The dream of having a Tasmanian team in the Australian Football League (AFL) is one step closer to becoming a reality, as the league’s boss, Gill McLachlan, prepares to confirm the news on a visit to the state next week.
The AFL had previously stated that a stadium was necessary for the creation of a team in the state, and after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced a $240m contribution from the federal government towards the $715m Macquarie Point stadium and urban redevelopment, McLachlan is expected to make the announcement.
The funding will be used to build a new stadium as a home for the potential new team.
McLachlan thanked the government for the support and said that a new stadium is “critical to the success of the club”.
As Prime Minister Anthony Albanese tried to enter his car after the stadium funding announcement in Hobart on Saturday, he was surrounded by a group of enraged demonstrators who held up signs bearing the words ‘No Stadium’ and shouted at him.
The protesters’ grievances centered on the escalating cost of housing in Tasmania, as well as their demand for improved healthcare services within the state.
