Booney wrote:whufc wrote:dedja wrote:whufc wrote:I disagree a bit.
The AFL dont come out of this looking any good at all because their demands don't pass the pub test of being reasonable.
If the Devils fall through the general perception will be "The AFL made stupid demands that weren't really necessary"
I also dont think the AFL let it fall through because ultimately, they will be wanting to get to 'decent' teams ASAP so they generate greater income.
If the AFL didn't 'really' want Tasmania in the comp they didn't need to let it get as far as it got, they could have continued to shun the idea like they had for the past 30 years.
Tend to agree … Gill has given Dill a hospital pass with this one.
My guess.....
The stadium will get done but probably not by the 2028 deadline.
The AFL to 'allow' the Devils to spend the first year or whatever at the current stadium provided the stadium deal is signed and built by 2029 or whatever.
If there isn't a team of architects and engineers working on the job now, and probably for the last 6 months, then even on a green fields site having tenders run, won and construction completed of a $1bn roofed stadium on an island 300+kms off mainland Australia in under 2 years would be optimistic, at best.
You would be a man that knows these things.
Thats why i reckon the Devils come in, first year or two play home games at the two current stadiums, market it as they are building the statewide fan base (becoming the team for all Tasmanians) before moving to the new build in 2030 to which they will have by then gained a captive audience.