Tasmania has submitted a $150 million plan to bring in the AFL’s 19th club, but three existing teams have already suggested they are against it, The Age reports.
The proposal would see a team in Hobart join the league in 2028 and as early as 2026, and includes a 10-year commitment of $100 million plus $50 million in startup costs.
That would include a high-quality facility near Hobart’s CBD. In March, a new 27,000-seat stadium with a retractable roof was presented on the waterfront of the Regatta Ground next to the center of town.
Watch every blockbuster AFL game Live & Ad-Break Free In-Play on Kayo this weekend. New to Kayo? Try now 14 days free >
Talks are still ongoing between the Tasmanian government and the AFL over the annual financial commitment required, and Caroline Wilson reported this week that the league stood at $20 million a year.
The new Tassie proposal of $10 million a year over a decade is within the amount suggested in Colin Carter’s 2021 expansion report, which estimated the state government would contribute $7 million to $11 million a year.
But there are said to be unease among club presidents over the expansion pledge ahead of the August AFL commission’s decision, in which AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan has said he wants a large majority of clubs on board.
Sydney, Collingwood and Gold Coast are reportedly opposed to the Tasmanian bid.
“I have an open mind, but I think I have my reservations about the feasibility of a 19th license,” Swans chairman Andrew Pridham told Seven this week.
The Nine report stated: “A level of fear is emerging among key players involved in the Tasmanian bid as it awaits clarification on the football’s soft cap, the size of the player roster and the quality of the match. .
“Current costs under the bid would place the new team about 12th or 13th in annual revenue, including AFL contributions.”
If Tasmania crosses the line and gets the 19th club, the Northern Territory is expected to ramp up its push for the 20th.
[title_words_as_hashtags
