Tassie team’s high noon
Premier to press case with AFL boss
THE battle for Tasmania between Premier Peter Gutwein and AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan will enter its next round when the two meet later this week.
Mr Gutwein and Mr McLachlan have spoken by phone and will have a virtual meeting this Friday – a week since Mr McLachlan delivered his response to the Premier seeking 12 months for an independent review of the state’s business case for an AFL club.
It left Mr Gutwein livid, with insiders saying they have never seen the Premier as angry as when he received the AFL’s response, which he said “beggars belief”.
Despite the resumption of talks between the two organisations, Mr Gutwein was not backing down from his hardline stance and disbelief at the AFL’s response.
The AFL has had the report for 12 months, landing at its headquarters before the COVID-19 pandemic.
It took the Tasmanian AFL Taskforce four months to put the 268-page document together – yet the AFL is asking for 12 months to review it.
“As I have said, the response received from the AFL is simply not good enough,” Mr Gutwein told the Mercury.
“We have paid our dues and it’s time for the AFL to treat us with respect and fairness and provide clarify on the future of a Tasmanian team. I will be catching up with Mr McLachlan on Friday and will continue to press our case.”
At stake is a timeline to a Tasmanian AFL team and the state’s combined $8m contract with Hawthorn and North Melbourne – due to expire after this season.
Mr Gutwein has said he cannot negotiate new Hawks or Roos contracts until the state’s football future was clearer. Also at play is the future of the code in Tasmania.
The health of the once traditional Australian rules heartland state is suffering, with East Devonport – the 120year-old club that was the first club for Hall of Fame legend Darrel Baldock, Hawthorn star Graeme Wright and Richmond champion Matthew Richardson – unable to field teams in the seniors, reserves or under-18s this year because of a lack of numbers.