An AFL team in Tasmania stacks up financially and wouldn’t be a monetary drag on the league, according to state government-backed report.
A plan for the Tasmanian Devils Football Club to enter the AFL in 2025 has been laid out by an independent taskforce, plus proposed costings of the venture.
“We strongly believe the case stands on its own … it can stack up,” Chairman and former Virgin Australia CEO Brett Godfrey told reporters on Friday.
“They (Tasmania) deserve it, not because of heart-on-the-sleeve stuff … but because every impediment has been addressed.”
An initial investment of $45 million, split between the AFL and federal and state governments, would be required to cover the initial set-up costs of a club.
From there, the report suggests the state government would underwrite the team by $11 million a year, safeguarding the AFL from “another Greater Western Sydney, North Melbourne or Gold Coast Suns scenario”.
The state government currently invests $8 million per year to host eight Hawthorn and North Melbourne men’s fixtures and two AFLW games.
Hobart would be the likely team base, with bigger blockbuster matches to be held at Launceston’s larger UTAS Stadium, which would be upgraded from 20,000 to 27,000 seats.
The report warned the popularity of AFL was falling in Tasmania and the sport would no longer be the state’s most popular in 2030.
“I hope for the sake of the game in this state that they determine protecting a core AFL heartland is a good business decision,” Mr Godfrey said.
“It’s far to say the game is at risk.”
Tasmania should reject offers of a VFL team if no commitment is forthcoming for an AFL club, the report recommends.
The AFL is reviewing the report and will respond at an appropriate time, a spokesperson for the league said.
Tasmania Premier Peter Gutwein spoke on Friday with Hawthorn boss Jeff Kennett, who is also digesting the report.
Tasmania’s deals with North Melbourne and Hawthorn expire at the end of 2021.
Mr Gutwein has flagged “transitional deals” with the two clubs between then and 2025.
A Tasmanian side would add $110 million to the state’s economy per year and create more than 360 jobs, the report says.
