The AFL is one step closer to having a team in Tasmania after the league executive pitched their business case to all 18 club presidents on Monday.
Despite concerns from at least three clubs and a lack of clarity on a stadium deal, the league is adamant that it’s pushing ahead with its planning for a new team on the Apple Isle.
According to AFL boss Gillon McLachlan, clubs will now be given between two and three weeks to digest all the necessary information before the commission ultimately makes a decision on whether to award a 19th licence.
Gillon McLachlan. Credit:Getty
Intriguingly, McLachlan admitted that the federal government has made “no commitment” to help fund the new stadium, and that the league hasn’t yet asked them for help.
But McLachlan refused to be drawn on how much say the clubs will have in the matter, and instead pointed towards a hope of universality.
“We want this industry to own this together, and that’s a process we’re committed to. This is something the clubs have a say in,” he said.
“I’ve said this from the outset: we are going to go forward with our industry supporting this, and if we don’t, then we won’t.
“Whether it’s one or two that disagree, we’re not going to get to that point. It will be: we’re going forward with it together, or we won’t.”
McLachlan said that presidents were reminded of the AFL’s strong history in making “bold” and “calculated” decisions to “build our code.”
The AFL and the Tasmanian government are working towards building a stadium with a roof at Macquarie Point, which would be ready to host AFL games from 2027 and could also double as an entertainment precinct and would provide thousands of local jobs.
“We and the Tasmanian government agree that a new stadium is important to the success of a new club and the Tasmanian economy, and we agree that we will solve that together at the right time.
“We think, directionally, this is a positive move for Tasmania and football in the state.”
McLachlan, who is due to finish his reign as league CEO in the coming weeks, said he had no official end date at the AFL.
Chairman Richard Goyder is still trying to find a replacement for McLachlan, with football boss Andrew Dillon and CFO Travis Auld thought to be the two leading candidates.
“I’ve never set a date … I’ve said the end of the year, and the end of the year is three months away, ” McLachlan said.
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