Tasmanian AFL Bid
Encyclopedia
The bid to establish an Australian Football League
(AFL) team in the state of Tasmania
has been ongoing, with fluctuating levels of support, since the then-Victorian Football League
began its national expansion in the 1980s and 1990s.
The AFL's continued rejection of the Tasmanian AFL bid has raised significant controversy, with the Government of Australia
launching a Senate inquiry in 2008 which AFL Commission
CEO Andrew Demetriou
and chairman Mike Fitzpatrick
both declined to attend. At the enquiry Kerry O'Brien
brought into question the AFL's commitment to the game in Tasmania, and stated that he believed that with continued neglect, the popularity of soccer could overtake Australian rules football in Tasmania
.
With the relocation of the Sydney Swans
and admission of teams from Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide, Tasmania belatedly began a push to enter the national competition.
declaration that it intends to expand the competition by creating new clubs in both the Gold Coast
and Western Sydney. Many Tasmanians and traditional fans of football strongly believe that the state is more deserving of an AFL team than these other areas as Tasmania has always had strong support for football, whereas Gold Coast and Western Sydney are rugby league
heartlands.
In April 2008, Tasmania's former premier Paul Lennon
revived the push for an AFL team by travelling to AFL House in Melbourne
to officially launch the latest bid. Although Lennon subsequently retired in May, the responsibility of steering the bid went to Economic Development Minister Paula Wriedt
. The Mercury
newspaper has also been a vocal supporter of the bid. The current bid is known as "Tassie It's Time".
Wriedt says Tasmania is only making a case for a Tasmanian team and not trying to beat the Gold Coast or Western Sydney to the 17th or 18th franchise. It is likely that Tasmania will be added later, in the case of a Melbourne club folding or merging.
AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou
has said: "They probably do deserve a team, we shouldn't dismiss the contribution that Tasmania has made to our game... They are absolutely entitled to put forward a proposal, but the commission has already decided where the 17th and 18th teams are going." . The AFL admitted that the state had put together a strong business case, but has indicated that the next two club licences will be in Gold Coast and Western Sydney.
The bid has received a significant boost on 30 July 2008, with the announcement that the confectionery company Mars
has signed on as the new club's major sponsor. The deal is reportedly worth $4 million over 3 years. It was long doubted by the AFL that the Tasmanian club would secure corporate interest before a proposal is accepted by the AFL. This announcement came as a major shock as it was before a sponsor could be found for either the Gold Coast or Western Sydney clubs and as AFL clubs Richmond and Western Bulldogs were left without a major sponsor for 2009. The Western Bulldogs have since found a major sponsor in Mission Foods
.
The 2008 bid has commissioned Gemba to make a financial audit of the bid to meet the AFL criteria. In addition, the Tasmania team has secured more than 20,000 potential members, ahead of the Gold Coast and Western Sydney bids in raw numbers.
The AFL's continued rejection of the Tasmanian AFL Bid has raised significant controversy, with the Government of Australia
launching an Senate of Australia inquiry which AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou
and Commission chairman Mike Fitzpatrick
both declined to attend. At the enquiry Kerry O'Brien
brought into question the AFL's commitment to the game in Tasmania, and stated that he believed that with continued neglect, the popularity of Association football (soccer) in Tasmania could overtake Australian rules football in Tasmania
.
s in Glenorchy
, at the cost of approximately $30 million.
The stadium would have been the team's only home ground, but the appeal was unsuccessful and the stadium was not built. Thus Tasmanian bids to enter the AFL were rejected in both 1995 and 1997, when Fremantle
and Port Adelaide
respectively were admitted instead.
which is noted by many commentators. As a result, the AFL's official stance has been to cite population, sponsorship interest, financial viability and regional rivalries.
There are notable followings in Tasmania of Hawthorn, North Melbourne, St Kilda, and Collingwood. In addition, Hawthorn and St Kilda have played "home" games in the state and built up followings. As a result, it is argued that it may be difficult to convert these followers to support a new club that represents Tasmania.
There is already a large television viewership in Tasmania, however the state is not counted by OzTam
, relying instead on less accurate diary recording.
with 300,000 local people, have catchment areas with fewer people than Tasmania, which has 500,000 people. The suburb of North Melbourne, the traditional base of the North Melbourne Football Club
had a population of under 10,000 in 2009, the smallest of any traditional Melbourne supporter bases. While the Port Adelaide Football Club
draws from working class Adelaide, it also has a relatively small supporter base. Many Melbourne based AFL clubs have had to play home games in interstate locations in order to broaden their following.
