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Could the AFL sustain 20 teams?

By Mr Dandalooa

This week, AFL boss Andrew Demetriou raised the prospect of a 20-team competition after revealing Tasmania and either Western Australia or north Queensland could be granted licences to play.

That would bring the total AFL sides to 20.

In a time when professional sporting clubs in Australia are struggling, especially in WA, with the NBL almost folding, soccer in dire straits, and rugby yet to fully take hold of West Australians, it was a bold statement to make by the AFL’s chieftain.

An interstate newspaper reported Demetriou as saying that Tasmania was the logical place for a new team and that the league has expressed that view to the Tasmanian government.

“Beyond that, if we were to go to 20 teams and who knows, that may or may not happen, you’d have to think it wouldn’t be a team in Melbourne because we’ve got 10,” Demetriou was quoted as saying.

“But a place like Western Australia, which is a booming state, or even northern Queensland, are the two places that have some attraction.”

FootyGoss understands that Tasmania lobbied to be able to host an AFL team since tabling an official bid with the AFL last year, a move that was publicly supported by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

In Tasmania the locals are feeling a cold shoulder from AFL House in Melbourne as the league dishes out the 17th and 18th club licences – first to Queensland’s Gold Coast and then to western Sydney, in what can only be described as non-traditional football regions.

And the Tasmanians want a piece of that action too.

The new Gold Coast team will enter the AFL competition in 2011, while western Sydney will follow suit in 2012, taking the total number of AFL clubs to 18.

But it seems that the AFL could look beyond its own backyard first before Tasmania gets a hold of the AFL.

Demetriou is determined to expand footy into foreign markets first, with the league already in countries like South Africa, establishing football programs and corporate partnerships.

The Fremantle Football Club is one such club to have launched a successful program abroad.

But the AFL has strategically positioned itself in countries where they have the passion and the population.

Sure, Tasmania has the passion, but it only has a population listed at 495,000. FootyGoss understands that AFL needs a catchment area of 500,000 so it is very much a marginal call.

And speaking of margins, could the new Gold Coast and Sydney clubs even survive before the Tassies are given a go?

By 2011 when the new Gold Coast franchise takes to the field as the AFL’s 17th team, the average turnover for an AFL club is poised to be at least $30 million.

There are many questions about the viability of 20 teams and whether the 20th could or should in fact be Tasmania.

Can the Tasmanian government and its economy match this with corporate money?

It is likely the Tasmanian government will have fork out to get an AFL licence and be the one behind it, backing and supporting the club.

Some people has told FootyGoss that Tasmania’s best hope for AFL football is to convince Hawthorn to play more games at Aurora Stadium in Launceston.

It seems at this stage, 20, is a few too many.