Everyone Wants a Little Bit
Hawks
Hawthorn and the Tasmanian government have now been in a sponsorship relationship for the last four years and during this time the partnership has been beneficial for both parties.
As reported in the Mercury on March the 10th Hawthorn now has 7338 Tasmanian members with the lofty aim of gaining 10,000 before the year is out. 16% of Hawthorn members are Tasmanian and York Park has given the Hawks a real home ground advantage.
Tasmania has in turn benefitted in the way of Tourism Dollars and jobs. A government media release has the Minister for Tourism, Michelle O’Byrne stating:
We now welcome more than one million visitors a year to Tasmania and a good number of these are coming to watch the footy at Aurora Stadium. The Hawthorn partnership supports up to 300 Tasmanian full-time jobs and generates $15 million worth of economic impact each year – terrific for Tasmania and a great endorsement for AFL football.
Ex premier Paul Lennon has also stated in an article in the Mercury that Hawthorn have now reached their saturation point in the state and they have a firm standing in the north. The only other way for Tasmania to expand its interest into the AFL was for another team to play games in the south of the state at Bellerive Oval.
Mr Lennon said:
I have always argued this is the logical next step along the way to getting our own team and I still think that is some way off, waiting for our own team in Tasmania is one thing but being pig-headed in that and not looking at an opportunity that exists now is stupid in policy terms.
On the back of all this Richmond have considered playing games at Bellerive as Richmond chief executive Brendon Gale has put a proposal to the board to play two games at Bellerive from next year. Essendon have also raised interest in Tasmania but only as an away team. Essendon’s CEO Ian Robson knows the impact of the Tasmanian/Hawthorn deal first hand while at being at Hawthorn for five years before joining the Bombers.
All this could be good timing as the Tasmanian Government go into negotiations with Hawthorn on the future of the sponsorship deal.
As much AFL football as possible should be played in the state if we are serious about one day having our own team. It would not only lift the standard of local competitions but would give us as a position to learn from the clubs that play at the elite level and show the AFL that Tasmanian’s can consume more than four games a year.
It could be a roster matches, semi final matches, or the grand final, there will be upsets. The question to ask is; are Melbourne and Fremantle going to keep the intensity for the full year or will the Swans falter and can the Cats and Bulldogs get back to their best form.
