Cricket
Racing
Rugby
League
Motorsport
Football
Golf
Combat Sports
Basketball
Tennis
Other Sports
Sport Nation
“The uncertainty harms football”: Why Whateley thinks AFL should reconfirm 2028 plan for Tassie
Nicholas Quinlan • June 7th, 2025 5:00 pm
SEN’s Gerard Whateley believes that the AFL must stick to its plan of admitting the Tasmanian Devils into the AFL by 2028.
This comes about as plans for the construction of Mac Point Stadium could be further delayed by the possibility of a snap election being called next Tuesday following the no-confidence vote in Tasmanian premier Jeremy Rockcliff being passed on Thursday.
A further delay would create even more doubts as to whether the stadium would be ready by the start of the 2029 season which was agreed upon by the Tasmanian government and the AFL.
A further delay in construction could also see the financial cost of the stadium go up.
If the stadium is not at least 50% built by October 2027 and/or not ready for the 2029 season, the Tasmanian government would be on the hook for a financial penalty for the proposed $945 million stadium.
Whateley thinks that despite the political chaos that could potentially put the Devils into extinction, the league should re-confirm its plan to admit Tasmania into the competition in 2028 and renegotiate elements of the deal between them and the state government to ensure that it is possible.
“This is where I think and this is just my opinion, I think the AFL has to commit to the team for 2028 privately and roll it out that it’s going to happen,” Whateley said on SEN’s Crunch Time.
“And then renegotiate what needs to be renegotiated. But forge on and provide a level of certainty (that) this team is coming in 2028.
“It’s not swinging in the breeze somewhere because, there’s so much work that has to be done from next month onwards. It’s not just Brendon Gale’s administration, it’s every administration.”
Whateley also pondered how much influence the presidents of the 18 AFL clubs could have on this plan when they convene on Tuesday as per SEN’s Sam Edmund.
“So, it makes me wonder, what happens at the president’s meeting?” Whateley asked.
“Is there a move from the presidents to walk away from Tasmania now or is there an undertaking that they are going ahead no matter what, so everyone should plan that Tassie is going to be there in 2028.
“The uncertainty harms football and there is a way to circumvent the uncertainty.”
Listen to the full chat about state of play in Tasmania below.
