The government proposal envisaged a 10-year deal worth $100 million with a further $50 million in start-up costs,including a state-of-the-art high-performance facility placed within walking distance of Hobart’s CBD,prioritising the attraction and retention of elite football talent.
The submission also sought clarification from head office regarding its pledged support to rebuild the game at grassroots level in the once-talent-rich football state. The government bid comes with tri-partisan support after Tasmania’s Liberal government reached agreements with both state Labor and the Greens.
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While the AFL has not yet provided a formal response to the premier,talks held last week between league bosses and the government-sanctioned Tasmanian taskforce indicated that the league wanted a longer-term commitment than 10 years.
As negotiations continue it is also understood that the taskforce would consider a compromise proposal which could lead to the granting of a decade-long provisional licence. In another compromise,the government could underwrite the Tasmanian team to the tune of $12.5 million each year with the AFL contributing to the start-up costs.
The AFL has denied it made a formal bid for an annual $20 million commitment from the government amid fears it is pushing for a major cash grab to win over the 18 club presidents. The $10 million annual funding proposal is in line with the 2021Colin Carter report,which estimated a state government contribution of between $7 million and $11 million per annum. The taskforce projections have the proposed team boasting a start-up membership of 30,000.
A level of angst is building among key players involved in the Tasmanian bid as it awaits clarification upon its football soft cap,player list sizes and the quality of its fixture. Current costings according to the bid would place the new team roughly 12th or 13th in annual turnover,including AFL contributions.