AFL star says players will NOT want to play in Tasmania in blow to new team
AFL star whose club plays in Tasmania SLEDES the Apple Isle as he explains why he wouldn’t want to live there – just as the state finally gets the green light for its own team
The AFL’s Tasmanian expansion has been pushed back less than 24 hours after it was given the green light, with an AFL captain insisting he wouldn’t want to live there.
On Wednesday, the AAP reported that Apple Isle was on the verge of having its own team in the AFL, and the federal government is reportedly announcing that it will put in $240 million for a controversial new stadium.
It means that as 2028 approaches, AFL clubs will face the prospect of losing players to the new project. However, Hawthorn captain James Sicily believes the Tasmanian team will struggle to attract players south.
“I think so, especially as a young lad, because there’s not much going on down there, it could get tough,” Sicily, whose Hawks side play Tasmania regularly, told RSN.
“I couldn’t imagine living there. It would be difficult.’
James Sicily says players will be reluctant to move to the new Tasmanian team
After years of talks, Tasmania was given the go-ahead to create its own AFL team
Meanwhile, St Kilda coach Ross Lyon admitted the arrival of the 19th team will be ‘challenging’ but said he is not yet too worried about the realities of losing players.
“I hope they don’t leave the Saints, I hope they leave the Cats,” Lyon said on Wednesday.
“Look, expansion teams are always challenging, I’m not really in my head… I think it goes up and down, yesterday it was off, today it’s on, so until we get it official, until it gets edited and stamped through parliament , we don’t worry about that.
“But I think our list managers and those will be more understanding … it’s clear that once it’s decided to invest all that, the competition will pay a price for the longer-term advantage.”
But Hawthorn captain Sicily says it will be difficult to convince players to move south
Ryon would not be involved in the question of how to sign up or sign up players for the Tasmanian project, saying St Kilda needs to work out its ‘club position’ on the matter.
“It’s a really good question, but I’m not really qualified to answer it,” he said.
“We’d like to get a club position on it, we’ll get our CEO Simon Lethlea and our list manager and everyone together, get a club position and be united in our opinion and lobby that view at the appropriate time with the AFL committee or to the management I would think.’