Tasmania is on the cusp of having the AFL’s 19th license, and a News Corp report has stated new league CEO Andrew Dillon plans to allow the people of the state to name the team.
But there remains a potential hurdle around giving it the favoured name — the Tasmanian Devils — given American entertainment studio giant Warner Bros own the commercial trademark of the title.
Dillon on SEN this week acknowledged the potential of the 19th license needing to broker a commercial agreement with Warner Bros, but said he had an “absolutely open mind” over the matter.
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And speaking on Fox Footy’s AFL 360, the program’s co-host and chief Herald Sun reporter Mark Robinson slammed the prospect of the state not being able to have full claim to naming rights.
“That’s crap (that the commercial trademark is owned by Warner Bros). I know they do, but that’s rubbish,” Robinson said.
“There’s got to be goodwill in this world, if we run out of goodwill, we’re all in trouble.
“(Warner Bros) only got the name because of Tasmania. If Tasmania wants to call their football team the Tasmanian (Devils), they do it.
“And if Warner Bros says: ‘You’ve got to pay us money,’ all of Australia boycotts all Warner Bros movies.
“This can’t happen, and it won’t happen. I’ve still got faith in this world there’s enough goodwill around.”
It comes as former Tasmania premier Peter Gutwein also suggested the state would be in discussions with Warner Bros, hinting the 19th club would either be called the Devils or Tigers — but with the latter clearly not possible alongside Richmond.
Irrespective of the name, Gutwein was ultimately proud the Apple Isle was entering the AFL competition.
“To be quite frank, I like the Devils,” he said on SEN.
“Obviously there are some challenges we might have to work through, which we always understood in terms of the (Warner Bros) aspect of this.
“But put it this way, I couldn’t give a stuff what we call it, we’ve got a team and we’re going to make it successful.
“I think the Devils is well accepted here. We’ve got a very successful younger Devils side that is sitting top of the ladder I think, young Tasmanians would warm to that.
“Tassie Tigers is ruled out because of Richmond, for obvious reasons. So if the Devils could be achieved I think that would be good.
“But as I said, I don’t think it will matter too much at the end of the day, whoever pulls on that jumper, whatever it’s called, they will defend this island. They will take the new club forward with the effort and vigour and determination that many people… have worked to get this team in place.”
