TASMANIAN SAINTS?

[SAINT-LEE]

I have wondered what our club would look like in Tassie?

Pros:
- More supporters who are dead keen ( estimate is 25,000 new members)
- Zonal Draft selections ?
- AFL wipes Club debt?
- Uniquely positioned as the only club in the state
- Extra draft selections to help with the move?
- New stadium / new stadium deal?
- His Sovereign Ruler - Lord Nic as new club pressie?
- Lest me mind grapes explode....Sir Nic as senior coach?

Cons:
- Melbourne supporters isolated
- Drop in home game revenue ( is that even possible?)
- Travel games increase
- Weather....cloudy with a chance of meatballs
- Members quit, don't renew memberships


"Russell Hanson, of Lindisfarne, has submitted a detailed report showing the significant economic return from a Tasmanian AFL team.Economic benefits to flow from a Tasmanian AFL team to the tune of $173 million a year".
July 16, 2019 7:05am
BRETT STUBBS, Sports EditorMercury



Riewoldt to join Tasmanian AFL taskforce
By Peter Ryan
June 26, 2019 — 12.05am
"St Kilda champion Nick Riewoldt has agreed to join the Tasmanian AFL taskforce set up to build a business case for AFL and AFLW teams in the Apple Isle. Riewoldt's decision to become involved is a major boost to those pushing for a team in Tasmania given his high profile in the game and the respect with which he is held among the AFL hierarchy."

The Age
Tasmania set to apply for a provisional AFL licence
By Caroline Wilson
August 23, 2019 — 2.24pm
"Tasmania looks certain to bid for a provisional AFL licence by the end of this year as one of a raft of recommendations that have emerged from the Hodgman Government-appointed task force.

In a significant step forward in the push for a stand-alone team, task force chairman Brett Godfrey told The Age that a provisional licence would demonstrate a degree of certainty to the state as it builds a strong business case for an AFL team with a potential 2025 entry into the national competition.

Nick Riewoldt is on the task force looking at a stand-alone Tasmanian team.

"A provisional licence would be contingent on certain things happening," said Godfrey, whose working party met in Hobart on Friday on the eve of Tasmania's last home-and-away game for the 2019 season.

"It would be subject to us submitting a compelling and sustainable business case that we can actually add value to the AFL and not simply existing to take from the pie.

"It doesn't mean when and it doesn't mean how but it does provide a good degree of certainty.

''Wouldn't a provisional licence be the logical next step?''

Godfrey, the founding chief executive of Virgin Australia who is now a key player in Tasmanian tourism, pointed out that the yet-to-be-established Tasmanian Devils VFL team has already been granted a provisional licence. The AFL granted Gold Coast a provisional licence in the years leading up to their AFL establishment in 2011 and there has not been a case where the granting of a provisional licence by the league hasn't led to a permanent place in the competition.

While the bold move would not guarantee Tasmania a stand-alone team it would underpin the resolve of the Hodgman Government as it moves towards shorter-term and potentially reshaped agreements with Hawthorn and North Melbourne.

It would also give the government and its highly motivated taskforce some certainty of Tasmania's place at the head of the queue for a potential next AFL club as the state gets behind the national bid.

In recent weeks Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett has again privately mooted walking away from a new deal with Tasmania should it forge ahead for a bid for its own AFL side.

The taskforce is due to present its findings to the Tasmanian Government in December but looks certain to demonstrate its belief that a stand-alone team could not only survive but thrive, potentially by 2025. In a separate development the AFL has been exploring extending the broadcast rights agreement by two years until the end of 2024.

In a series of developments in Tasmania it is understood:

*The taskforce is working towards the creation of a viable AFL team model with an annual turnover of $50 million.

*It will push to delay the launch of a second-tier state team until 2022 in a bid to better develop local talent, a move at odds with AFL Tasmania, which is working towards a 2021 deadline.

*Former St Kilda champion Nick Riewoldt has been charged with looking at potential player-retention issues in his firm belief Tasmania could be developed as a destination club.

*There is strong backing for the establishment of a new stadium and training facility at Hobart's Macquarie Point with home-and-away games divided between Launceston and Hobart.

*The taskforce could recommend the establishment of a board of directors to oversee the Tasmanian Devils - a name registered with the AFL, currently a fledgling under-age team competing in the NAB under 18s and run by AFL Tasmania.

