NEW HAWTHORN DEAL AT A GLANCE
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
- New five-year deal, worth $3.8 million a year
- Hawks to play four premiership season games at Aurora, plus a pre-season match.
- No more cash bonuses for on-field success
- New deal to run from 2017 until 2021.
Hawthorn president Andrew Newbold says It's time for clubs like Essendon and Richmond to play in Launceston, with the Hawks signing on for five more years in Tasmania.
The Hawks have inked a new, $19 million deal with the state government to continue playing four Premiership Season games and one pre-season match at Aurora Stadium until 2021.
The deal secures the state as a major Hawthorn sponsor, but importantly no longer includes cash bonuses for the Hawks for on-field success.
Mr Newbold said while fixturing arrangements remained the AFL's responsibility, the Hawks would push for big Melbourne teams to play in Launceston.
"It just sort of feels right that we take a big game there now, whether it be someone like Richmond or Essendon," he told The Examiner.
"That's something that we'll be taking up with the AFL."
Mr Newbold said the new deal would also refresh the club's community responsibilities within Tasmania.
"We'll work through some new initiatives with the government," he said.
"I've often said it's hard to put a monetary value on putting a smile on a kid's face when they get to meet their hero."
Premier Will Hodgman said the new deal would be a massive boost to the North, and to the football community in the absence of a Tasmanian team.
"For this investment, the latest modelling shows the total value of the Hawks deal, including the direct economic impact of games, as well as national brand exposure, to be nearly $30 million per year," he said.
"While our ultimate goal is for Tasmania to have our own AFL team, given the position of the AFL this is clearly not achievable for the foreseeable future, which means renewal of the Hawks’ deal is the best outcome available at this time."
Mr Hodgman said the removal of the bonus payments would save the state budget up to $1 million a year.
The new deal is worth a total of $3.8 million a year, up from around $3.4 million under the current arrangement.
Mr Hodgman said the government would begin renegotiating a new deal with North Melbourne to play games in Hobart later this year or early next year.