Kevin Sheedy has argued that population is irrelevant, and that a Tasmanian side could draw support from abroad in a similar way to the Green Bay Packers
.
and Launceston
each want the "home ground" to be located in their city.
A political division and personal differences between the AFL Commission and the Tasmanian administrators (AFL Tasmania) may have also affected funding and other issues such as AFL bids.
It is widely believed that a Tasmanian bid can only succeed if there were strong united support from both the north and south of the state.
.
Past AFL relocation or merger experiences (such as the Sydney Swans
and Brisbane Lions
) which have had mixed results which is a reason why the AFL has held off taking such a risk in Tasmania.
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
(AFL) team in the state of Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
has been ongoing, with fluctuating levels of support, since the then-Victorian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
began its national expansion in the 1980s and 1990s.
The AFL's continued rejection of the Tasmanian AFL bid has raised significant controversy, with the Government of Australia
Government of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a federal constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary democracy. The Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901 as a result of an agreement among six self-governing British colonies, which became the six states...
launching a Senate inquiry in 2008 which AFL Commission
AFL Commission
The AFL Commission is the official governing body of the Australian Football League , the elite national Australian rules football competition....
CEO Andrew Demetriou
Andrew Demetriou
Andrew Demetriou is the chief executive officer of the Australian Football League and a former Australian rules footballer. He is the youngest son of Greek-Cypriot immigrants and, before becoming a VFL player, he worked in the dental import industry...
and chairman Mike Fitzpatrick
Mike Fitzpatrick (footballer)
Michael "Mike" Fitzpatrick is an Australian businessman, sporting administrator and former Australian rules footballer....
both declined to attend. At the enquiry Kerry O'Brien
Kerry O'Brien (politician)
Kerry Williams Kelso O'Brien , is an Australian politician. O'Brien has been a member of the Australian Senate for the state of Tasmania since September 1996, representing the Australian Labor Party.-Background:O'Brien was born in Sydney...
brought into question the AFL's commitment to the game in Tasmania, and stated that he believed that with continued neglect, the popularity of soccer could overtake Australian rules football in Tasmania
Australian rules football in Tasmania
Australian rules football in Tasmania known as Football officially and locally has a history dating back to the 1860s, with the state having the distinction of being the first place outside of Victoria to play the sport....
.
Background
Although Tasmania was the second Australian state after Victoria to play the game, it has never been represented in Victorian Football League which was renamed the Australian Football League in 1990. This is despite a historically strong supporter base for Australian rules football, one of the highest participation rates in the country and strong local leagues. However, Tasmania initially held back from expressing serious interest in the VFL when there was first talk of interstate expansion.With the relocation of the Sydney Swans
Sydney Swans
The Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney...
and admission of teams from Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide, Tasmania belatedly began a push to enter the national competition.
Current bid
In 2008, calls for a Tasmanian franchise has received unprecedented levels of support and media coverage with the AFL'sAustralian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
declaration that it intends to expand the competition by creating new clubs in both the Gold Coast
GC17
The Gold Coast Football Club, nicknamed The Suns, is an Australian rules football club based on the Gold Coast, which began playing in the Australian Football League competition for the first time in 2011. The club is the product of a sole consortium, formerly known as "GC17", tendering against...
and Western Sydney. Many Tasmanians and traditional fans of football strongly believe that the state is more deserving of an AFL team than these other areas as Tasmania has always had strong support for football, whereas Gold Coast and Western Sydney are rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
heartlands.
In April 2008, Tasmania's former premier Paul Lennon
Paul Lennon
Paul Anthony Lennon is an Australian Labor Party politician. He was Premier of Tasmania from 21 March 2004 until his resignation on 26 May 2008. He was member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly for the seat of Franklin from 1990 until officially resigning on 27 May 2008...
revived the push for an AFL team by travelling to AFL House in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
to officially launch the latest bid. Although Lennon subsequently retired in May, the responsibility of steering the bid went to Economic Development Minister Paula Wriedt
Paula Wriedt
Paula Catherine Wriedt is a former Australian politician. She was an Australian Labor Party member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly, representing the outer suburban Hobart seat of Franklin. She was first elected to parliament in the 1996 election...
. The Mercury
The Mercury (Hobart)
The Mercury is a daily newspaper, published in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, by Davies Brothers Pty Ltd, part of News Limited and News Corporation...
newspaper has also been a vocal supporter of the bid. The current bid is known as "Tassie It's Time".
