Tasmania bids for new AFL team licence

[Sojourner]

From the Age Newspaper - Clearly they have made a solid case for the team based on its financial viability, Lets hope that the AFL take them seriously....

Tasmania bids for new AFL team licence
November 18, 2008 - 3:47PM

Tasmania's bid for a state-based AFL team is ready.

Sports Minister Michelle O'Byrne announced on Tuesday that cabinet had approved a submission prepared by sports consultancy Gemba and would send it to the AFL for consideration next month.

However, the AFL remains committed to awarding the two new licences to teams from the Gold Coast and western Sydney.

Despite this reality, hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars have been spent by the Tasmanian government pursuing what cynics consider a political folly.

O'Byrne said the submission was underpinned by a solid business case that showed Tasmania could sustain its own AFL team, in line with the AFL's criteria for an AFL licence.

"This includes stadium economics, revenue and expenditure, sponsorship, membership of the Tasmanian Football Club and crowds at Aurora Stadium," she said.

"This is an historic and exciting day for Tasmania and Tasmanian football."

Several companies have attracted publicity with sponsorship pledges for a Tasmanian-based AFL team, including $4 million from confectionary giant Mars.

The AFL has said it will accept the Tasmanian bid document, despite never having asked for it.

http://news.theage.com.au/sport/tasmani ... -6a35.html

[Pag]

They won't get it, which is a deadset shame. Demetriou is going to waste an absolute shitload of money trying to build teams where nobody gives a rats ass about Aussie Rules, while ignoring the people who are passionate about the game, and have a long history in it.

The NRL isn't in good nick, but at least they're not nieve enough to try to expand into Adelaide or Perth at the moment, and went with the Gold Coast instead. Not sure if Demetriou realises that Sydney only got 16k to a final, how another team is going to survive up there is beyond me.

I really hope for Tassie's sake the licence goes down there, but I can't see it happening while the current regime are around.

[Rik E Boy]

The NRL isn't in good nick, but at least they're not nieve enough to try to expand into Adelaide or Perth at the moment, and went with the Gold Coast instead. Not sure if Demetriou realises that Sydney only got 16k to a final, how another team is going to survive up there is beyond me.

Er..that would be the reason WHY the NRL isn't in good nick. The Gold Coast Titans is about the third attempt at putting a League side out there and the Rams could have worked but instead they got the arse along with some of the traditional Sydney based clubs. Not too sure about the Western Reds though as it is a fair hike to Perth.

Thank your lucky constellations that the AFL isn't run by the clowns who have been in charge of Thugby League over the last twenty years!

regards,

REB

[Groover]

Would they have family passes there in tasmania?
if so they could fill the stadium with one ticket

I still say give the tassies a go though!