The taskforce has already spent time in Queensland looking at the Brisbane Lions' successful academy model and plans to investigate in some depth the highly successful Geelong Football Club and its ascendancy over the past two decades under Brian Cook at GMHBA Stadium.

Riewoldt has emerged as a key mover within the taskforce and in the Tasmanian AFL bid. The recently retired St Kilda champion took part in Friday's task force talks and has been focusing on player retention.

Riewoldt, a native Tasmanian, has remained firm in his view that the potential 19th team could ultimately become a destination club. Brendon Bolton, who has temporarily retreated from the public eye since departing Carlton, is also working behind the scenes in the football development space.

The taskforce also includes former Woolworths chief Grant O'Brien, Football Tasmania director Julie Kay, former GWS executive Paul Eriksson, Dynamic Sports and Entertainment Group boss James Henderson and Launceston-based business leader Errol Stewart.

The view of the task force is that an annual turnover of $50 million would place the Tasmanian Devils as a middle-ranked AFL team, which would prove sustainable and not reliant over the long term upon head office hand-outs.

The preliminary findings of the Godfrey-chaired working group appear to have the cautious support of AFL chief Gillon McLachlan who in his first year at the helm of the competition declared a one-team model preferable for Tasmania.

The same cannot be said for Hawthorn, whose president last week described the "endless ongoing discussions" as "debilitating". In an open letter to Hawthorn members Kennett added that the research into the viability of a stand-alone Tasmanian team "takes everybody's focus off getting on with the issues we are charged to address".

But Hawthorn chief Justin Reeves told The Age: "We would love to see a team in Tassie and we also think this current model works really well."

Kennett and Reeves held talks with the task force in Launceston earlier this month and conveyed the message that they could move to depart Tasmania if the state pushed ahead with its bid for a stand-alone team. The Hawthorn view was that it could reap the same or a better financial result by playing more games at the MCG.

The five-year, $19 million deal expires at the end of 2021 and does not involve the financial incentives for winning finals and grand finals that led to an extra $1 million being paid by Tasmanian taxpayers to the Hawks during the previous agreement.

The prevailing view at grass-roots football level is that the Tasmanian Government should push both the Hawks and the Kangaroos to invest significantly more into game development in the state as part of any future agreement. Hawthorn and Tasmania are contracted to re-open negotiations in March next year."

[WellardSaint]

Rooey was born in Tassie, but I thought his family moved to Southport Qld (Gold Coast) when he was 3 yrs old?
So he's pretty much a banana bender?

[saynta]

A team in tassie would die unless it has the support of both the nth and south. Hard to achieve. Would need two grounds and two training centres. Play 5 and 6 games at each alternating each year. They would be the most ravelled team in the competition.

[DJ Higgins]

Agree. It won't work as not many would fly down to watch. Plus the crowds would be small all the time especially when they play another small team. Seriously imagine suns versus Tassie. It would be a nrl size crowd

[shanegrambeau]

Tassie needs two teams IMO. One for the North coast,one for Hobart. It doesn't matter if just 2000 people attend, the interest and attention, TV rights etc. will blow up the TV ratings compared to Gold Coast, Like test cricket. Neither team should be St.Kilda . One should be Hawthorn. Tasman Hawks. Saints best long term future should be based at the Junction Oval St Kilda. Most of us won't live long enough to see it, including me. Saints in Tassie is a bust. I'd rather go back to the VFA.

[shanegrambeau]

Tassie needs two teams IMO. One for the North coast,one for Hobart. It doesn't matter if just 2000 people attend, the interest and attention, TV rights etc. will blow up the TV ratings compared to Gold Coast, Like test cricket. Neither team should be St.Kilda . One should be Hawthorn. Tasman Hawks. Saints best long term future should be based at the Junction Oval St Kilda. Most of us won't live long enough to see it, including me. Saints in Tassie is a bust. I'd rather go back to the VFA.

[Linton Lodger]

From St Kilda along the bayside to Frankston, that's our home. I would also suggest its more heavily populated than all of Tasmania.

We shouldn't even hypothetically think of such nonsense, leave that to the Gold Coast or North.

[SAINT-LEE]

Rooey was born in Tassie, but I thought his family moved to Southport Qld (Gold Coast) when he was 3 yrs old?
So he's pretty much a banana bender?