Wriedt says Tasmania is only making a case for a Tasmanian team and not trying to beat the Gold Coast or Western Sydney to the 17th or 18th franchise. It is likely that Tasmania will be added later, in the case of a Melbourne club folding or merging.
AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou
Andrew Demetriou
Andrew Demetriou is the chief executive officer of the Australian Football League and a former Australian rules footballer. He is the youngest son of Greek-Cypriot immigrants and, before becoming a VFL player, he worked in the dental import industry...
has said: "They probably do deserve a team, we shouldn't dismiss the contribution that Tasmania has made to our game... They are absolutely entitled to put forward a proposal, but the commission has already decided where the 17th and 18th teams are going." . The AFL admitted that the state had put together a strong business case, but has indicated that the next two club licences will be in Gold Coast and Western Sydney.
The bid has received a significant boost on 30 July 2008, with the announcement that the confectionery company Mars
Mars, Incorporated
Mars, Incorporated is a worldwide manufacturer of confectionery, pet food, and other food products with US$30 billion in annual sales in 2010, and is ranked as the 5th largest privately held company in the United States by Forbes. Headquartered in McLean, unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia,...
has signed on as the new club's major sponsor. The deal is reportedly worth $4 million over 3 years. It was long doubted by the AFL that the Tasmanian club would secure corporate interest before a proposal is accepted by the AFL. This announcement came as a major shock as it was before a sponsor could be found for either the Gold Coast or Western Sydney clubs and as AFL clubs Richmond and Western Bulldogs were left without a major sponsor for 2009. The Western Bulldogs have since found a major sponsor in Mission Foods
Mission Foods
Mission Foods, a subsidiary of Gruma Corporation, is an American manufacturer of tortillas and tortilla-related products based in Irving, Texas.-History:...
.
The 2008 bid has commissioned Gemba to make a financial audit of the bid to meet the AFL criteria. In addition, the Tasmania team has secured more than 20,000 potential members, ahead of the Gold Coast and Western Sydney bids in raw numbers.
The AFL's continued rejection of the Tasmanian AFL Bid has raised significant controversy, with the Government of Australia
Government of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a federal constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary democracy. The Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901 as a result of an agreement among six self-governing British colonies, which became the six states...
launching an Senate of Australia inquiry which AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou
Andrew Demetriou
Andrew Demetriou is the chief executive officer of the Australian Football League and a former Australian rules footballer. He is the youngest son of Greek-Cypriot immigrants and, before becoming a VFL player, he worked in the dental import industry...
and Commission chairman Mike Fitzpatrick
Mike Fitzpatrick
Michael G. "Mike" Fitzpatrick is the U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Republican Party. He was reelected to Congress in 2010, and previously represented the district from 2005 to 2007, but lost to Patrick Murphy in 2006....
both declined to attend. At the enquiry Kerry O'Brien
Kerry O'Brien (politician)
Kerry Williams Kelso O'Brien , is an Australian politician. O'Brien has been a member of the Australian Senate for the state of Tasmania since September 1996, representing the Australian Labor Party.-Background:O'Brien was born in Sydney...
brought into question the AFL's commitment to the game in Tasmania, and stated that he believed that with continued neglect, the popularity of Association football (soccer) in Tasmania could overtake Australian rules football in Tasmania
Australian rules football in Tasmania
Australian rules football in Tasmania known as Football officially and locally has a history dating back to the 1860s, with the state having the distinction of being the first place outside of Victoria to play the sport....
.
Early bids
Between 1994 and 1997 the bid was prepared for a Tasmanian team that involved the construction of a 30,000-capacity stadium at the Hobart ShowgroundHobart Showground
The Royal Hobart Showgrounds is the site of the Royal Hobart Show and many other smaller events including a Market on the grounds every Sunday. The Royal Hobart Showground is located 10 km north of Hobart, between the junction to Brooker Highway/Goodwood Road and the Main Road in Glenorchy.-Royal...
s in Glenorchy
Glenorchy, Tasmania
Glenorchy is a business district and suburb in the northern part of greater Hobart, capital of the state of Tasmania, Australia. The land was originally used for agriculture but is now a largely suburban, working-class area...
, at the cost of approximately $30 million.
The stadium would have been the team's only home ground, but the appeal was unsuccessful and the stadium was not built. Thus Tasmanian bids to enter the AFL were rejected in both 1995 and 1997, when Fremantle
Fremantle Football Club
The Fremantle Football Club, nicknamed The Dockers, is an Australian rules football team which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in the port city of Fremantle at the mouth of the Swan River in Western Australia...
and Port Adelaide
Port Adelaide Football Club
The Port Adelaide Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Alberton, South Australia, which plays in the Australian Football League and the South Australian National Football League...
respectively were admitted instead.
