Current and former AFL players and coaches have come to the defence of Tasmania as a destination for players, following comments from Hawthorn captain James Sicily saying he would not want to live there.
His comments — which he has since apologised for — sparked a debate about what a Tasmanian team would look like, its potential to develop, attract and retain players, and whether other AFL clubs could be getting cold feet over the 19th licence.
The ABC understands Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will announce $240 million for development at Hobart's Macquarie Point this weekend, paving the way for the Tasmanian government to build a roofed 23,000-spectator stadium.
The AFL has made the stadium a requirement for Tasmania to get its own team.
On Wednesday, Sicily was asked on radio if Tasmania would have difficulty luring players to live and play footy there.
"I think so, particularly as a young guy, because there's not much happening down there. It could be difficult," Sicily told RSN.
"I couldn't imagine myself living there. It would be hard."
The Tasmanian government is a major sponsor of the Hawks, who play four games a year in Launceston as part of a multi-million-dollar deal.
Hawthorn CEO Justin Reeves said Sicily's comments were not reflective of the team's view of Tasmania.
"From a club perspective and a Tasmanian perspective, it was incredibly disappointing, and James came out and apologised and owned that," Mr Reeves told ABC Radio Hobart on Thursday.
He said he expressed his disappointment with the premier after Jeremy Rockliff called him earlier today.
"We had a good chat on the phone and I think he shared my disappointment, but like a lot of things, you sort of focus on where you go from here.
"There's a lot happening that's positive with Tasmanian football, and we'd rather focus on the positives and hopefully there's some really positive news in the next few days."
Allen Christensen, who won a premiership during his 133 games with Geelong and Brisbane and plays for Lauderdale in the Tasmanian State League, defended the state.
Christensen, 31, said Tasmania could be an attractive location for players.
"When you're younger maybe, you're planning to hit the town. I've been in Salamanca [in central Hobart]. That's been pretty fun," he said.
"The lifestyle's great. When you're a full-time footballer, you go to work Monday, Tuesday. Wednesday the boys go fishing, play golf, some of the best golf courses in Australia are down here.
"The lifestyle thing, there's cafes here, there's restaurants here, it's all the same really when you're playing.
"It's a beautiful place to live, there's absolutely no doubt about that."
The Tasmanian government has promised $60 million for a high-performance facility and centre of excellence, with concept plans provided to the AFL last year. These plans have remained secret, however.
North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson – who was paid $100,000 by the Tasmanian government to investigate global stadium options – said the state should be able to develop its own players using these facilities.
"If we can put a flag on the hill to give all of these Tasmanian kids an opportunity and the Tassie side knows that, if we invest in these kids, they're going to get an opportunity to play for their state in the AFL … you just wait and see what this could do for them," he said.
"I'm firmly of the view, having done some work on it with the whole feasibility study of Tassie coming in, they've got to grow their product from within.
"If they set it up early enough and get their academy going as soon as it's announced, and nurture the talent, ideally that's where they want their talent to come from anyway."
McGuire predicts stadium will cost twice as much
Once the funding is confirmed for the Macquarie Point stadium, the Tasmanian government expects an AFL licence decision to follow soon after.
Some AFL media personalities have questioned whether the stadium and the team are settled.
Speaking on Channel Nine's Footy Classified, former Collingwood president Eddie McGuire, who said he supported a team, said he still had significant concerns.
"You can't build a shed for $750 million to play football on, and if you're ever thinking about putting a roof on it — unless it's thatched — it's got to $1.5 billion before you even think about it," he said.
"The AFL have never been able to nail the establishment costs of any team. That was even with unlimited resources for Gold Coast and GWS. They still went in light."
But commentator Gerard Whateley told Fox Footy's AFL 360 that club presidents had an obligation to approve the bid.
"This needs to be a moment to put all the small-mindedness and pettiness and what's it going to do to our lists and our club aside, and go, 'No, this is the right thing for the competition,'" he said.
"They represent the greater interests of football, and football needs Tasmania in as the 19th licence. They should formally and stirringly and unanimously vote Tasmania into existence."
'We don't want cost blowouts,' premier says
Construction on the Macquarie Point stadium would start in 2025, according to the government's business case, for completion in 2028. The Tasmanian AFL team would already be playing by this stage.
There will also be a Tasmanian election in 2025, with state Labor opposed to the stadium.
Last month, a parliamentary inquiry heard that it was typical for state governments to wear the cost of overruns on major infrastructure partnerships with the Commonwealth.
Perth's new stadium sustained a significant blowout, and cost estimates for the Gabba redevelopment in Brisbane have also increased.
Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff told Triple M that talk about a Macquarie Point stadium blowout was purely hypothetical.
"We don't want cost blowouts," he said.
"We want to ensure that we dot every I, cross every T, get the design right, consult with the Tasmanian community on something that's truly iconic when it comes to, not only the stadium, but Macquarie precinct more broadly."
Tasmanian Workforce Growth Minister Felix Ellis said negotiations were ongoing with the Commonwealth about how cost overruns would be managed.
Tasmania's budget is also facing a looming hit when the federal government's GST no-worse-off guarantee ends in 2027-28. The government estimates it will lose $755 million in revenue between 2027 and 2031.
Labor leader Rebecca White said she would not pre-empt the prime minister's announcement.
Labor sports spokesperson Josh Willie described a question about whether the party would continue the build if in government as "speculation".
