Tasmanian Government paid Alastair Clarkson $100k for AFL team advice

As part of the contract, Mr Clarkson was to be paid $50,000 to deliver a vision for stadium and high performance infrastructure in Tasmania as well as an appropriate best practice football club model for a state-based team.

He was to be paid $50,000 to develop a white paper by the end of January 2022 on football structure, talent identification, development pathways, coaching, facilities and other matters for implementation no later than July 2022.

Mr Clarkson claimed almost $5000 in expenses during his time in the consultancy role.

He was to consult with the AFL stakeholder and influencer group between January through to March on the white paper.

According to a Right to Information document released to the Tasmanian Labor Party from the State Growth Department, the Tasmanian AFL Licence Working Group directed Mr Clarkson to focus on real-time advice and verbal presentations, rather than the formal reporting first envisaged when he was initially engaged.

In a response to Labor's sport and recreation spokesman Josh Willie, the department said Mr Clarkson provided verbal reports on his findings from visits to the United States to study best practice stadia, facilities and teams.

It said Mr Clarkson met with the AFL and its consultants on various occasions on its thinking for a new Tasmanian club and attended multiple meetings with the working group.

Mr Willie said the information released by State Growth had confirmed the government had not properly enforced the contract.

"Where is the white paper and implementation plan?" he said.

"Did the AFL interfere in some way, given their love of controlling everything, and prevent the report and plan being produced?

"One wonders what the many stakeholders who contributed to the deliberations would think of their thoughts never forming part of an anticipated white paper on the future of the game here and a much needed change to the way footy in Tasmania is administered."

A state government spokesman over the weekend said specific requirements for the consultancy role evolved as the project progressed.

"The working group determined that the proposed white paper was no longer required," he said.

"Instead, the working group chose to utilise Mr Clarkson's advice and expertise on stadium infrastructure, high performance infrastructure and a best practice football club model for a Tasmanian-based team."

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