AFL boss Gillon McLachlan believes a brand new Tasmanian workforce is nearer than ever to fruition however concedes there are vital hurdles nonetheless to beat.
The league has agreed phrases with the Tasmanian state authorities that will see a nineteenth licence granted to the island state.
Stadium funding stays the most important sticking level, with the league adamant a brand new venue should be a part of the deal.
The Tasmanian Liberal authorities has promised to foot half the invoice for the $750 million venture, which might see a 23,000-seat venue constructed at Macquarie Point.
But the federal Labor authorities is but to decide on whether or not it is going to contribute, or how vital its contribution can be.
“The big piece is the stadium,” McLachlan informed reporters on Thursday.
“The Tasmanian government have made an extraordinary funding commitment to that, we’ve committed $15 million to the stadium and we’re looking at other funding partners.
“There’s one substantive one there, so there is a sequence of conferences and discussions which might be both occurring or deliberate. Then after (that), it takes so long as it takes.”
McLachlan stated there may be “broad however not common help” for a Tasmanian expansion side among the existing 18 clubs.
Richmond chief executive Brendon Gale, a proud Tasmanian, has been vocal in his support for a new side, while Collingwood counterpart Jeff Browne has said awarding a 19th licence now would be premature.
“We’re assembly with the (18 membership) presidents and there may be broad however not common help, and we’ll proceed to work by means of that,” McLachlan stated.
“They’ve obtained all the data on the ten or 11 items of labor we have been doing down there.”
McLachlan had a simple message to Tasmanian football followers.
“This is the closest we have been in many years,” he stated.
“I do know that there are views on completely different elements of it, north-south and all of these issues.
“But there is an opportunity and a moment here, and we’re asking people to visualise a Tasmanian jumper playing in the AFL if they want it to be unified and support it across the board.”
