McGuire says there’s still boxes to tick for a Tassie AFL team

One of the biggest names in the AFL has pleaded with the State Government to open its borders for upcoming league matches. THE PREMIER RESPONDS >>

MEDIA heavyweight and former Collingwood president Eddie McGuire says its time Tasmania stepped up in hosting AFL games during the Victorian lockdown.

Speaking on Channel 9’s Footy Classified on Wednesday night, McGuire said should Tasmania not only host its fixtured match of North Melbourne and the GWS Giants in Hobart on Sunday, June 13, but also the match the following week against Brisbane on Saturday June 19.

It could even be a “festival of footy” with possibly the Hawthorn-Essendon match in Launceston the next day – seeing Tasmania host two AFL roster games in the same round for the first time as well as being the Bombers first Tasmanian game for premiership points.

“As long as it meets all the health checks, you’d like to think Tasmania would want to be part of this,” McGuire said.

“This is their big moment to put their hand up and show a bit of support.”

Eddie McGuire

McGuire said hosting those games and filling the stands would send a strong message to the AFL in relation to the state’s push for its own team.

However, Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein while remaining open to the idea, was not rushing into any decision yet.

“As I said last week, we are open to the possibility of hosting more AFL games down in Tasmania, or an AFL hub if the situations demands,” Mr Gutwein said.

“I communicated this to the AFL last week and the ball is in their court, acknowledging the uncertainty that still remains with the Victorian lockdown and its impact on the AFL fixture.

“However, to be very clear – we will not do anything to put Tasmanians at risk and we will act on Public Health advice at all times.”

McGuire says there’s still boxes to tick for a Tassie AFL team

By Luke Edmunds

AFL personality Eddie McGuire says the state needs to choose one site where to base a side, develop more AFL-ready talent and build business and education around a bid for a side if it is to be accepted into the national competition.

The former Collingwood president doubled down on a checklist he released in April that Tasmania needs to tick to be taken seriously in league circles.

That checklist includes a new, roofed stadium, which he says should be of the same standard of the new Perth stadium, and be the home base for the side.

Eddie McGuire. Picture: Stefan Postles

“You’re too small a market to be divided,” McGuire told ABC radio’s Leon Compton.

“You’ve got to be united.

“You’re going to have two stadiums? OK … that’ll be put on the table and it’ll be looked at but it won’t be looked at favourably I wouldn’t have thought.”

Former Geelong president Colin Carter will deliver his review of Tasmania’s case for a 19th team this month, which the AFL commission will discuss after this season.

McGuire – who thinks Tasmania should enter the league at the same time as a 20th team from North Queensland – said the state had to dramatically increase the numbers of AFL-ready players coming out of the state.

The state has not had a player selected from the TSL in the national draft for two seasons.

“I want to see how you’re going to get 10 players per year drafted into the AFL draft out of Tasmania because at the moment the Melbourne Grammar School boarding house provides more players into the draft than what Tassie did last year,” McGuire said.

Could Hobart’s Blundstone Arena (Pictured) be the state’s AFL base or is Launceston’s UTAS Stadium better suited? Picture: JULIA SANTOS

“You’re going to be a far better homegrown team if you’ve got homegrown players.”

McGuire said a centralised stadium and training facilities for the team could be an “epicentre of Olympic sport” if the state leveraged Federal Government investment in the lead up to the 2032 Olympics in Queensland.

He said UTAS should offer courses such as broadcasting and health sciences.

“If you turbocharge the industries around football … if you’re able to do that then the whole thing pays off,” he said.