Public response shows AFL team “can’t be stopped”: O’Brien
Tasmania Football Club chair Grant O’Brien is adamant the public response to Monday’s launch shows the club “shouldn’t be stopped”, regardless of who prevails in Saturday’s state election.
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Tasmania Football Club chair Grant O’Brien has declared people power has spoken and sent a message the team “shouldn’t be stopped” as attention now turns to the state election voting booths this Saturday.
But he said the responsibility is now squarely on the club to deliver what they’ve promised, including a Macquarie Point stadium the AFL continues to insist is a non-negotiable.
O’Brien admitted the club was “surprised a little bit, but thrilled” after more than 102,000 members had signed up by late Tuesday afternoon, after the club was launched at various locations across the state on Monday night.
Speaking at a launch event at Campbell Town on Tuesday morning, where schoolchildren converged to spell out a giant ‘Devils’ on the town’s football oval, O’Brien said the public had made its support clear.
Asked if the team could be stopped regardless of who prevails in the polls, O’Brien said: “I don’t think so.
“The election is up to the people, and they’ll decide. (But) what the club has got and what we’ve seen in terms of the public reaction, I don’t think it can (be stopped).
“And it shouldn’t be stopped, because it’s what people want. They voted with their phones and credit cards.”
O’Brien said they are now determined to ensure the stadium gets the tick of approval.
“The AFL have been really clear that what is set out in the agreement with the government is what they expect to be delivered, and so do we,” he said.
“The more people engage in this club, the more they’ll be looking forward to 2028. We’ve got to make sure we deliver what’s set out in those agreements, otherwise there’ll be 75 or 100,000 people saying ‘where’s our team?’
“It’s great to have that membership but with that comes pressure, the pressure to deliver.”
O’Brien said the membership numbers would be a strong enabler when it comes to discussions with key stakeholders, including politicians and potential sponsors.
“It’s an enabler for all stakeholders. For sponsors to walk in and (we can) say here’s the people who are directly engaged with the club, that provides certainty.
“Those things are important, and that’s why we’re thrilled. Surprised a little bit, but thrilled the reaction has come so quickly.”
AFL legend and club ambassador Jack Riewoldt said they will press forward with ticking every box they need to make the club sustainable, and won’t be pressured by the political stadium fight.
“We’re not about sending messages to any political party. We’re about making sure we get every step right in building the football club,” he said.
“We can’t wait for decisions that are out of our hands. It’s important as an organisation we continue to have that eye for the future and we’re not missing steps.
“We’re not waiting for people to tell us what to do, we’re actually preparing for our team and business to be ready in 2028.
“We can’t slow down at all for anyone, we have to make sure we’re right at the forefront and working hard.”
Riewoldt insisted opinions about the stadium were mostly in favour as he gauged the mood around the state.
“The mood was a really positive one. Even the feedback in our surveys, the resounding thing that came through was ‘what do you want from a membership?’
“The answer was nothing, (people) just want to belong to something.”
O’Brien said they would smell the roses after Monday’s successful launch, but will soon have the nose back on the grindstone.
“Last night was a big step forward and we’re going to enjoy that for a moment, but then we’ve got to get on with things,” he said.
“We have to get our talent pathways properly organised, our admin and operations teams, the CEO and that type of thing, and obviously infrastructure in place.”
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