I wondered this as well, he told me his extended family was all in Tassie and they hold interest in properties, visting regularly growing up, and somehow when Roo talks about the Apple his eye twinkles...yep, I said it.

[SAINT-LEE]

From St Kilda along the bayside to Frankston, that's our home. I would also suggest its more heavily populated than all of Tasmania.

We shouldn't even hypothetically think of such nonsense, leave that to the Gold Coast or North.

I agree there is a long history in the Bay. I think it would be hard to see such a big change, but the facts are regardless of population we have a weak club, always have had low supporter base, low game attendances (unless playing in very very small grounds), debt debt debt.

I don't know what the answer is, but if moving and all the perks caused us to rise to top as a powerhouse and make Tassie visits as nightmare for opposition, maybe it's time to change? I'm getting desperate.

[Waltzing St Kilda]

Don't like it but you'd swear some in our admin were hellbent on making it happen.

[To the top]

What is the level of debt we are suffocating under again?

Maybe we need a "White Knight" banker such as Westpac was to Geelong, writing off half their debt to get rid of the business to Bendigo Bank.

Then again we had ANZ back in the Fox days!!!

Hence the Scheme of Arrangement.

Haven't got a lot better, have we?

Mind you we were royally "screwed" by Docklands where we were an IPO tenant (and the IPO Investors lost their money lock, stock and barrel)

Plus Westpac banked the IPO AND the Stapled Security Investors (on the basis of a Tax Ruling!).

The Stapled Securities never listed.

Westpac did another poultice.

The old story - NEVER bank a Footy Club.

[Moods]

Rooey was born in Tassie, but I thought his family moved to Southport Qld (Gold Coast) when he was 3 yrs old?
So he's pretty much a banana bender?

Read his book. I think they moved when he was 8-10 years of age. He loves Tassie and is passionate about an AFL team being played there. From reading his book GC was just a place they moved to, Tassie is where his heart is

[desertsaint]

roo may love Tassie but i reckon we'd be like the suns and have many youngsters wanting to head home to the big smoke and family. there's only so many times you can visit mona.

[B.M]

Rooey left Tassie at 12yo

He played juniors at Sandy Bay in Hobart.

Went to HS in Qld.

[B.M]

Plus

A big Con would be the fact we just spent 30M on a training facility at Moorabbin

[B.M]

And whilst Roo moved to Qld as a teen, his extended family are still all in Tassie

As a kid, I used to watch big Chris Riewoldt play CHF for Clarence.

[BarryGrogan]

Love Tassie.

Just so many racist fuckers down there though.

[B.M]

Almost as many as there are in Melbourne

[ace]

From St Kilda along the bayside to Frankston, that's our home. I would also suggest its more heavily populated than all of Tasmania.

We shouldn't even hypothetically think of such nonsense, leave that to the Gold Coast or North.

But when you say that about the Tasmanian population are you counting bodies or heads.
There are a lot more heads than bodies.

[samuraisaint]

Rooey was born in Tassie, but I thought his family moved to Southport Qld (Gold Coast) when he was 3 yrs old?
So he's pretty much a banana bender?

No, his family moved there when he was a young teenager. His early childhood was all in Tassie. Dad was a publican and a local footballer.

[skeptic]

Don't like it but you'd swear some in our admin were hellbent on making it happen.

This point has been somewhat glossed over in this thread but to be honest, a similar line of thinking has crossed my mind as of late... not so much about Tassie but getting Hanners on a long expensive contract, bigger contract extensions to Joyce and McKenzie whilst talking about moving Bruce and Carlisle on.
Lethelen overruling the recruiting scout, a premature extension of Richo’s contract, talk of Brad Scott getting the coaching gig

Obviously not all of that’s confirmed but you’d almost swear that that can’t just be incompetence

[CQ SAINT]

Don't like it but you'd swear some in our admin were hellbent on making it happen.

This point has been somewhat glossed over in this thread but to be honest, a similar line of thinking has crossed my mind as of late... not so much about Tassie but getting Hanners on a long expensive contract, bigger contract extensions to Joyce and McKenzie whilst talking about moving Bruce and Carlisle on.
Lethelen overruling the recruiting scout, a premature extension of Richo’s contract, talk of Brad Scott getting the coaching gig

Obviously not all of that’s confirmed but you’d almost swear that that can’t just be incompetence

It is far too early to make a call on Hannerberry. He finished pretty well and in terms of 2020 I'm really glad we have him. What was the alternative. Did Leathlean extend Richo? Or did he drive the need to get rid of him. Not sure how these 2 question relate in isolation.

