Hawthorn president Richard Garvey plans to demonstrate to the AFL an expected sellout crowd for the clash with Carlton as a precursor to hosting a Friday night game next year.
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The president, who took over earlier this year without any fanfare from Andrew Newbold, wants to prove that matches against traditional Victorian clubs will attract large crowds to Launceston.
The Hawks’ move besides asking for more than two Victorian sides fixtured in Launceston that this April included St Kilda attracting 17,052 amid eight NTFA games on a Saturday is to “showcase Northern Tasmania” to a national audience.
“We’ve lobbied hard and we’ll continue lobbying harder,” Garvey said.
“We’d love a Friday night fixture to really showcase Northern Tasmania.
“We’re making representations to the AFL about that.
“We’re thrilled to bits that it is going to be a sellout tomorrow and we’ve got such an opponent as Carlton.
“It’s no more worthy that Tasmania and Northern Tasmania deserves, particularly in the city of Launceston.”
The last of the general admission tickets were snapped up this week after reserved seating blocks were sold out last month.
Corporate sales were fully booked early in the season.
Tasmanian Hawk Grant Birchall was rapt to play in front of more than 20,000 on Saturday afternoon.
“Good to see us Tassie people get around the big game tomorrow,” Birchall said.
“Bolts has got the Blues up and about, so I am sure it’ll be a good contest.”
But that’s where the pleasantries to Carlton ended.
Birchall scoffed that ex-assistant Brendon Bolton would have an edge to break down the Hawks game plan.
The round-19 clash will be Bolton’s first time coaching against the side he spent seven years with at Waverley.
Bolton stood in for Alastair Clarkson when the senior coach was hospitalised in 2014 to five straight wins in front of assistant and former Carlton coach Brett Ratten.
“There’s been a lot of assistant coaches under Charko that have gone to coach senior AFL clubs,” Birchall said.
“So I think there is a list of them that know a few tricks of ours, but we still think we’ve got a pretty good plan.”
Bolton was asked to step aside from the coaches box for the Hawks finals series last year when appointed the 2016 Carlton coach.
Birchall played down the significance of Bolton returning to the ground he played in a TSL premiership.
But Birchall, who started out up the road in Devonport, said playing at Aurora Stadium suits his own game.
“Look, I think it’s just another game,” Birchall said.
“For me personally, I love coming down here and playing in Tassie. I know the ground well and I get to play in front of friends and family.”