Very good discussion going on in the #lolNorf thread about a Tasmanian team in the AFL. But it needs its own thread.
My thoughts.
1. I've always found it difficult to consider the AFL as a fully national competition as long as there was a traditional Australian Football state that did not have a team in it.
2. I think there is enough evidence to show that newly created expansion teams should only go to traditional footballing states (see the money pits of GCS and GWS), and the Rugby states are where you want to send the smaller Victorian clubs as they hit the skids (Swans, Lions and now Nothing Melbourne).
3. A stadium? Surely there is enough supply and demand from both cricket and football to build a combined stadium that they can share, similar to what has happened in Perth, just a bit smaller. I'm guessing the problem here is the age old one of Hobart and Launceston both wanting a piece of the action.
My thoughts.
1. I've always found it difficult to consider the AFL as a fully national competition as long as there was a traditional Australian Football state that did not have a team in it.
2. I think there is enough evidence to show that newly created expansion teams should only go to traditional footballing states (see the money pits of GCS and GWS), and the Rugby states are where you want to send the smaller Victorian clubs as they hit the skids (Swans, Lions and now Nothing Melbourne).
3. A stadium? Surely there is enough supply and demand from both cricket and football to build a combined stadium that they can share, similar to what has happened in Perth, just a bit smaller. I'm guessing the problem here is the age old one of Hobart and Launceston both wanting a piece of the action.