Eye on the big leagues

TASMANIA should be aiming for at least two teams in the “big three” by 2030, says the state’s tourism chief.

Luke Martin, the Tourism Industry Council of Tasmania chief executive, said having at least two teams in the AFL, NBL or ALeague competitions in the not too distant future was not an unrealistic goal.

“By 2030 we should expect to have full-time, permanent and successful Tasmanian teams in at least two of the AFL, NBL and ALeague,” Mr Martin said.

While AFL is by far the most expensive sport to run of the trio, it is also the most successful in being used as a winter tourism and economic driver given the regularity of fans travelling interstate to watch their teams play.

“I have no doubt, given the chance, a Tasmanian AFL team in 2030 will be a raging success and an underlying force of social and economic good for the Tasmanian community,” he said.

“If we don’t have an AFL team of our own by 2030, I’m sure as a community we’ll have redefined Tasmania’s role in the AFL landscape at all levels.”

Mr Martin is also on the state’s NBL advisory board – and said Tasmania’s quest to land a team in the nation’s biggest code, the AFL, should not come at the expense of aspirations to join the other two sports.

But he said it may need a change of thinking from some parochial sections of the Tasmanian community.

“Basketball and soccer are the global sporting behemoths, and Tasmania should aspire to have a presence at the highest level possible for both cultural and brand outcomes,” he said.

“I’m sure by 2030 we’ll have well and truly moved on from any selfdefeating North-South divide, and instead be approaching these issues with a mature statewide outlook.”