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Matthew Richardson wears the historic Tasmanian guernsey.Credit:Vince Caligiuri

Kath McCann,the executive director of the Tasmanian club,has spent time at AFL House in Melbourne discussing plans for the newest team.

“We’re going to be launching the club in March,” she told SEN on Saturday.

“We’re going to find out the name,the colours,the foundation jumper,the logo and foundation membership.

“Over 6000 Tasmanians completed the survey and the community forums gave up some pretty clear directions,so I’m pretty excited and hopefully we’ve nailed it for the Tasmanian people.”

The map of Tasmania is a popular choice to be front and centre on the jersey,while the Devils – used by Tasmania’s youth teams – is a strong favourite to be the nickname.

McCann is intent on building a unique club in Tasmania to harness the energy of people living on the apple isle.

“We don’t need to replicate a model of another club,or another place,because we’re our own place,” she said.

“It’s really working with the AFL team to understand that,and there’s no better way to do that than actually to get them here (to Tasmania).

“I had one of the other senior staff say to me,‘Kath,I’m drinking the Tassie Kool-Aid. You’re already my second club’.”

In December,plans for a $70 million high-performance training centre for the new club were announced,to be built at parklands on the eastern shore of Hobart. The government says the centre will be completed in 2026.

Three-time Brisbane Lions premiership winner Alastair Lynch is among the club’s nine-strong board of directors.

Hobart-born Richmond great Jack Riewoldthas been given the task of travelling the state to capture the grassroots ‘DNA’ of Tasmania.

AAP

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