Tassie's Ultimation to AFL:

[B.M]

I would clearly vote for it, but 50k Melbourne members definitely wouldn’t and they’d revolt if it happened.

Also, there has just been a $40-50M redevelopment at Moorabbin.

The Saints ain’t going anywhere

We do need to get rid of our debt and win a bloody flag though!!!

[shanegrambeau]

Now St Kilda makes a Tassie move.
https://www.sen.com.au/news/2021/02/18/ ... -tasmania/

[CQ SAINT]

I would clearly vote for it, but 50k Melbourne members definitely wouldn’t and they’d revolt if it happened.

Also, there has just been a $40-50M redevelopment at Moorabbin.

The Saints ain’t going anywhere

We do need to get rid of our debt and win a bloody flag though!!!

We could just fly over 11 times a year, on a 10 year contract while the Tasmanian and Federal Government bring the stadium and facilities up to scratch. Then let the AFL reassess an independent license for Tassie, once the work is done.

[saynta]

I would clearly vote for it, but 50k Melbourne members definitely wouldn’t and they’d revolt if it happened.

Also, there has just been a $40-50M redevelopment at Moorabbin.

The Saints ain’t going anywhere

We do need to get rid of our debt and win a bloody flag though!!!

We could just fly over 11 times a year, on a 10 year contract while the Tasmanian and Federal Government bring the stadium and facilities up to scratch. Then let the AFL reassess an independent license for Tassie, once the work is done.

Thanks but no thanks. Saints would wither and die on the vine in Tassie.

[saynta]

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/ ... 013ec4e190


"TASMANIA’S game of chicken with the AFL is expected to come to a head on Friday.

The Tasmanian Government has sought and been given assurances it will get a response from league headquarters by the end of this week on whether the state will be given a pathway and timeline to its own AFL club or the league has put a line through a Tasmanian AFL side forever.

Premier Peter Gutwein reiterated his hard line stance that he would not enter renegotiations with Tasmania’s fly in, fly out clubs Hawthorn and North Melbourne until an answer from the AFL was received.

The deal is worth more than $8 million to the two clubs and expires after this season.

The Premier’s hard-line stance came as St Kilda emerged as a third AFL club with links to playing games on the Apple Isle. The Saints have not ruled out the ­prospect of playing games in Tasmania if “an appropriate opportunity” arises.

“My office has been in touch with the AFL this week, I’m expecting to receive it (a response from the AFL) this week,” Mr Gutwein said.

“I’ll certainly be very disappointed if we haven’t received something back from the AFL by the end of this week.”

“We provided a business case to the AFL 12 months ago that demonstrated that Tasmania could afford and sustain an AFL team.

“I’ve made it perfectly clear to the AFL until we have an answer either in terms of a timeline or they tell us once and for all we are not getting a team, we are not in a position to finalise those arrangements with Hawthorn or North Melbourne moving forward.”

The Saints have a deal with Tourism and Events Queensland to host a game in Cairns this season, having previously had deals to play in China and New Zealand.

“We’re not presently involved in any discussions with the Tasmanian government regarding playing games in Tasmania,” the St Kilda spokesman said.
North Melbourne Kangaroos and the St Kilda Saints at Blundstone Arena. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images via AFL Photos)
North Melbourne Kangaroos and the St Kilda Saints at Blundstone Arena. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images via AFL Photos)

“But most people are aware that we have strong ties with Tasmania so would not be surprised to hear we would never rule out discussions regarding playing games in that state.”

Tasmania’s AFL Taskforce business case has been aimed at the creation of a 19th licence.

But the impact of COVID on the league’s finances was believed to put paid to this avenue.

However, leading economist Saul Eslake said the AFL’s announcement this week of a much smaller operating loss, just $22.8 million compared to the $100 million first forecast, meant expansion was still a realistic goal.

He said the loss represented a minuscule 2.9 per cent of its operating revenue.

