AFL CHIEF executive Andrew Demetriou has met with Tasmanian premier David Bartlett in Melbourne to discuss the prospect of taking more football to the state.
However, hosting more games at Aurora Stadium in Launceston - rather than North Melbourne's bid to play home games at Hobart's Bellerive Oval - was the main focus of Friday's discussions.
"As we expand the competition we're going to have more games available and we might have an extra round available and that almost logically by demand requires more games being played in Tasmania," Demetriou said from AFL House.
"The government has put its hand up for additional games, Hawthorn have indicated they might play an extra game in Launceston, so I think it's all positive going forward."
The Hawks and the Tasmanian government will attempt to thrash out a new deal to extend their successful partnership in the coming weeks, which Bartlett said took priority over any move to Bellerive.
"We want to see more football played in Tasmania. Aurora Stadium remains the home of football in Tasmania in the north, but I think and we are not opposed to seeing a few games played in the south as well," Bartlett said.
"We didn't explicitly discuss the southern option, but I've said very clearly to Andrew that we're not opposed to that.
"We will be pitching to the AFL and have done so today that in a renegotiated Hawthorn deal, with the two new clubs and the potential for an extra round or two, that Aurora should be considered for more games. That will be a discussion that we will continue following this meeting."
North Melbourne, Richmond and Melbourne are understood to be interested in setting up a similar deal to the Hawks at Bellerive, with the Kangaroos seemingly in the box seat.
"North Melbourne has expressed an interest to me and the AFL to play games at Bellerive," Bartlett said.
"What I've said to North Melbourne is that we're certainly not opposed to that. Southern Tasmania does want to see AFL football, but our first priority is to enter into negotiations with Hawthorn.
"Subsequent to that we're happy to look at what North Melbourne might do in Tasmania."
While Demetriou said any such move was in its infancy, he gave the idea the backing of the League.
"We're pleased that we've got two or three clubs that have indicated they'd like to play games at Bellerive," he said.
"[But] it's not our decision. Ultimately if Bellerive is a suitable venue for AFL football, the government is not opposed to it and we find a club that can come up with an arrangement with the Tasmanian Cricket Association, then we wouldn't stand in the way we would support it.
"That's the ongoing dialogue that will continue in the coming weeks."
The AFL overlooked Tasmania in favour of Queensland and New South Wales in expanding the competition, but Demetriou is pleased with the growth of the game in the region.
He reiterated that Tasmania was the "next cab off the rank", which was music to the ears of the [remier.
"The Tasmanian government and I think the Tasmanian community's medium-to-long-term goal is a Tasmanian football club - a Tasmanian team that plays in the AFL," Bartlett said.
"I take great comfort from our discussions with the AFL today. They clearly understand our long-term goal."
