The AFL club presidents have made a momentous decision, unanimously voting to grant Tasmania the game’s 19th licence, fulfilling decades of dreams for a team from the island state.
During a video meeting, the presidents quickly reached a decision within 15 minutes with no objections. The granting of the licence now awaits formal ratification by the AFL Commission.
An official announcement of the licence is expected later this week, and it’s a moment that all Tasmanian footy fans have been eagerly anticipating.
The recent announcement of $240 million in federal funding towards a 23,000-seat stadium at Hobart’s Macquarie Point was the final hurdle to be cleared before presidents could vote on Tasmania’s bid. With this significant funding, it was clear that Tasmania was serious about its bid for a team, and it seems that the club presidents were convinced.
“It’s not an Australian Football League if it leaves off the south island, and that’s what has occurred for too long,” said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the stadium funding announcement. It’s a sentiment shared by many, and it’s great to see that Tasmania will now have its own team in the league.
Under the plan, Tasmania will enter the league in 2027, with games first being played at Hobart’s Bellerive Oval and Launceston’s York Park before the new stadium is finished in 2028-29. The addition of a 19th team means the league will go back to having an uneven number of clubs, with one of the 19 sides to have a bye each round.
The road to a Tasmanian AFL team has been a long and challenging one, with numerous bids being launched and rejected over the years. However, the determination of the Tasmanian government, AFL officials, and footy fans has finally paid off, and Tasmania will soon have a team to call its own.
This is an exciting development for footy in Australia, and I can’t wait to see how the new team performs on the field. I’ll be bringing you all the latest news and analysis about this historic moment in the AFL.
