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A(-Tas)FL
If you ask a Tasmanian what they thought of the 1982 Commonwealth games in Brisbane they would mostly likely say Tasmania was left off the map of Australia during the opening ceremony. The A(-Tas)FL have not learnt from this mistake. Tasmania is an Australian rules state & has provided the VFL/AFL with some of footy's biggest names. Fitzroy moved to the Gold Coast in 1987. A move that failed & therefore moved to Brisbane.
By Steven from Narre Warren (Tigers supporter), 28 Apr 2008 17:55
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Tarrant from Melbourne (Blues supporter), 28 Apr 2008 18:01,
Last Reply: 2 May 2008 18:40
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Won't happen. Nice thought, romantic and "fair" notion that Tasmania "should" have a team on history alone. But it won't happen. A Tasmanian team would be a money pit, would need to be constantly propped up by the other clubs. And don't think the AFL hasn't already worked this out. Feasibility studies would have been done, and they would all say exactly what I believe is obvious to see. Sorry to any Tasmanians, because I don't mean to sound so blunt, but it just won't happen. Ever.
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Dirk from Hobart (Bombers supporter), 29 Apr 2008 13:09,
Last Reply: 2 May 2008 18:40
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Actually, it will happen. It's simply a matter of time. When the Afl realises that Tasmania is being taken over by soccer (which is happening now, heaps more kids in high school play soccer than footy), they'll realise that something needs to be done to keep the stronghold. This might still be about twenty, even thirty or forty years away, but it's inevitable. It should be happening now.
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Tarrant from Melbourne (Blues supporter), 30 Apr 2008 16:14,
Last Reply: 2 May 2008 18:40
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more kids play soccer nationwide. Something to do with mothers liking a sport with very few skills and a low chance of being hurt.. Tell me this, then. You're a Hobartian: what would you think if they put the Tassie team in Launceston? Or, they play six games in Launceston and five in your home town. Could you or your city really get passionate about a team you saw only five times a year? Those of us north of the Strait all think this is a terminal problem for the prospects of a Tasmanian team, and your state will have to work hard to convince us otherwise.
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Dirk from Hobart (Bombers supporter), 1 May 2008 11:46,
Last Reply: 2 May 2008 18:40
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At first, it was pretty annoying for Aurora to be upgraded because the TCA ground in Hobart is an ideal location, but I've travelled quite a few times up north to watch teams that I couldn't care less about... the short answer is yes, passionate people would be coming from everywhere to support a Tasmanian team. And considering the fight they will have had to get a team, I'd probably be going for Tassie even when they're playing the Dons. We just have to look like getting a soccer team (western sydney and the gold coast have likewise been identified by FFA) and the AFL will undoubtedly be jumping over itself... by that stage, I kinda hope soccer wins out because right now the AFL are being greedy pricks, ignoring the loyalty of their own while trying to convert others. I think the ratio of soccer:footy players in victoria, SA and WA would be healthier for AFL than in all the other eastern states.
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Tarrant from Melbourne (Blues supporter), 1 May 2008 12:59,
Last Reply: 2 May 2008 18:40
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Report I read today had Townsville and a second Melbourne team also on the agenda before Tassie in the A-League. Also, with soccer as a summer sport, I'm not convinced the A-League will do much to force the AFL's hand. But, having pondered it, I'll change my tune to say there may be a place for a Tasmanian team in the future. But fifteen to twenty years from now would be an optimistic prediction, in my opinion.
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Dirk from Hobart (Bombers supporter), 2 May 2008 18:40hide comment
An A-league team would also be light years away because there simply aren't any specially made soccer grounds at the moment - but that doesn't mean it won't happen. 15-20 years is optimistic, i agree, and by then i'll be long-gone.. but as long as tassie's a footy state, and that won't be forever, getting an afl side is simply a matter when, not if.
Tarrant from Melbourne (Blues supporter), 28 Apr 2008 19:17,
Last Reply: 1 May 2008 17:09
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I shall make another comment, this time about your comment about the Gold Coast team in 1987. Firstly, to straighten your facts, the Fitzroy did not move there, but the "Brisbane Bears" played their games there from 1987 to 1993 before moving to Brisbane, and it did fail. But, here's the thing: the NSWRL (now NRL) started up a Rugby League team there in 1988 - easy, you'd have thought, since Queensland is Rugby League heartland. The club existed for eleven years, never averaged over 10,000 fans per game, and was a complete failure on the ground: except for the Super League season, where it finished 7th of 12 and made the playoffs, the team won three wooden spoons and never finished out of the bottom four in a league with from 16 to 20 teams. But now, the 2007-born Gold Coast Titans are thriving. They pull excellent crowds, and presently sit atop the NRL ladder. What do we learn from this? That the Gold Coast is a growth area now. In 1987/88, it was too small to support a team in any competition, even its favourite sport. Now, it is ready - and I think an A-League team is headed there also. So the argument that it was crowds not warming to our code that led to failure at Carrara is not true. The time is now.
