The Tasmanian AFL Taskforce has announced two key appointments that will play critical roles in the development of a business case for a Tasmanian team in the AFL and AFLW.
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Retired St Kilda champion Nick Riewoldt has joined the seven-person Taskforce while former Carlton coach Brendon Bolton has been engaged as an adviser to the group.
Taskforce chairman Brett Godfrey was delighted to confirm the appointments.
"Nick Riewoldt is hugely respected in all circles of AFL football and his experience, passion and vision for Tasmanian football, will be a significant help for the taskforce," Godfrey said.
"And in Brendon Bolton we have an extraordinarily proud Tasmanian who has been an integral part of many successful football organisations. His insights are going to be invaluable for us.
"We have hit the ground running and are looking forward to both Nick and Brendon making significant contributions to our work."
Riewoldt, who has gone on to become one of the game's leading media personalities with his work on Fox Footy and SEN, said he is looking forward to the role.
"There is a real groundswell of support for the idea of Tasmania having its own AFL team. I'm very honoured to be joining the taskforce. We have a lot of work to do and I'm excited about playing my part," he said.
Bolton, who along with Riewoldt and Brisbane coach Chris Fagan, was part of the AFL's recent steering committee into football in Tasmania, also expressed his enthusiasm.
"The taskforce has a clear brief on what it has to do and I am grateful and very enthusiastic to have been asked to provide input to particular aspects of their work," he said.
The taskforce, which was announced earlier this month, is expected to take up to six months to prepare the business case.
Tasmanian Premier Will Hodgman, whose government initiated the taskforce with the bipartisan support of Labor and the Greens, said: "The addition of both Nick Riewoldt to the taskforce and Brendon Bolton as an adviser, further strengthens the taskforce group. We look forward to seeing the work of this group unfold."
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