19 teams?

[KTigers]

You would think that if states with 60% of the country's population are only producing 10% of AFL footballers, then academies
in NSW, Qld, Tas and the NT are just the starting point. Most people in Tasmania now weren't born until after the heyday of
footy there had waned considerably, I'm not convinced they are going to recreate the glory years just because the state has
an AFL team.

[Ruck'n'Roll]

Yeah, I'm sick of reading that the Swans (and Giants) don't need academies because NSW produced the likes of Bunton, Longmire, Maclure, Carey, several Danihers, Kelly, Crawford, Hayes, McVeigh...

Don't forget Jock McHale

[Bloods05]

Interesting point to raise champion players from many decades past, Bloods05, but let's focus on this century given that seems a more relevant period to the contemporary debate?

Jack Riewoldt, Ben Brown, Toby Nankervis and Grant Birchall were the only ones mentioned from the list that relate to the past 22 years, so that's 4 players in 22 years. NSW and Queensland look like veritable football factories in comparison to that record.

So, if you argue that there is "no need of special assistance" for Tassie based on the Tassie record, then we should immediately disband the Academies in Sydney because NSW is certainly producing a bigger bounty of players that 4 in 22 years. Am I missing something?

Yes. You're missing the fact that Tasmania has a long and rich football tradition, and that it wouldn't take much to revive it. The northern states, by contrast, are trying to establish something new, and need a lot of assistance to achieve that.

[Blood Fever]

Yes. You're missing the fact that Tasmania has a long and rich football tradition, and that it wouldn't take much to revive it. The northern states, by contrast, are trying to establish something new, and need a lot of assistance to achieve that.

Agree. They also don't need a new stadium.

[Aprilbr]

Yes. You're missing the fact that Tasmania has a long and rich football tradition, and that it wouldn't take much to revive it. The northern states, by contrast, are trying to establish something new, and need a lot of assistance to achieve that.

They might have a rich tradition but they're population is only 500,000 and they have a comparatively older population. That helps explain the lack of players from there this century. This coming draft epitomises that lack of young talent in Tassie. Just one Tasmanian, Cowan, is likely to be drafted next week.

[Bloods05]

They might have a rich tradition but they're population is only 500,000 and they have a comparatively older population. That helps explain the lack of players from there this century. This coming draft epitomises that lack of young talent in Tassie. Just one Tasmanian, Cowan, is likely to be drafted next week.

I don't disagree that things are crook in Tassie. I just don't think an academy is the way to fix it. I think having their own team would revitalise footy there, and do it very quickly.

[Nico]

Interesting to see that Tom De Koning at Carlton, who is out of contract after 2023, has decided not to re-sign at this stage. I believe he has a brother at Geelong, which begs the question; has he recently bought a house on the Surf Coast?

[Aprilbr]

Interesting to see that Tom De Koning at Carlton, who is out of contract after 2023, has decided not to re-sign at this stage. I believe he has a brother at Geelong, which begs the question; has he recently bought a house on the Surf Coast?

An equally pertinent question would be, if he has bought a house there, how big a discount to true market value did he receive? The word from down there is that Geelong players have proven to be phenomenal real estate investors over the past decade and its not just due to a property boom.

[Maltopia]

Federal Government indicating they don’t want to pay $375 million to fall fund the new Tasmanian stadium

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-12-...ions/101785934

[Blood Fever]

Federal Government indicating they don’t want to pay $375 million to fall fund the new Tasmanian stadium

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-12-...ions/101785934

Good decision. Stadium cost not popular in Tasmania where there are more pressing needs. Already have an adequate ground. Typical AFL arrogance.

[Ruck'n'Roll]

Oops, wrong one

[i'm-uninformed2]

Federal Government indicating they don’t want to pay $375 million to fall fund the new Tasmanian stadium

As much as I despise Gil, there’s a small bit of me that wonders if that asterisk of requiring State and Fed funds was put next to the whole Tassie concept to kill it given he deep down knows the whole thing is unfinancial. We’re all attracted to the romance of them having a team, but the economics are diabolical.