Tasmania Football Club CEO Brendan Gale has issued a stark warning that the proposed Macquarie Point stadium is essential for the state’s AFL team to exist.
In an email to club members amid ongoing debate about the development, Gale emphasised the critical importance of the stadium infrastructure to the club’s future.
“I cannot stress the importance of this infrastructure to our club enough. Put simply, without it, we do not exist,” Gale said.
Gale expressed concerns about the Tasmania Planning Commission’s draft report, claiming it downplayed the benefits the stadium would deliver to the state.
“The club holds concerns about some of the elements of the report, specifically in relation to the understated benefits that the stadium will deliver,” he said.
“One such example of impact we have already seen from the club is a 40% increase in Auskick registrations across Tasmania since the launch of the club last year.”
“We are confident that this number will continue to compound and will create significant benefit for families, communities and clubs across the state for generations to come.”
The club has also partnered with TasTafe, the JackJumpers, Cricket Tasmania and Netball Tasmania to establish the Tasmania Academy of Leadership and Sport, creating educational pathways for Tasmanians seeking careers in professional sports management.
“We currently have 55 students studying to achieve their dreams of working in off-field roles in the professional sports industry right here in Tasmania, jobs that simply would not exist without the introduction of our club,” Gale said.
Gale, who has been in the CEO role for just over two months, called for members to support both the state government and the club through what he acknowledged is a complex process.
“This club has the potential to be enormous for Tasmania, it will bring economic, social and cultural impact that we have not seen before,” he said.
“To achieve that though, we must invest and we must be brave.”
