Two federal government sources,who asked not to be named as they were not authorised to discuss the announcement,confirmed the funding promise would be publicly unveiled this weekend.
The AFL will then be able to seek the approval of club presidents and the AFL Commission to grant the new team a licence,with the vote expected to be a formality after multiple club CEOs confirmed they were told at a meeting during Gather Round to either raise concerns within a week or back the plan.
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A spokesperson for Albanese declined to comment while an AFL spokesperson toldThe Age on Monday evening “the AFL continues to work with state and federal governments to try and secure funding for a stadium”.
The granting of a licence would be a triumph for the Tasmanians who made a final push for a new team. They presented a business case to the AFL just before COVID-19 struck and then re-ignited the argument in 2021,with the AFL commissioning Colin Carter to review it.
It would also provideAFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan with a lasting legacy as he prepares to finish his nine-year tenure in charge of the competition.
Albanese visited Tasmania and discussed the funding with Premier Jeremy Rockliff,who is a strong supporter of the project,on April 17.