out a new stadium being central to the state landing a licence, and denied that the state would have to fully fund any new stadium in the future.
Earlier this year, the Tasmanian government unveiled a plan for a new Hobart roofed stadium on the banks of the Derwent River at a cost of $750m.
But documents obtained by the Labor opposition showed there were many missing elements and assumptions in the costings. meaning the final figure could be $1bn.
“The stadium is not contingent on the licence which will be a known fact this year,” he said.
“Before the feasibility study is completed is it necessary to have the appropriate world-class infrastructure to support the success of the AFL team into the future.”
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