Mackenzie and Joyce are cheap fringe players. Every club has them. This is not fantasy footy, you can't just keep rolling them over and expect change. How about recruiting rejects like Marshall, Wilkie, Hind and Parker. Couldn't that have gone really wrong. I doubt that Lethlean or the recruiting scout have final say and the argument belongs in a thread like this.

At least our, likely to be successful, women's team will have Moorabbin to play at.

[skeptic]

Don't like it but you'd swear some in our admin were hellbent on making it happen.

This point has been somewhat glossed over in this thread but to be honest, a similar line of thinking has crossed my mind as of late... not so much about Tassie but getting Hanners on a long expensive contract, bigger contract extensions to Joyce and McKenzie whilst talking about moving Bruce and Carlisle on.
Lethelen overruling the recruiting scout, a premature extension of Richo’s contract, talk of Brad Scott getting the coaching gig

Obviously not all of that’s confirmed but you’d almost swear that that can’t just be incompetence

It is far too early to make a call on Hannerberry. He finished pretty well and in terms of 2020 I'm really glad we have him. What was the alternative. Did Leathlean extend Richo? Or did he drive the need to get rid of him. Not sure how these 2 question relate in isolation.

Mackenzie and Joyce are cheap fringe players. Every club has them. This is not fantasy footy, you can't just keep rolling them over and expect change. How about recruiting rejects like Marshall, Wilkie, Hind and Parker. Couldn't that have gone really wrong. I doubt that Lethlean or the recruiting scout have final say and the argument belongs in a thread like this.

At least our, likely to be successful, women's team will have Moorabbin to play at.

The reference to Lethlean was merely that he overruled to get King ahead of Roz... wasn’t meaning to implicate him specifically but the post was ill worded and unintentionally implied that so I yield on that point... and yes Wilkie, Hind and Parker were good recruits.

Not sure who extended Richo but it was a bad decision... many didn’t like it at the time but surprisingly it didn’t bother me much... who could have anticipated we dived like we did.

Hannebery isn’t a bad recruit but $800k over 5 years is a bad risk to take. It’s a failure in year one with the upside being at least he’s ready to go fro year two... no excuses.
That pay cheque may end up costing us something.

On McKenzie on Joyce... don’t mind them but 3 and 2 years respectively is too long for layers not established as top 22.

The point of all of this is that we seem to be making some bad decision at the moment or over the last few years and it’s bothering me. That’s all. The conspiracy nut in me sometimes thinks how can you get it so consistently wrong... this off-season will say a lot about what we’re doing as a club so we’ll wait and see

[Linton Lodger]

From St Kilda along the bayside to Frankston, that's our home. I would also suggest its more heavily populated than all of Tasmania.

We shouldn't even hypothetically think of such nonsense, leave that to the Gold Coast or North.

I agree there is a long history in the Bay. I think it would be hard to see such a big change, but the facts are regardless of population we have a weak club, always have had low supporter base, low game attendances (unless playing in very very small grounds), debt debt debt.

I don't know what the answer is, but if moving and all the perks caused us to rise to top as a powerhouse and make Tassie visits as nightmare for opposition, maybe it's time to change? I'm getting desperate.

Crowds and membership will look after themselves with onfield success. We've had 8 years out of Finals, our attendances were good when we were doing well in the GT and Lyon era. Unfortunately, we had a criminally inequitable stadium deal!

Crowd and support wise we do a lot better than The Bulldogs (who won a Premiership 3 years ago), Melbourne and North Melbourne. Let them worry. Our Tasmanian effort failed the first time and NZ was ridiculous, we should be focusing on setting up systems that facilitate consistent success, going to consistent List Management and development, like Sydney and Geelong. Hopefully we'll learn the lessons of the last decade.

A winning team, will see the crowds and members return.

[Linton Lodger]

From St Kilda along the bayside to Frankston, that's our home. I would also suggest its more heavily populated than all of Tasmania.

We shouldn't even hypothetically think of such nonsense, leave that to the Gold Coast or North.

But when you say that about the Tasmanian population are you counting bodies or heads.
There are a lot more heads than bodies.

Now that's unkind.