“And they still had $231 million to distribute to their 18 existing clubs, representing an average of $12.8 million to each club – so if they’ had a 19th club it would hardly have made much difference, less than two per cent of their diminished operating revenue in 2020 or 1.6 per cent of their 2019 revenue,” Mr Eslake said.

“So to say that this is a reason for not having a Tasmanian team would just be an extension of the usual pathetic non-excuses that the AFL has given for not becoming a ‘truly national’ competition since (former AFL chief executive) Andrew Demetriou was running the show."

[shanegrambeau]

This happened in the 1950s and 1960s in American sport. When a major sporting body denied entry to outsiders. What happened was that entire rival leagues were formed, or more often, they were formed on paper which then forced the major sporting body to relent and admit the aggrieved franchises.

[ausfatcat]

This happened in the 1950s and 1960s in American sport. When a major sporting body denied entry to outsiders. What happened was that entire rival leagues were formed, or more often, they were formed on paper which then forced the major sporting body to relent and admit the aggrieved franchises.

Very different circumstances to a small state wanting a AFL team and a lot more money involved. Also for every time it happened and worked there was failed attempt to do so as well see wfl, usafl, xfl, ufl, cfl, psfl, fefl, aaf all lasted 2 seasons max just for the NFL and a lot only played a couple of games.

I romantically want Tassie to have a team but agree the AFL should do a independent study first to see if it is long term viable.

Secondly if they saints move they will cease to be the saints of old.

[saynta]

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/ ... 013ec4e190


"AFL CEO punts Tasmanian premier’s request for own team

Tasmania’s Premier is spitting chips after receiving a last minute response to his official request for a timeline on granting Tassie its own AFL team."

[shanegrambeau]

This happened in the 1950s and 1960s in American sport. When a major sporting body denied entry to outsiders. What happened was that entire rival leagues were formed, or more often, they were formed on paper which then forced the major sporting body to relent and admit the aggrieved franchises.

Very different circumstances to a small state wanting a AFL team and a lot more money involved. Also for every time it happened and worked there was failed attempt to do so as well see wfl, usafl, xfl, ufl, cfl, psfl, fefl, aaf all lasted 2 seasons max just for the NFL and a lot only played a couple of games.

I romantically want Tassie to have a team but agree the AFL should do a independent study first to see if it is long term viable.

Secondly if they saints move they will cease to be the saints of old.

The leagues themselves failed, but it is my (limited) understanding that in many cases, they served their purpose...they forced the major establishment to relent and allow admission to the groups seeking to join them.

In some ways, Packer’s Cricket made a real change to the ACB too...and the compromise was achieved...huge wins for TV...Bentsen and Hedges etc.

[ausfatcat]

None did except the AFL back in the 70's

[shanegrambeau]

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/ ... 013ec4e190


"AFL CEO punts Tasmanian premier’s request for own team

Tasmania’s Premier is spitting chips after receiving a last minute response to his official request for a timeline on granting Tassie its own AFL team."

Bad, bad, bad..

Tassie should have a team.

Knucklehead short term eco rationalists in AFL house, short sell the culture...disgrace.

Heritage of Tassie ...it’s contribution as a part of what is AFL footy...

Bad as killing Fitzroy...

It’s not traditionalism speaking here. It’s outcasting Tassie. They are part of the family.

I hope Gold Coast fail dismally...I really do and all the millions the AFL have wasted up there could have funded two Tassie teams let alone one.

At the beginning of 2020 it has been stated that the AFL have poured over 250 million bucks into the Gold Coast Franchise. Now assume Tassie make zero money, that could have paid for 12 years of a club down there.

[ausfatcat]

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/ ... 23c149e732

btw for everyone advocating moving the saints to Tasie (or even anther side) apparently Tasmania isn't interested see the quote below from the HS article

The simplest remedy for Tasmania’s lack of an AFL team is to relocate a struggling AFL franchise, pump them with money and some extra picks and let everyone go home happy.

