Tasmania will finally get its own AFL team as $240million deal clears way for Apple Isle club

Tasmania is on the verge of having its own team in the AFL, with the federal government reportedly set to announce it will chip in $240million for a contentious new stadium.

The league has said the island state’s entry into the competition is contingent on the construction of a $715million stadium at Hobart’s waterfront.

The project requires $240million in federal government funding, which Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will announce this weekend, according to multiple media reports.

Once the funding is official, the AFL Commission and club presidents will have to formalise the deal to admit the Apple Isle to the competition, with that set to happen as early as next week, according to the ABC. 

An artist’s impression shows how the new $715million stadium at Hobart’s Macquarie Point could look once it’s built

Located right on the water near North Hobart, the new ground should seat 23,000 when built – although plans to include a roof have reportedly been scrapped

Mr Albanese on Wednesday said his government had been working with Tasmanian officials on a broader plan for urban renewal at the Macquarie Point site.

‘Hobart is an extraordinarily beautiful city, but at the moment Mac Point sits there as a bit of an eyesore – it is completely under-utilised,’ he told reporters.

‘If we can use that site for recreational activity, for housing, for private-sector investment, for urban redevelopment in order to improve economic activity in Tasmania … by having a centre that can bring jobs and events to Tasmania, then that would be a positive thing.’

The funding would pave the way for Tasmania to become the AFL’s 19th side.

Macquarie Point’s stadium was originally reported to be roofed, but that option has been dropped from the 23,000-seat ground, according to a News Corp report.

The new ground will be multi-purpose and cater to sports other than Aussie Rules. 

Albanese’s announcement and subsequent sign-off by the league will bring an end to Tasmania’s decades-long battle for a club of its own. 

Launceston’s University of Tasmania Stadium (pictured hosting last weekend’s Hawthorn vs Adelaide game) will also be a home ground for the Apple Isle team

The state Liberal government has already pledged $375million towards the stadium project, which is opposed by state Labor and federal Liberal and independent Tasmanian MPs.

They have argued the money could be better spent on housing and under-pressure essential services.

In a joint statement on Wednesday, federal MP Andrew Wilkie, Hobart mayor Anna Reynolds and others criticised the ‘poorly conceived’ plan to add housing to the proposed stadium development.

‘The rush to select a random grab-bag of proposals is extraordinarily poor planning and bound to lead to bad decisions that our community will regret for many years,’ they said.

In April, Tasmanian Greens leader Cassy O’Connor told parliament the state should get its own team without having to build a new stadium.  

Tasmania currently hosts eight AFL games a season under agreements with Hawthorn and North Melbourne to play home fixtures at Launceston’s University of Tasmania Stadium and Hobart’s Blundstone Arena.

The new stadium will be part of a broader plan for urban renewal at the waterfront site – but some Tasmanians are not happy with the move

When the new club begins playing it’s likely the team will play seven games at Macquarie Point and four in Launceston.

The state government will contribute $12million per year over 12 years, plus $60million for a high-performance centre, towards a team.

The AFL has committed $360million over a decade, including $90million in game development and $33million for player talent academies.

It will spend $15million on the stadium.

Tasmania’s bid for a team was originally meant to be voted on by AFL club presidents towards the end of last season.

In March 2022, then-premier Peter Gutwein announced Tasmania would pursue the ‘aspirational vision’ of building a stadium at Hobart’s waterfront.