AFL arguments against a Tasmanian side
There are a number of factors for the AFL's dismissal of Tasmanian AFL bids. However some of these arguments have an inherent conflict of interestConflict of interest
A conflict of interest occurs when an individual or organization is involved in multiple interests, one of which could possibly corrupt the motivation for an act in the other....
which is noted by many commentators. As a result, the AFL's official stance has been to cite population, sponsorship interest, financial viability and regional rivalries.
Captive market
There are AFL figures which argue that as Tasmania is a traditional Australian football state heavily influenced by Victoria that many fans of the game have traditional VFL/AFL club allegiances which go back generations. This is especially due to high profile VFL/AFL players coming from Tasmania.There are notable followings in Tasmania of Hawthorn, North Melbourne, St Kilda, and Collingwood. In addition, Hawthorn and St Kilda have played "home" games in the state and built up followings. As a result, it is argued that it may be difficult to convert these followers to support a new club that represents Tasmania.
There is already a large television viewership in Tasmania, however the state is not counted by OzTam
OzTAM
OzTAM is an Australian audience measurement research firm that collects and markets television ratings data. It is jointly owned by the Seven Network, the Nine Network and Network Ten, and is the official source of television ratings data for all metropolitan television in Sydney, Melbourne,...
, relying instead on less accurate diary recording.
Population and supporter base
The AFL has dismissed Tasmanian bids on the basis of a small and sparse population. However, existing AFL clubs also have small population catchments, but their supporter bases extend further than their regional locations. GeelongGeelong Football Club
The Geelong Football Club, nicknamed The Cats, is a professional Australian rules football club, named after and based in the city of Geelong, playing in the Australian Football League . The club has been the VFL/AFL premiers nine times, with a record equalling 3 in the AFL era. Geelong has also...
with 300,000 local people, have catchment areas with fewer people than Tasmania, which has 500,000 people. The suburb of North Melbourne, the traditional base of the North Melbourne Football Club
North Melbourne Football Club
The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world...
had a population of under 10,000 in 2009, the smallest of any traditional Melbourne supporter bases. While the Port Adelaide Football Club
Port Adelaide Football Club
The Port Adelaide Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Alberton, South Australia, which plays in the Australian Football League and the South Australian National Football League...
draws from working class Adelaide, it also has a relatively small supporter base. Many Melbourne based AFL clubs have had to play home games in interstate locations in order to broaden their following.
Kevin Sheedy has argued that population is irrelevant, and that a Tasmanian side could draw support from abroad in a similar way to the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
.
Sponsorship interest
Another ground for dismissing the Tasmanian bids has been a lack of sponsorship interest due in part to the location and potential supporter base. However the Tasmanian government has indicated its willingness to fill any sponsorship gap and has sponsored AFL clubs in the past. Despite the argument, the Tasmanian AFL bid was able to garner a $4 million major sponsor in Mars confectionery in 2008.Regional rivalries and politics
The AFL has also had past issues with the rift between north and south and regional rivalry which has caused political division within football in Tasmania. The two halves of the state have relatively equal populations and the major population centres of HobartHobart
Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
and Launceston
Launceston, Tasmania
Launceston is a city in the north of the state of Tasmania, Australia at the junction of the North Esk and South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River. Launceston is the second largest city in Tasmania after the state capital Hobart...
each want the "home ground" to be located in their city.
A political division and personal differences between the AFL Commission and the Tasmanian administrators (AFL Tasmania) may have also affected funding and other issues such as AFL bids.
It is widely believed that a Tasmanian bid can only succeed if there were strong united support from both the north and south of the state.
Relocation speculation
Some media commentators have speculated that the AFL holds Tasmania open as a soft target for relocation of struggling Melbourne clubs. Speculation has been fueled by the Kangaroos looking to shift four home games annually to Hobart's Bellerive OvalBellerive Oval
Bellerive Oval, also known as its sponsored name Blundstone Arena, is primarily a cricket and Australian Rules Football ground located in Bellerive, City of Clarence, on the eastern shore of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia...
.
Past AFL relocation or merger experiences (such as the Sydney Swans
Sydney Swans
The Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney...
and Brisbane Lions
Brisbane Lions
The Brisbane Lions is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Brisbane, Queensland. The club was formed from the merger of the Brisbane Bears and the Fitzroy Lions in 1996...
) which have had mixed results which is a reason why the AFL has held off taking such a risk in Tasmania.