As Chairman and General Manager of AFL Tasmania the recent dialogue concerning where AFL games should be played in Tasmania reinforces for us that:
The public of Tasmania are passionate Australian Football fans - Tasmanian footy fans definitely "love" the AFL competition and football fans state wide clearly support live AFL games being played in Tasmania.
The recent partnership arrangement between the state of Tasmania, the AFL and the Hawthorn Football Club provides the opportunity over the next five years for Tasmanian's to continue to view live AFL games in Tasmania.
Unfortunately the great majority of people in Tasmania do not fully understand how difficult it is for a state such as ours to secure one game of AFL football, let alone a guarantee of five games per year over the next five years (until the end of 2011) .
The state of Tasmania is not a member of the AFL. We believe that our Government and people such as Tasmanian football icon Peter Hudson have done a magnificent job in convincing the AFL to commit to AFL games being played in Tasmania.
The new Hawthorn Football Club deal with the state of Tasmania is a fantastic initiative; we believe this deal will be the foundation of more AFL games being played in Tasmanian beyond 2011.
The reality is that the AFL's guarantee of games being played in Tasmania has only been achieved because for the first time in our states history the Tasmanian Government and AFL Tasmania has been united in its approach to dealing with the AFL.
A few years ago now the Tasmanian Government, the AFL and AFL Tasmania had a vigorous debate over where games of AFL football should be played - at the time we felt it was a debate that we needed to have - the end result is that we are now all totally committed to the same five year direction. Without a common direction we would not have any games of AFL football being played in Tasmania, apart from perhaps an occasional preseason or practice game.
Without a common direction we will never become an even more serious part of the AFL national football competition - surely the football loving public of Tasmania would want a team based in our state playing in our national competition?
However, that will not occur if all we are going to do is debate where the team should be based, where games should be played etc.... Let's stop debating such irrelevant issues - the AFL thinks it's ridiculous, our former champions think its ridiculous, most Tasmanian's think its ridiculous - it is embarrassing!
What we should be preparing for as a state is the long term - 10, 15, 20 years down the track - not worrying about a short term scenario that will not be changed.
Long term - anything is possible!
We suggest anyone that understands the history of Tasmanian football would acknowledge that Governments in the past (state and local) have lacked the vision required to achieve something significant in respect to Australian Football in Tasmania. Past opportunities have existed and the authorities at the time "let those opportunities pass them by".
Why are we therefore critical of our current state Government for possessing the courage and vision that potentially could pave the way for bigger and better things in the future (in respect to Australian Football)?
Let's just get on with it and make what we have for the next five years work - for the long term betterment of Tasmania.
AFL football can be a most valuable contributor to many aspects of life in our state, particularly tourism and economic development. Does AFL football positively contribute to the states of Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia? Absolutely yes is the answer - so why would Tasmania be any different?
Finally, we suggest that over the next three to five years we should be presenting an argument to our state Government and then to the AFL that our state can support a team in the national competition (long term). We understand that it took South Australia ten years to convince the VFL/AFL to grant them a national licence. Such endeavours can neither be achieved over night or without a unified voice.
For the next five years Aurora Stadium is our AFL football venue - end of story!
The AFL's focus at the moment is rightly directed towards the Gold Coast - let's make sure Tasmania is the next option - and let's stop embarrassing and destructive North/South venue debates.
Personally we would love to see Mitch Thorpe play for Tasmania - not Hawthorn; Jack Reiwoldt playing for Tasmania - not Richmond; Rodney Eade coaching Tasmania - not the Western Bulldogs etc....
These are the football issues we should be debating.
David Templeton Scott Wade
Chairman General Manager
AFL Tasmania AFL Tasmania
Last Modified on 09/12/2006 21:22