LAUNCESTON faces an "unacceptable risk" of a weakened deal with Hawthorn and the club eventually being replaced by North Melbourne at Aurora Stadium, the Launceston City Council has warned. The council says it has abandoned hopes for a fifth Hawthorn game, and will focus instead on a four-match a season deal, featuring at least one top-drawing Victorian side. The new deal, which the council says has the Hawks' support, would also involve a big club playing a preseason game at Aurora Stadium, as Collingwood did earlier this year. But general manager Robert Dobrzynski says there may be "dynamics" seeking to reduce the next deal to three games a season, and for it to be Hawthorn's last in Tasmania. "There's an unacceptable level of risk that there might be dynamics at play that seek to reduce the number of games to three, which is commensurate to the North Melbourne deal (in Hobart)," he said. "It then conveniently makes it easier to move to a six-game, one-club model at the end of the next agreement. "We believe that this would have diabolical consequences for the Northern economy." Mr Dobrzynski said a weaker deal could result in a hit of around $10 million to the region. The current multi-million dollar deal, which makes the state the Hawks' major sponsor, is set to expire in 2016, and the parties have remained tight-lipped about what the next contract will contain. Hawthorn CEO Stuart Fox said the club was committed to refreshing and enhancing the arrangement. "We're continuing to progress discussions and we hope to conclude those in the next couple of weeks," he told The Examiner. Mr Fox said he did not believe the AFL's long-term preference for Tasmania to have one team would affect the next deal. "I certainly don't feel like they would stand in the way of our partnership with the government," he said. "They have always acknowledged the efforts and the quality of the partnership over the last two terms of the contract." Premier Will Hodgman told a Budget Estimates hearing last week that the government wanted to see the relationship with Hawthorn continue. "The priority now is to keep the Hawthorn arrangement and not see it diminish," he said. "We need to make sure we keep the bird in the hand."
LAUNCESTON faces an "unacceptable risk" of a weakened deal with Hawthorn and the club eventually being replaced by North Melbourne at Aurora Stadium, the Launceston City Council has warned.
The council says it has abandoned hopes for a fifth Hawthorn game, and will focus instead on a four-match a season deal, featuring at least one top-drawing Victorian side.
The new deal, which the council says has the Hawks' support, would also involve a big club playing a preseason game at Aurora Stadium, as Collingwood did earlier this year.
But general manager Robert Dobrzynski says there may be "dynamics" seeking to reduce the next deal to three games a season, and for it to be Hawthorn's last in Tasmania.
"There's an unacceptable level of risk that there might be dynamics at play that seek to reduce the number of games to three, which is commensurate to the North Melbourne deal (in Hobart)," he said.
"It then conveniently makes it easier to move to a six-game, one-club model at the end of the next agreement.
"We believe that this would have diabolical consequences for the Northern economy."
Mr Dobrzynski said a weaker deal could result in a hit of around $10 million to the region.
The current multi-million dollar deal, which makes the state the Hawks' major sponsor, is set to expire in 2016, and the parties have remained tight-lipped about what the next contract will contain.
Hawthorn CEO Stuart Fox said the club was committed to refreshing and enhancing the arrangement.
"We're continuing to progress discussions and we hope to conclude those in the next couple of weeks," he told The Examiner.
Mr Fox said he did not believe the AFL's long-term preference for Tasmania to have one team would affect the next deal.
"I certainly don't feel like they would stand in the way of our partnership with the government," he said.
"They have always acknowledged the efforts and the quality of the partnership over the last two terms of the contract."
Premier Will Hodgman told a Budget Estimates hearing last week that the government wanted to see the relationship with Hawthorn continue.
"The priority now is to keep the Hawthorn arrangement and not see it diminish," he said.
"We need to make sure we keep the bird in the hand."
