One thing is for certain, in five years’ time, football in Tasmania will be a much different creature than it is in 2016.
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The long-awaited report into the future of Tasmanian football – the Garlick Report – was released this week, and it focused on community football, talent pathways and the State League. It also canvassed a future with just one AFL team based in Tasmania with most pundits predicting that team will be North Melbourne.
Whether that prediction is a little presumptuous or not only time will tell, but there are still a number of hurdles to clear before the state’s AFL future is known some time around 2022, with the current deals between the state government and both North Melbourne and Hawthorn set to expire in 2021.
Not surprisingly, the Launceston City Council wasn’t thrilled by the one-team model recommended by the Garlick Report.
The hugely popular and successful Hawks have made Aurora Stadium and Launceston their second home and bring much-needed prosperity to the city.
If that model was to change – and Hawthorn wasn’t re-contracted to play four AFL roster games in Launceston a season – the council believes the city will lose somewhere in the vicinity of $10 million a year.
That’s simply unacceptable from Launceston’s perspective. Retailers, restaurants and hotels benefit greatly from the increase in business at a time when the winter chills set in from a tourism perspective.
And let’s not forget the 10,000 Tasmanians who are proud Hawthorn members. When St Kilda left Tasmania, the club estimated it lost somewhere in the vicinity of 8000 members.
Obviously, there’s more to the Garlick report than just the future of Hawthorn and North Melbourne – and it all seems incredibly positive.
However, it’s just hard to shake the feeling that if there is to be a change in AFL landscape in Tasmania, the North of the state will be the one to lose out, particularly if the AFL has any say in the matter. It’s no secret they are less than impressed with the fact one of their biggest clubs plays home games outside Melbourne. It’s why we keep getting games against Gold Coast and Fremantle.
That’s why it’s so important that football fans support Hawthorn matches at Aurora Stadium by putting bums on seats, particularly when Carlton touches down in Launceston for their July 30 match.
