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He said they were prepared to look at a relocation and the benefits that might provide but they would not countenance the third proposal for a joint venture with an existing AFL club.
“We want to run and operate our own team. We don’t want to rent one,” Mr Gutwein said.
The Premier said he was annoyed with the AFL,and accused the league of again “kicking the can down the road” and said the state would not continue to sponsor Hawthorn and North Melbourne unless a genuine timeline was provided.
“We will not finalise those contracts. We will not roll them over with Hawthorn or North Melbourne until we have a clear pathway from the AFL,the starting point of which is a decision by them towards the end of this year as to whether or not we can have our own team,” Mr Gutwein said.
“If the AFL does not meet that timeline and if we can’t get to a decision by the end of the year we will not expect any more excuses and if that means that AFL content is not in Tasmania next year then be it on the AFL’s head.”
A North Melbourne spokesperson said the club’s board would need time to consider the report before making any comment,a position that Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett echoed when asked for his response.
“We are reading the report,we are considering the report and we have no position at this stage,” Kennett said.
The Carter report said a relocated team or a joint venture “that secures strong support in two markets from the outset,would arguably produce a more sustainable outcome and therefore should be considered before a 19th licence”.
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But the report by the ex-Geelong president suggested that a relocated team would be stronger - “formidable” - compared to a standalone team.
“The review found that the case for Tasmania is strong. There should be a team representing Tasmania in the AFL and AFLW competitions. However,the best form of that team is less clear-cut,” McLachlan said.
“A 19th team would be positioned in the middle of the bottom third of the wealth ladder of our industry,but a combined Tasmanian and Victorian support base would position the new club in the middle wealth ranks of AFL clubs,a formidable competitor on and off the field.”
The report was positive about Tasmania and said it was deserving of a team in the AFL and AFLW. But while it left three options,McLachlan said the Tasmanian team had to be sustainable and strong for the longer term. The report found a standalone team would not boost the broadcast rights.
To be granted a licence for a team,Tasmania would need the backing of at least three-quarters of the 18 existing clubs in a formal vote which Kennett expected would occur in September.
In a summary of the report,the AFL also said:
- Tasmania is deserving of a team “on historic and fairness grounds and most economic arguments can be overcome as long as government funding is secured - including for facilities and stadia”.
- Many risks of a new team in Tasmania can be managed “regardless of which pathway is chosen and key concerns raised such as the size of the Tasmanian population,the north-south rivalry,player retention,dilution of talent,fixture complications and the state of the Tasmanian economy are all issues that can be managed and should not influence the decision on a team,whatever the eventual model”.
- Tasmania is a football state,and a team “fulfils the purpose of the AFL and is the right thing to do”.
The NBL has already put an expansion franchise in Tasmania with the Tasmania JackJumpers coming into the league this coming season. The JackJumpers,named after a local ant with a painful bite,have signed up their inaugural roster with former NBA player Scott Roth named head coach.