Great news, congrats to tassie, now for Canberra in a few years to finish us off at 20 teams.
We need to start loading up on high draft picks and be in a strong ladder position prior to Tassie coming in.
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Fk theres goes any chance at rebuilding with early picks.
We’re stuck like this for another decade.
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One can only dream.
We’re gonna bundle it again. You watch.
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We have a couple of years. What could go wrong?
Yes goodbye hawthorn.
Happy days.
With the same peanut in charge of list management we could have 10 picks in the top 20 and he would find a way to botch it up
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The scarves that I have are claret and blue only.
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The stars a Tassie team could target; decision time for Demon; in-demand forward focuses on recovery
A Tasmanian team is on the horizon…
A Tasmanian AFL team is looking increasingly likely, with the federal government expected to soon confirm the investment into the new stadium the league demands before approving a 19th licence.
Peter Ryan and Jake Niall revealed this week that the AFL was willing for the Tasmanian club to enter the AFL before the stadium was built, but ideally no more than one year beforehand.
The business case for the proposed 23,000-seat stadium in Hobart was for it to be completed by the end of 2028, in time for the next season.
That suggests Tasmania could be represented in the competition in five years, so list managers will undoubtedly try to lock away their biggest stars beyond that, as they already have in some cases.
AFL Players Association boss Paul Marsh told this masthead a Tasmanian team was not feasible in the four-year window they want the next collective bargaining agreement to cover, in contrast to the nine years the AFL is proposing.
“We just cannot see how you could do a deal that takes us into that time period [with Tasmania]. There is too much unknown,” Marsh said.
“We’re very thorough in the work that we do, in terms of forecasting that. The AFL, understandably, can’t provide us with anything that we could act [with] any sort of certainty around Tassie, at this point in time.
“They might be able to say they’re ‘in’, but what do the revenue projections look like? What impact will they have on the rest of the industry? No one can tell us that.”
There are 24 current AFL footballers with Tasmanian origins, with 2018 top-10 draftees Chayce Jones and Tarryn Thomas – both 23 – arguably the most interesting names in this scenario.
Jones is out of contract at season’s end and amid a mini-breakout for the Crows, while Thomas is contracted until the end of 2024 but continues to train away from North’s AFL squad due to behavioural issues.
Fremantle captain Alex Pearce is also among the players with Tasmanian links, as are first-year Blue Lachie Cowan, Essendon’s Jye Menzie, Power defender Tom McCallum, Richmond’s Rhyan Mansell, Sam Banks and Seth Campbell, and Swans rookie Cameron Owen.
Pearce (contracted until 2025) turns 28 in June and could be an attractive veteran signing for Tasmania, while the rest are teenagers or in their early 20s, so would also be viable targets. Others who could be in the right age bracket are Richmond co-captain Toby Nankervis (2024), Western Bulldogs backman Ryan Gardner (2026), Gold Coast’s Lachie Weller (2026), Cat Jake Kolodjashnij (2024), and St Kilda’s Jimmy Webster (2023).
Less likely to be in Tasmania’s sights are 30-plus veterans Jack Riewoldt, Jeremy Howe, Brody Mihocek, Andrew Phillips, Ben Brown, Hugh Greenwood, Aaron Hall, Robbie Fox and Liam Jones.
Tasmania has two young guns in the AFL Academy squad this year – midfielder Colby McKercher and small forward Jack Callinan, who kicked 7.0 against the NT on Sunday – while ball magnet Ryley Sanders is boarding at Melbourne Grammar and starring for Sandringham Dragons.
Another Melbourne-based Tasmanian, midfielder Nathaniel Sulzberger, a Caulfield Grammar scholarship-holder, is also a potential first-round pick next year after a stellar junior career to date.
There are plenty of Tasmanians plying their trade in the SANFL, too.
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$240mil gifted by the fed government to build a stadium. 
My uncle broke his knee cap three weeks ago and only got it operated on over the weekend. This country is cooked .
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Why would it be any different from any other young player moving to play, Mr Sicily. It’s not like they are going to the other side of the world.
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Surely you also need a 20th team as part of this?
I don’t see the AFL as brave enough to close/merge any existing clubs.
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In one way I’m happy that Tassie is getting a team as it’s long overdue but on the other hand it’s depressing that yet another expansion side will probably leapfrog us
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stupid decision. expansion teams are soul less
Canberra??
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Interestingly on Reddit where most journos get their articles from these days Tassie people were pretty well against getting a new stadium.
Yeah. I can’t see 19 teams and a bye every week being the AFL’s preference. If Tassie does come in, a 20th team will likely be introduced at some point.
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Either Canberra or another WA team called Perth.
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