RobT
Years ago

NBL v AFL in TAS!

Heard on the news this AM that AFL going to hold 2 of its prelim finals in TAS.

I believe that this could be the start of something big, to quote the song.

Now that the NBL have cracked the TAS famine of national sports teams, the AFL have really upped their focus on AFL in TAS.

Last week, discussions of relocating or starting (a brand new) a team there re-started in earnest and now this final's announcement, both within months of the new NBL franchise's moment of glory and just weeks after the Boomers greatest achievement, ever.

Coincidence, or are they actually planning this against the NBL?

A bit of David and Goliath?

Ordinarily, I am not a conspiracy theorist. But, for the NBL to have cracked TAS sports after years of effort by the AFL to do the same, is frankly, egg on the AFL's collective face and their CEO, Gillon McLachlan, is no doubt feeling the heat from HIS organisation.

We are all very aware that AFL have been chasing this dream for a long time now. So no gripes re the plan, just the increased effort to try to take the sting out of the NBL's feathers-in-the-cap moment.

Is it worth concern (what can we do anyway?) or only more of the same from the AFL?

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Anonymous
Years ago

Different times of the year

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Anonymous
Years ago

They had an AFL game in Hobart yesterday. No one cared about it. 2 nobody teams playing. StKilda and Fremantle. Crowd approx. 3000. The sooner Tassie gets over this AFL crap the better.
The 1st final in Launceston won't be sold out, the 2nd one maybe. Capped at 10,000.

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Anonymous
Years ago

They getting Afl and a league, means nothing to nbl.

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Anonymous
Years ago

This means nothing, The reasoning is behind covid and the Melbourne stadiums not being able to hold fans

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Anonymous
Years ago

If you think the AFL could give two hoots about what the NBL are doing you are completely delusional! The two sports are so different they can happily coexist so what does it matter anyway.

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AngusH
Years ago

Given the cross-over in terms of juniors I think the AFL does care at least a little.

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Anonymous
Years ago

No they don't, they encourage kids in the u18 system to play basketball! They think it develops good traits for footy and they also know they will get most of the ones that are good enough to make in the AFL because the pathway to being professional is a lot easier.

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Senator11
Years ago

There's always been competition of some sort between AFL and NBL, go back to the early 90's when NBL was prime time, AFL was one of the reasons IMO that knocked NBL off that level.

Off the top of my head more basketball players have switched over to AFL than the other way around, I'm only including players who were professional or close to professional, not just the "basketball background" players.

Basketball to AFL - Hugh Greenwood (signed NBL contract and flipped), Luke Jackson (under 18's and would have joined Perth as a DP with Travers), Dean Brogan (36ers), Tom Wilson (Kings)

AFL to Basketball - Craig Moller (Dockers, but was an absolute crab)

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KET
Years ago

There were brilliant basketballers that bailed to AFL at 16-18, like Pendlebury etc

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Senator11
Years ago

"There were brilliant basketballers that bailed to AFL at 16-18, like Pendlebury etc"

For sure, the list would be huge though if you took them all into account, the guys I mentioned played pro or were closer to pro level, like you said Pendles bailed earlier.

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Anonymous
Years ago

Lol Senator, Moller is still an absolute crab

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Anonymous
Years ago

The afl are always telling all and sundry that players such and such were good basketball players, Moller played for Australia and should have been talked about to other players going the other way. Anyone who thinks Moller can't play knows f..k all about basketball by the way.

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Anonymous
Years ago

There is always some idiot that says Moller can't play. Clueless.

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JB
Years ago

The AFL just uses Tassie when it suits them. In Covid times or to generate money for a couple of clubs struggling financially (North Melbourne in particular).
Tasmania really wants a team, they love footy, but the AFL won't give one to them.
Rather than the AFL having cracked Tasmania, I’m under the impression Tassie is getting fed up with only having been thrown a few bones here and there for years...

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LV
Years ago

Absolutely the NBL's move into Tasmania was a small factor- one of many factors- underlying the AFL's impetus towards seriously looking at having a team there.

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RobT
Years ago

I honestly think that you are all under-rating our sport. World wide, it is phenomenally popular.

It will be number 1 here if the AFL don't protect their enormous advantage.

And when was the last time an AFL team won a BRONZE?

Where else can they play AFL except here and exhibition games?

Don't suppose that the AFL care about the round ball-game, cricket, even netball (if it takes women fans away from AFL) either?

Finally, there's the timing. It seems that the consensus is that it is just a coincidence.

I am not insinuating that the AFL will die, or even be badly hurt by basketball. What I am saying is that even a loss of a percent or 2 from the Tassie market will amount to possibly millions of dollars to the AFL. Businesses do worry about and consider these things.

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Daniel Trollingham
Years ago

Get back on your meds Rob.

Reply #868709 | Report this post

Hoops

NBL v AFL in TAS!

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