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Melbourne
8. Former name "Melbourne City" - Colin De Lutis backed [Age]
9. "Melbourne Heart" - Casey based - Peter Sidwell backed [Age][HS]
10. Casey based - "Southern Cross FC" - Jim Marinos backed [Age]
(putting this in a new post since it isn't related)
Regarding a Tasmanian bid - this was first posted on TWGF and I have since re-posted on MV forum and SFCU forum. Might as well put a copy here too! The "Taskforce" mentioned is the Tasmanian Football Taskforce as mentioned in these articles: [ABC News, 19 March 08], [The Mercury, 1 May 08]
There wasn't a bid submitted, but there has been a lot of activity behind the scenes. The following (edited for clarity) was posted on TWGF by user 'decentric' over the past week.
On May 28:
There has just been an ABC radio interview with a member of the taskforce, called John McGurr. Essentially, I will paraphrase the salient points of what he said.
Only Townsville have a rating of 'good' in terms of their A League bid out of all the prospective bids in Australia. Tasmania's is currently 'moderate', along with many others. McGurr considers this could easily be upgraded to 'good'. FFA have been encouraging and are supportive of a Tasmanian bid, which differs from the AFL upper echelons about AFL viability in Tassie.
Many ground scenarios have been discussed, but it looks like Aurora and North Hobart oval are most likely. However, I'm not sure if the there will be two home bases for the team. I hope so, one being at Aurora in Launceston and one at North Hobart in Hobart.
There are 14 000 registered football players in Tasmania. The premise they are working on, is that for every one of these players there will be three supporters of the game close to the family, which equates to circa 50 000 being interested in football in the state. The only problem with this premise, is I anecdotally know many junior and youth payers, whose parents have no interest in the football whatsoever. Many of them are my friends!!
There are 6 major businesses in Tassie. According to McGurr, all have expressed interest in sponsoring an A League club. A decisive factor has been the Asian marketing potential.
The taskforce has had a lot of discussion with Melbourne Victory. Of the Victory's 20 000 members, 46% are also members of AFL clubs. This is illuminating.
A proposal could be up and running by May next year. Running costs are predicted at about 6 million a year for an A League team in Tassie.
On June 3:
In the last few days I've had contact with some FFT board members, and, new members of the A League taskforce. Things are at last looking good!!!! There is considerable strategic, organisational and diplomatic planning in the taskforce. I'm really surprised based on previous epochs. If a major financial backer is found, there are a lot of positives from the organisational perspective.
There is now also a resurgent state league being mooted. One clever model, similar to American basketball which minimises travel, has been touted. A state league is seen as a feeder for any future A League team.
I feel a mood of optimism, due to a new contemporaneous strategic acumen. It has been sadly absent in the past, but it is steadily and inexorably starting to pervade the Tasmanian football milieu.
I'm not sure about this bloke Palmer. He doesn't have any connection to the sport, has never played it and has given his primary motivation for investing in the licence as giving local kids a pathway to professional sport, which is nice but pretty lame all the same. Not exactly the kind of dyed in the wool fan that would be willing to lose money for the good of the game.
