Dear Members,
In light of the news about the AFL's confirmed plans to introduce a 19th team in Tasmania, I thought it was an opportune time to pave the way for a discussion about what this means for North Melbourne.
Firstly, it's really important to acknowledge how thrilled we are for the people of Tasmania following this announcement.
We've played home AFL matches in Hobart since 2012, and hosted AFLW matches as the North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos in Hobart and Launceston from 2019. Throughout that time we have built up a wonderful connection with the people of Tassie.
In keeping with the spirit of that relationship, it feels good and right that the great footy state of Tasmania now finally has its own AFL team. To all those who played a role in helping this decision come to pass, we offer warm congratulations on a job well done.
In terms of how this decision impacts the relationship our club has with our home away from home, the answer in the short term is very little.
Via our relationship with Spirit of Tasmania, we will forge ahead with our plans to play four AFL games at Blundstone Arena for at least the next three years, and our plan is for the AFLW team to play one match each in Launceston and Hobart in step with that timeframe
Our partnerships with government and the local business community, and our commitment to our members, supporters and talent pathway programs in Tasmania will stay strong well past the expiration of our current match-day agreement.
In terms of the bigger picture, for some time we've had an eye on the possibility that our time in Tasmania would eventually come to an end.
Our Board and executive team has already done some work on what an exit strategy might look like, and the timeline the AFL has presented gives us a further three-year runway to plan for what the next phase looks like.
There are a number of key elements to consider – where we play those four Hobart AFL games, our relationship with Spirit of Tasmania and where our Next Generation Academy recruiting and fan development zones will be.
Again, we've started some of that work, and we’ll continue engaging with the AFL and other stakeholders on how we can shape a future in the long-term alongside the introduction of the competition’s newest team.
In the meantime, we emphatically affirm our ongoing commitment to our members, supporters and partners in Tasmania, and encourage our fans on the mainland to experience watching the team at our home away from home.
We're really proud of the role we've played in bringing AFL content to the footy-starved population of Tassie and look forward to playing in that beautiful new stadium sometime down the track.
