Ex-AFL stars have their say on expansion dilemma

Over a dozen ex-AFL stars have had their say on the AFL's dilemma of weighing up whether or not to move forward with appointing a 19th license to Tasmania.

The Apple Isle state has been in long discussions with the league in regards to adding an AFL side to the football-hungry fans of Tasmania, with the state government recently becoming frustrated with CEO Gillon McLachlan's decision to delay their review into the concept.

The AFL believes the financial implications of adding a new club during the midst of a global pandemic is ill-advised, with the organisation posting a $22.8 million loss for last season alone.

Premier Gutwein has made a powerful point to the AFL. Tasmania is a major sponsor of their business yet it’s long been treated as a doormat (my word). It’s hard to imagine any sponsor from the corporate world being so disrespected by the game’s administration.

— Tim Lane (@TimLaneSport) February 20, 2021

The opportunity is present for the AFL, but it is a matter of either inaugurating a new franchise or re-locating a current club.

The Gold Coast Suns, as well as both Tasmania affiliated clubs North Melbourne and Hawthorn, have long been linked to relocating to the island state, with Hawks president Jeff Kennett contemplating the move earlier this year.

“We keep all options open,” Kennett told The Age journalist Peter Ryan.

“You don’t rule anything in or out. Why would you rule any option out at the start?”

The decision to add a club through Tasmania has split both fans and pundits, with 13 former AFL players being asked the question this week by Fox Sports. 

Nine responses suggested the AFL shouldn't be looking to add a stand-alone Tasmanian club, with several others suggesting relocations might be the league's best option.

"The AFL owes Tasmania an answer." ABC commentator Alister Nicholson says Tasmanians have a right to feel let down by the AFL. #offsiders pic.twitter.com/4xkd44rShQ

— Offsiders ABC (@OffsidersABC) February 21, 2021

Hawthorn great Jason Dunstall said the league must continue to recover from the recent financial strains left by the COVID-19 pandemic rather than adding another side to the competition.

“My answer is not yet. I think particularly with what‘s happened with COVID the AFL needs to consolidate rather than trying to expand at the moment,” he told Fox Footy's Ben Waterworth. 

“I think we just need to get the backyard in order before we look at any other developments.

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Former Hawk Ben Dixon put the Suns under the spotlight when discussing the financial weight of adding a new club to the league.

“If they introduce a 19th team, I’m going to coach tennis,” he said.

“We’ve seen the effect of bringing a team into a competition (diluting the talent pool and widening the gap between teams) … we’ve seen what the Gold Coast Suns have been over the last six to eight years – we can’t do that again, we can’t afford to do that as an industry.

“It’s cost the AFL a lot of money to have the Gold Coast, so you’ve got to prop them up. I know the Tassie government will support, but I worry about the brand of footy if we introduce another team.”

On Friday it was revealed that the AFL will look to ramp up its review into a adding a side from Tasmania, with state premier Peter Gutwein hoping to hear back from the league in 2021.