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Matt from Melbourne (Saints supporter), 28 Apr 2008 20:20,
Last Reply: 1 May 2008 17:09
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u also gotta remeber that NRL never really has huge crowds. 17,000-20,000 is a good crowd for a non finals game. AFL teams rely a lot on the revenue from ticket n membership sales.
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Tarrant from Melbourne (Blues supporter), 30 Apr 2008 16:23,
Last Reply: 1 May 2008 17:09
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damn, knew someone would pick me up on that one. I'll have to find some stats... Okay, here we go:
In the decade that the Gold Coast was languishing with an average of about 8,000 fans, the Brisbane Broncos were pulling averages of 16,000-20,000 at worst, with over 35,000 at the height of their success.
The current Gold Coast team has averaged 22,000 fans.
The struggling Rabbitohs averaged over 11,000 in some seasons, although dropped to 5,000 at the peak of their hopelessness.
The middling Illawarra Steelers averaged from 7,000 to 13,000 in various seasons.
The initially awful North Queensland Cowboys have never averaged less than 12,000.
Balmain and Wests were pulling very similar crowds to the Gold Coast through the same time; they merged in 2000. Obviously you'd need to know the stadium sizes to properly compare, but I still think my point has some validity.
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Matt from Melbourne (Saints supporter), 1 May 2008 8:57,
Last Reply: 1 May 2008 17:09
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it is a valid point. but it also shows that the NRL have compensated for lower crowds by building smaller stadiums.there also built in areas were they know NRL is the dominate sport, which means people will go. and still, averaging 11,000, 13,000, 12000 is nothing really if you compare it to the AFL, with the blues averaging something like 50,000 to there games at the MCG so far this year. The broncos are the majory team in queensland supporter base wise, like the collingwood of victoria. They were also the onli NRL team in queensland for 10 or so years. Thats kinda comparing them with the lions i spose because for a while there was 1 nrl team n 1 afl team.... and by average crowds (apart from the years were the lions were dominating the comp) the NRL has been gettin more to its games.
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Tarrant from Melbourne (Blues supporter), 1 May 2008 10:44,
Last Reply: 1 May 2008 17:09
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That's completely wrong; check your facts - there has never been only one Queensland team in the NSWRL/NRL. Brisbane and the original Gold Coast team both started in 1988. North Queensland and South Queensland both started in 1995. Original Gold Coast finished after 1996, and South Queensland finished after 1998. New Gold Coast started in 2007.
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Matt from Melbourne (Saints supporter), 1 May 2008 11:03,
Last Reply: 1 May 2008 17:09
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ah yep i didnt see the original gold cost team on the list because it onli had the current ones. my bad.
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Tarrant from Melbourne (Blues supporter), 1 May 2008 12:53,
Last Reply: 1 May 2008 17:09
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ah, it seems I should be the one apologising. I present the following piece of information from Wikipedia: Due to a clause in Brisbane's licence, only one team (the Broncos) could play in South-East Queensland. As a result the Giants played out of the now demolished Seagulls Stadium in Tweed Heads, New South Wales, just over the border... It goes on to say that they later moved to Carrara in 1996, where they played for only a couple of seasons. My bad.
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Matt from Melbourne (Saints supporter), 1 May 2008 17:09hide comment
yeah i was gonna say... lol. i was sure onli 1 team started off in queensland for around 10 years. but yeah. i think if a AFL team settles on the gold coast they wont have high memberships. also they may have high attendency to there first few seasons but i reackon itll die down a lot. also i think that tassie would be a good place to get a AFL team up and running... but i reackon they should first try and increase attendency to there VFL team.
Lance from George Town (Magpies supporter), 1 May 2008 9:41hide comment
lets not forget that its not about the crowd figures but the figures needed to gain a profit,correct me if im wrong [but im usally not] to gain a profit from the telstra dome you need to pull in around 26,000 plus as where as to playing tasmania you only around a couple of thousand due to the goverments support for football and not just the goverment but the entire state aswell private and public and , also i don´t that the finanical aspect is the main contributer as to why we don´t have a team as to purly they would make more money not lose it by having the team somewhere else, this might make very good business sense but consider the support tasmania has given the afl over the years maybe we should not focus on the profit but the overall winners of the idea THE AUSTRALIAN PUBLIC and to say that well will never have a team tarrant well forever is a long time buddy and who knows what the future will hold. as for us getting passionate about a team we only saw five times a year what are you smoking, the more of a luxary something is the more grapse we take with it a great scense of belief
Dave from Adelaide (Crows supporter), 29 Apr 2008 13:24hide comment
It would be good to see tassie in the AFL but there is a lot of questions to be answered first unfortunately! Perhaps a current lower melbourne based club to relocate or merge if they find it hard to survive in melbourne in the next couple of years. Just a thought!
Matt from Melbourne (Saints supporter), 28 Apr 2008 18:49hide comment
have to agree with tarrnet. they wouldnt make it. wouldnt get enuf revenue from the stadium they have to support a playing list, and good enuf training facilites to be a serious challenger in the AFL.
Disclaimer: The comments above were added by Facebook AFL club supporters and do not reflect the opinions of Footywire.com.
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