MIXED SIGNALS
Tas A - League push backed - and bagged
TWO of Tasmania’s biggest NPL clubs have thrown their support behind the state’s push for an A-League team, but one club president has poured cold water on the idea.
FFA last week said that it was aiming for the 2019-20 season to start two new clubs, and intended to decide which teams would enter the competition later this year.
South Hobart coach Ken Morton and Hobart Zebras president Nick Di Giovanni are all for Tasmania’s bid, but Olympia Warriors president George Mamacas believes it won’t get off the ground.
A consortium, fronted by former Melbourne Victory board members Harry Stam- oulis and Robert Belteky, has been pushing for Tasmania’s inclusion in the national competition since 2016.
Morton believes a Tasmanian A-League team would provide local players with more opportunities to play on the national stage.
“I’m 100 per cent behind getting an A-League team in Tasmania. I think we can add something to the competition,” Morton said.
“How can they keep pushing us aside? This is a great opportunity because for once Tasmania have got genuine people behind the bid who are really keen to get Tasmania on the map. They’ve got the financial backing to do that and to take us places.”
Di Giovanni would love to see a Tasmanian team in the national competition.
“We all support a Tasmanian A-League bid,” Di Giovanni said. “I don’t know how it would go, but we would support it. If we get the government support and the people support behind it, FFA might take a serious look at it.”
Di Giovanni believes the team would need to play games in both the North and South of Tasmania to unite the state, and said a rectangular stadium was a must.
Speaking from a personal perspective, Mamacas said he would need answers to a lot of questions before he could get behind Tasmania’s bid.
“I really think there are too many hurdles to jump over for this to happen any time soon,” Mamacas said.
“I think FFA’s focus is on the mainland in other bigger, wider markets than Tasmania.
“There are too many unknowns, and there’s too much money that needs to be spent to get it off the ground first of all; second of all I don’t think there is the groundswell of dollars at the end of the day to support it from the public.”
An FFA spokesman yesterday welcomed the interest from Tasmania.
“We are encouraged by the interest that’s been shown to date, including from Tasmania,” the spokesman said.
“We look forward to engaging with all interested parties when the process begins, and there will be more details next month.”
Also yesterday, Mamacas confirmed that Dale Itchins will coach the Warriors in the coming NPL Tasmania season.