AFL news 2025: Tasmania Devils team latest, Macquarie Point Stadium updates, Premier Jeremy Rockliff no-confidence motion
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Devils chief executive Brendon Gale says the 'no stadium, no team' condition for Tasmania's AFL entry remains crucial, stressing Hobart and Launceston's major venues are still 'not fit' to 'underpin a team in the big league on a sustainable basis'.
Gale on Fox Footy's AFL 360 on Tuesday night remained defiant his club was still 'on track' to enter the AFL in 2028, despite a state government bombshell this week casting doubt over the Devils' future.
Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff on Wednesday morning was hit with a no-confidence motion, which will continue to be debated in state parliament on Thursday.
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Opposition leader Dean Winter, who filed the no-confidence motion, wrote to AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon amid the parliamentary chaos on Wednesday and reaffirmed the Labor Party's support for the new Macquarie Point stadium build and the Devils' entry into the AFL.
But Winter's move was based off claims the Rockliff Government had mismanaged the state's budget and bungled key infrastructure projects, including the proposed stadium.
Should Rockliff fail to stave off the no-confidence motion, it's possible Tasmania will be pushed to a snap election, which could derail the new stadium plans and put the 19th AFL licence in jeopardy.
The AFL on Wednesday reiterated it remained steadfast that a 'clear requirement' for Tasmania's inclusion is 'a new 23,000 seat roofed stadium at Macquarie Point'. That agreement is between the AFL and the state government, with the stadium needing to clear passage of both Houses of Parliament.
Premiership Brisbane Lions coach – and Tasmanian football hall of fame legend – Chris Fagan said the AFL 'should let the team come in and then sort the stadium out' in the long-term, saying the Devils should just 'use facilities that are available' in Launceston and Hobart.
'It would be such a tragedy if the team itself doesn't go ahead because there wasn't a new stadium when there are other football fields down there that AFL footballers currently play on,' Fagan told the Herald Sun.
'The surfaces are fantastic.
'But I think it is only a noisy minority who don't want it (new stadium) anyway. The vast majority of Tasmanians I think do want it.
'Once you have the team in there, then these things become easier.'
Tasmania Football Club CEO Brendon Gale. Picture: Linda Higginson
When asked on Fox Footy's AFL 360 if the 'no team, no stadium' policy to introduce Tassie was 'too ambitious' and that 'too many stumbling blocks' had been placed in front of the key stakeholders, Gale said: 'No, I just think it's been a difficult concept to explain.
'Firstly, there's no good time to build a stadium around the world. They're always big and they're expensive, and there's always a whole range of other priorities … Whether it's Adelaide or Perth Stadium, they're difficult to get through and get popular support.
'I guess that's compounded by the fact that people in Tasmania think: 'Well, we've got two perfectly good stadiums in Hobart and Launceston, why can't we just have those?' And they're reasonable stadiums and they've been fit for purpose. But they're not fit for the purpose of providing sustainable commercial business model to underpin a team in the big league on a sustainable basis.
'It's hard to explain in seven or 10 seconds, but once you do have the time and space to explain, you know, why it is important – and then also the whole range of other benefits that will be created and will be unlocked – people tend to come around. But it's not easy.'
The anguish of the impact of the political turmoil on the Devils was personified on Wednesday by club general manager of marketing, corporate affairs and social impact Kath McCann – the Devils' longest-serving official – who broke down in tears at a press conference.
'This club is powered by our future generations, by our kids and by our grandkids,' a teary McCann said. 'It's an opportunity to bring this state together, it's an opportunity to create pathways.
'I've got 50 students out here in my sight line, they power us every single day — and they will keep doing that and we're going to play on. We want to see this team become a reality because our young people deserve it.'
Premiership Eagle Will Schofield was blown away by McCann's passion and 'powerful words'.
'This is more than just a footy club. This is something for an entire state, an entire generation of Tasmanians coming up behind it,' Schofield told Fox Sports News' AFL Tonight.
'It's a real instance of politics getting in front of people. This is a move that's going to change the state – and the football followers specifically in Tasmania, the people. So whether it be adults now or kids in future generations, being able to put this stadium together and this team together, it's more than just a game of footy.
'The cheques and balances will get done, but what's really sad is it seems like politics is getting in front of the people – of which I think a lot want this stadium and this team to come through.
'Knowing how big a football state Tasmania is, it'll be really sad for that to be lost.'
Originally published as 'Politics in front of people': Great in awe of 'powerful words' as boss explains roadblock to Devils' stadium alternative
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