Except that is the only outcome that the Tasmanian taskforce is expressly not interested in.

It doesn’t want someone’s dregs, it doesn’t want the AFL’s ugly stepchild, it wants a gleaming bright new franchise, even if it has to wait for that to happen past the current TV rights deal expiring in 2024.

Also I don't see why waiting 12 months for a independent report is such a big omg for people. If it's viable it will happen.

Also a question (and this is a serious question not dig) why did the Tasie VFL team fail and does that effect people thinking Tasie can host a AFL team?

[B.M]

The Tassie VFL team was pulled because it wasn’t viable

Question
How many supporters go and watch VFL games?

It’s not AFL footy!

Would more supporters go and watch Tassie in the VFL or the local TFL team they’ve followed all of their life?


It’s why Frankston folded for a few years, and remember a Tassie VFL team had to fly every second week, so operating costs for a state league team were massive

I do believe the Tas Devils got the highest VFL attendance by some margin (about 5000 per game to about 2000 at other games) but that still wasn’t enough to cover operating costs.

It also had an adverse effect on local comps

Hawthorn, St Kilda and Kangaroos get around 12-15k at the AFL games down there!
If Tas had an AFL team it would get a minimum of 20k per home game!

VFL is NOT AFL and doesn’t have the same attraction!

If it weren’t for AFL fans of alligned clubs VFL attendance would be very poor. Most VFL supporters at Sandy games are there to watch StKilda players play

[shanegrambeau]

Saynta,

Ground attendance matters little in the bug picture now. 20% tops for the big established clubs, less for minor subsidised teams, and almost zero for Gold Coast Suns who have now received 250 million bucks as gift money.

It’s the AFL s loss. Tassie is a bone in our body. Leaving it out is greedy and short sighted.

How many people watch a basketball game...

TVviewwership is what it is about. AFL assumes no one will watch Tassie games. They assume people give a f about Gold Coast and that in twenty years Gold Coast will be huge...

[CQ SAINT]

Saynta,

Ground attendance matters little in the bug picture now. 20% tops for the big established clubs, less for minor subsidised teams, and almost zero for Gold Coast Suns who have now received 250 million bucks as gift money.

It’s the AFL s loss. Tassie is a bone in our body. Leaving it out is greedy and short sighted.

How many people watch a basketball game...

TVviewwership is what it is about. AFL assumes no one will watch Tassie games. They assume people give a f about Gold Coast and that in twenty years Gold Coast will be huge...

Possibly. But I think there might be much more to gain long term in conversion of viewer numbers in Qld than there will ever be by just providing a license to Tasmania, who are in the AFL tv market already.

[shanegrambeau]

Saynta,

Ground attendance matters little in the bug picture now. 20% tops for the big established clubs, less for minor subsidised teams, and almost zero for Gold Coast Suns who have now received 250 million bucks as gift money.

It’s the AFL s loss. Tassie is a bone in our body. Leaving it out is greedy and short sighted.

How many people watch a basketball game...

TVviewwership is what it is about. AFL assumes no one will watch Tassie games. They assume people give a f about Gold Coast and that in twenty years Gold Coast will be huge...

Possibly. But I think there might be much more to gain long term in conversion of viewer numbers in Qld than there will ever be by just providing a license to Tasmania, who are in the AFL tv market already.

Would be interesting to see the ratings. I do not know anything about how they sort out the ratings thing but I know the five metro mainland regions figure in it it. June 27, 2020, amid Coronoa Virus loom and huge 20% increase in TV audience, St Kilda Richmond got 260,000 viewers (which is incredible) That same round Fremantle played Gold Coast - and Freo have a strong and large fan base - and attracted 79,000 viewers. Fixturing will play a part no doubt, but I bet a good chunck of those 79,000 were Freo followers. Yazzie has the highest per capita footy playing population in the country after NT, Despite all the hammering and no love approach of the AFL. This idea that they won’t get sponsors, well I would say that Tassie is known around the world far more than Gold Coast.