A Tasmanian AFL team could provide a $173.8 million economic flow-on benefit to the state, analysis has shown.
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The analysis by consultant Russell Hanson was based on the same method used by PricewaterhouseCoopers in 2017 to gauge the economic impact the government's deal with Hawthorn had over that year's season.
Mr Hanson worked on the assumption there would be 17,000 people in attendance at 11 home and away games and two pre-season games.
He said with an average of 13,000 people in attendance at each game, the economic flow-on benefit would be $153.9 million.
The benefit has been largely based on visitor and interstate team spending in Tasmania.
As for the financial sustainability of a team, he worked on the assumption of $20 million in funding from the AFL for a team based on membership spanning from 30,000 to 50,000 members.
He said a team backed by 30,000 members would achieve a net profit of $2.8 million based on revenue from memberships, merchandise, gate takings, sponsorship, and related expenditure for funding the team.
Mr Hanson concluded a team backed by 50,000 members would achieve an annual net profit of $6.7 million.
His analysis has been submitted to a Legislative Council inquiry, chaired by Windermere independent MLC Ivan Dean, on the future of AFL in Tasmania.
Mr Hanson highlighted the AFL provided clubs with $307.3 million in funding last year - or an average of $17 million per club.
Queensland's two clubs received $47.8 million in funding between them and the Greater Western Sydney Giants received $24.7 million.
This was despite the three clubs having the lowest membership counts in the league.
The inquiry in part will look at the benefits to the state's economy from a Tasmanian team in the league, the support required to sustain a team, and when the best time would be to establish a team.
Former Nationals senator Steve Martin in a submission to the inquiry said Tasmania should receive the same level of financial support to establish its own team as the AFL provided to the Greater Western Sydney Giants and the Gold Coast Suns.
He said Gold Coast had only achieved an average of 11,900 members over the past eight years and GWS an average of 15,349 members over the past seven years.
