The AFL’s chances of gaining unanimous support for a standalone team in Tasmania have dimmed, with Collingwood president Jeff Browne saying a decision to grant a 19th licence now would be “premature”.
He has also questioned whether it was appropriate for the league to make such an important, far-reaching decision when AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan is just months away from leaving and the AFL Commission is three people short.
Collingwood president Jeff Browne (inset circle), departing AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan, and the bid for a Tasmania AFL team.Credit:Getty Images, Supplied
“What do I say about Tasmania [gaining an AFL licence]? I don’t say don’t do it. I say it’s premature,” Browne said.
The AFL Commission has not yet filled two vacant positions, and former Hawthorn president Andrew Newbold is also absent, having stood down from his commission position while the AFL investigates allegations made in Hawthorn’s cultural safety review. McLachlan has delayed his departure date until April 5, with the Tasmanian decision one of the issues the AFL wants him to resolve.
“Making a decision with the commission three [members] down and led by a CEO who is not going to own the result is fundamental [to our position],” Browne said.
The bid for a 19th licence has been delayed as the Tasmanian government attempts to secure funding for a stadium to be built in Hobart, with the AFL making the success of the bid contingent on a new stadium.
The ALP and the Greens are opposed to the Tasmanian government’s promise to allocate $375 million towards the stadium, and the federal Labor government is yet to consider a business case that is likely to request at least $250 million in federal funding to the stadium. There is growing disquiet in Tasmania about the conditions attached to the bid.
Jeremy Rockliff’s government and the AFL reached an agreement on the commercial terms for the bid, with Tasmania committing $12 million a year for 12 years, and $60 million for a new high-performance facility.
