Tasmania a step closer to an AFL team as revised stadium concept revealed

An AFL team based in Tasmania has moved a step closer, with the Premier announcing the state government has reached an in-principal agreement on the key commercial terms to enter the league.

AFL CEO Gill McLachlan told a crowd at Hobart’s investment leaders conference that a Hobart stadium remains the key factor for the state to secure a licence.

In September, Macquarie Point in Hobart was confirmed as the new stadium site ahead of AFL bid, a short distance from the earlier proposed site of Regatta Point.

It’s believed the nine-hectare site at Macquarie Point would be less expensive to build on, with the Regatta Point site having to build over the water.

The Tasmanian Government says it will build a 23,000-seat stadium south-east of Hobart's CBD on what is understood to be the AFL's preferred site — but only if club presidents allow the state to have its own team.

The new concept images of the Tasmanian AFL stadium show a permanent roof over it, similar to Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin.

The stadium proposal is contingent on the Federal Government paying half of its cost, estimated to be $750 million, and on private investment.

The Tasmanian government's funding commitment to an AFL team includes $12 million per year over 12 years, plus $60 million towards a high-performance and administration complex.

McLachlan indicated an announcement on Tasmania's bid was "close" but wouldn't specify a timeframe.

Meanwhile, Hawthorn has inked a new one-year deal to play home games in Tasmania, with the club to play four home games at UTAS Stadium in 2023, and North Melbourne has extended their deal for a further three seasons, playing four matches per year at Blundstone Arena.

The 2023 AFL Fixture is expected to be announced in early December.