Tasmanian AFL Bid
The bid to establish an Australian Football League (AFL) team in the state of Tasmania has been ongoing, with fluctuating levels of support, since the then-Victorian Football League began its national expansion in the 1980s and 1990s.
The AFL's continued rejection of the Tasmanian AFL bid has raised significant controversy, with the Government of Australia launching a Senate inquiry in 2008 which AFL Commission CEO Andrew Demetriou and chairman Mike Fitzpatrick both declined to attend. At the enquiry, Tasmanian senator Kerry O'Brien brought into question the AFL's commitment to the game in Tasmania, and stated that he believed that with continued neglect, the popularity of soccer could overtake Australian rules football in Tasmania. There are already more children playing soccer than Australian rules football in Tasmania.
Read more about Tasmanian AFL Bid: Background, Current Bid, Early Bids, AFL Arguments Against A Tasmanian Side, See Also
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