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Federal government lukewarm on stadium funding
Australia’s Sports Minister has questioned whether a licence for a new AFL team in Tasmania needs to be contingent on a new stadium being built in Hobart as the Tasmanian government seeks federal funding for the project.
In an interview on SEN Test Cricket, Anika Wells said the government thought Tasmania deserved a standalone team in the AFL but wondered at what price.
“We want one and Tassie wants one, and they deserve one. We just don’t think it needs to be conditional on a stadium to get there. No one else had to do that. $375million for a stadium is a lot to ask,” Wells said.
The AFL made the bid contingent on the state building a stadium for the new team to play home games despite the business case arguing a stadium was aspirational and a new team could become financially viable playing home games at Blundstone Arena in Hobart and UTas Stadium in Launceston.
An artists’ impression of how the new stadium could look in Hobart.
The league recognised a new stadium was necessary to get the support of the 18 AFL clubs who could veto an AFL Commission recommendation for a new team if they did not believe in the business case.
Jeremy Rockliff’s Tasmanian government agreed to that condition and committed $375 million to build a new stadium at Macquarie Point in Hobart however they are yet to obtain a funding commitment from the federal Labor government, which has previously said it would wait to hear the business case for a new stadium.
Their state counterparts in Tasmania and the Greens oppose the decision to invest in a new stadium in Hobart and have expressed similar views to that of Sports Minister Wells.
The AFL has committed $15 million to the stadium and the Tasmanian submission is expected to request $250 million from the federal government with independent federal MP from Tasmania Andrew Wilkie making it clear earlier this month he was opposed to any investment in the stadium from the federal department of infrastructure.
Tasmania has also shown its commitment to funding a new team, coming to an agreement with the AFL to provide $12 million per year for the next 12 years and $60 million to a high-performance centre.
The AFL remains confident it can reach an agreement that will clear the way for a Tasmanian team to join the AFL but admit the funding issue may take time to resolve while Magpies president Jeff Browne has said there is no need to rush the decision.
‘Go-forward team’: Lyon identifies key area of improvement
Jon Pierik
Ross Lyon is seeking to emulate a key point of his blueprint which drove St Kilda into grand finals in successive years in his first stint in charge, as the Saints prepare for what shapes as a favourable fixture.
Lyon has made it clear he wants the Saints to be more of a scoring threat off turnovers, an area they finished mid-table under former coach Brett Ratten.
“We want to improve our turnover use because you can’t live on stoppage,” Lyon said on SEN.
Leading the way: Ross Lyon wants the Saints to pounce and score off turnovers more next season.Credit:Penny Stephens
“I’ve coached teams (reliant on stoppage) and it’s too easy to negate in the big games. We like to be a go-forward team, use our run, be a pressure team.”
Lyon’s coaching has been at its best when his teams have been among the top five in scoring from turnovers, although arguably the best and most talented team he led – the Saints of 2009 – were also elite in scoring from stoppages. Champion Data statistics show they ranked second for scoring from turnovers and stoppages in the year they fell agonisingly short in the grand final to Geelong.
In 2010, when they drew the grand final with the Magpies but lost the replay, they were third in scoring from turnovers, but eighth in scoring from stoppages.
In 2013, when he guided Fremantle into their first and only grand final, the Dockers were fourth in scoring from turnovers, and fifth from stoppages. However, there was an anomaly in 2015, when the Dockers finished on top of the ladder yet were ranked 12th for scoring from turnovers, but third for scoring from stoppages. They ultimately fell to the Hawks in a preliminary final.
The Saints finished 10th in scores from turnovers (59.4 per cent of their overall scoring) this season, just ahead of the league average (57.7 per cent). Across the league, 38.4 per cent of scores were from stoppages, and 3.8 per cent from kick ins.
In three of his interviews since taking charge, Lyon has said the Saints have strong runners – in the likes of skipper Jack Steele, Brad Hill and Jack Sinclair – who can press and deliver the ball quickly inside attacking 50, where Max King – when fit – and Tim Membrey await.
“I think the trend now has been to go forward more quickly. The uncontested and control game is disappearing,” Lyon said.
“There’s times you need it – either through injury or time of the game, or you’re under pressure – but fundamentally that shape and control and uncontested mark game is (disappearing). And Geelong were the trend setter and found that balance of going forward to the contest.”
In a season when they will celebrate their 150th birthday, the Saints have a relatively favourable draw, with six of their first eight games at Marvel Stadium. This begins with a clash against the Dockers in round one, and the Western Bulldogs a week later, which could shape the feeling of their 150th party against Essendon at the MCG in round three.
Overall, they play only one top-six team from last season twice (Brisbane), but their run home will be tough, for they face Carlton, Richmond, Geelong and the Lions at the Gabba.
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