The World Cup

If Australia’s bid to host either the 2018 or 2022 World Cups is successful, then the AFL may find it’s self with up to an eight week hiatus, as the nations best stadiums will be needed to accommodate the masses of the world.

Launceston’s Aurora stadium has emerged as a venue to play AFL games at if the larger main land stadiums are needed for World Cup duties.

Aurora Stadium manager Robert Groenewegen said yesterday:

We’ve been toying with the idea of being a training base for one of the teams during the World Cup, But we think, given all the major venues in Melbourne that will be tied up, it would actually be better for us to steer clear of that.
Potentially that would mean that we could host a series of (AFL) games throughout that time.
We’ve not yet had any discussions with the AFL, but if they came to us and said, ‘In the advent of this happening, would you be available?’, that’s the other element that we would have to consider.

Football Federation of Australia chief executive Ben Buckley, has met with the AFL to discuss options and one of the options was the AFL could take this opportunity to take games to other cities & towns.

More AFL football in Tasmania would be a great idea, but lets not limit it to just Aurora Stadium. Bellerive with the new lights should be another option. Let’s not stop there, why shouldn’t we try for a World Cup game under lights at either Aurora or Bellerive.

If the Tasmanian bid for a Team in the A-League is fair dinkum, then they and the state government should push for at least one game to be played in the state if Australia is successful. Even if it was Ivory Coast against Slovenia.

Andrew Demitriou may regret the time he refused Tasmania an AFL team, when all our kids are kicking the round ball.

The AFL’s near future plans of growing the game nationally by including teams from the Gold Coast (QLD) and Blacktown (NSW) and not from Tasmania could mean Tasmania could go further into the Australian Rules black hole.

A group, is looking into the creation of a Tasmanian Soccer side to play in the national A-League and by getting in early could reap the corporate dollar before any Tasmanian AFL side does.

Soccer popularity in Tasmania continues to rise with 140 soccer clubs, fielding 1100 teams.  The numbers are there and good young players will have a path to follow and then maybe one day play for Australia in a world cup or even better, earn hundred’s of thousand a week playing in one of the many leagues around the world.

Tasmanian and CEO of Football Federation Australia, Ben Buckley, is Quoted as saying: 

“I welcome any interest from Tasmania in regards to the A-League,” he said.
“The door is not closed on anyone.”

Soccer is a big danger to Australian Rules Football in this state, and the league administrations and clubs need some sort of boost or we could be all going to the Soccer to watch the football.

Check the article out, from the Advocate.

Well this article suggest it could be around the corner!

FOOTBALL Federation Australia CEO Ben Buckley Said:

“We’re hopeful that Tasmania produces a number of A-League players and also some future Socceroos”