Tassie before new Gold Coast/NSW team...

[Robbo]

bit late for that

Not really. The Titans have only been there for a year and a bit. That isn't that long.

[LaDoleCheckVida]

I think that the argument used that Tassie doesnt have the population is a crock. Surely there are more people living in Tassie than there are in the Geelong area? Or the Gold Coast for that matter.

But the corporate $$$$ are not in Tassie. it seems the AFL think that Sydney wants a 2nd team..i mean isn't Sydney where the corporate $$$$ lives. AFL are only interested in a venture that brings in the $$$$$. They don't care about anything else at the moment.

They are drunk with power and hungry for more $$$$..look at Andy D's ever growing girth!

[cruiser]

But the corporate $$$$ are not in Tassie. it seems the AFL think that Sydney wants a 2nd team..i mean isn't Sydney where the corporate $$$$ lives. AFL are only interested in a venture that brings in the $$$$$. They don't care about anything else at the moment.

They are drunk with power and hungry for more $$$$..look at Andy D's ever growing girth!

So you're telling me that there are more corporate dollars on the Bellarine Peninsular than there is in the entire state of Tasmania? Boags, Cascade, Cadbury Schwepes etc count for nothing?

[LaDoleCheckVida]

So you're telling me that there are more corporate dollars on the Bellarine Peninsular than there is in the entire state of Tasmania? Boags, Cascade, Cadbury Schwepes etc count for nothing?

it seems that way if you listen to Andy D and his croonies.

[gloveski]

Tassie is a football mad state. But I for one would follow a tassie team out of interest but my heart bleeds red and white and always will do.

This would be a major stepping stone as most of all Tasmanian football followers are already supporting a current AFL side and have been all their life, due to the lack of a strong and unified state league of our own. Somethjing that WA and SA had at the time of their teams introduction to the AFL

If the state/AFL had the money to prop up small numbers of supporters after the initial interest had died down until a strong supporter base could be established by the younger generation(at least 15 years in my opionion). Then yes a team would be viable, but who would take the risk?

Just food for thought

[Rowdy#8]

Tassie is a football mad state. But I for one would follow a tassie team out of interest but my heart bleeds red and white and always will do.

This would be a major stepping stone as most of all Tasmanian football followers are already supporting a current AFL side and have been all their life, due to the lack of a strong and unified state league of our own. Somethjing that WA and SA had at the time of their teams introduction to the AFL

If the state/AFL had the money to prop up small numbers of supporters after the initial interest had died down until a strong supporter base could be established by the younger generation(at least 15 years in my opionion). Then yes a team would be viable, but who would take the risk?

Just food for thought

Could not agree more ... any expansion would be about growing market share for the AFL. One would think that the majority of footy fans in Tassie are already supporters (if not members) of existing AFL clubs, so the AFL is already skimming their hard earned. Basing a team in Tassie would only be redirecting punters from one club to another. The lure of setting up new teams in Gold Coast and Western Sydney would be bringing new supporters to the game

[Damien]

I don't agree that just because everyone in Tassie who loves footy already has a team is a negative for a new team.

As long as it is legitimately and organically Tasmanian, a majority will come around and support them. A lot will keep two teams, I know West Coast and Adelaide members who kept very strong soft spots for their VFL teams for years. Some might even hate them of course, but a well marketed "Tasmania - we hate the mainland" type team will ensure conversion.

It's easy to say now, without a Tasmanian team, that no one would leave the club they are currently loyal to, but Tasmanian's are a particularly loyal and proud bunch, like West and South Australians I guess, and faced with a real team in the AFL, I think it would be irresistible for a lot of people.

I have lived in Sydney my whole adult life, so I don't imagine other than having a little soft spot it having any effect on me, but I imagine a lot of Tasmanians back home will jump on board at least as a "dual supporter", which mind you, the Swans have a heap of in Sydney.

[David Votoupal]

I think that the argument used that Tassie doesnt have the population is a crock. Surely there are more people living in Tassie than there are in the Geelong area? Or the Gold Coast for that matter.

It's apples and pears for many, many reasons (and funnily enough I hear the same arguments thrown up when people debate a Tassie A-League bid):
- Geelong is city with its own identity yet closely tied to Melbourne in many ways. And Geelong Football Club have more members in Melbourne than Geelong anyway.
- Tasmania is not a fast-growing state.
- the Gold Coast has grown in terms of economy and population to the point it can be considered a viable market for sports teams.

[reigning premier]

Tassie & ACT

Two Melbourne based teams playing half their home games (and a few away ones) in Tassie and Canberra respectively.

That's how you expand a competition into a region that can't support a full time team. Dawks to Tassie. Kangaroos to Dullsville.

[hammo]

Tassie & ACT

Two Melbourne based teams playing half their home games (and a few away ones) in Tassie and Canberra respectively.

That's how you expand a competition into a region that can't support a full time team. Dawks to Tassie. Kangaroos to Dullsville.

If you look at non-Swans games in Canberra the crowds are atrocious - usually between 5-10,000. That is simply not sustainable.

[reigning premier]

If you look at non-Swans games in Canberra the crowds are atrocious - usually between 5-10,000. That is simply not sustainable.

That's more than the Bush rats get to a home game Vs Fremantle....

[goswannie14]

I remember in the early years of the Brisbane Bears when they were playing North at the MCG. There were between 7,000 and 8,000 there. North hasn't improved much.