Matthews doubts AFL will keep lengthy at 19 groups

AFL nice Leigh Matthews expects the introduction of a nineteenth crew in Tasmania will imply the competitors expands once more to twenty.

Matthews, one of many sport’s most revered commentators, is assured the island’s robust AFL custom will imply the brand new crew can climate their inevitable early rising pains.

With federal funding for the brand new Hobart stadium confirmed on Saturday, the AFL will transfer shortly over the subsequent few days to verify a nineteenth licence within the state.

The league expanded from 14 to fifteen groups in 1991 when Adelaide joined, and stayed that approach till Fremantle joined in 1995.

Gold Coast’s formation meant the AFL went from 16 to 17 in 2011, earlier than GWS joined the next season.

The AFL is not any fan of an odd-numbered league, particularly given the weekly implications for its profitable broadcasting settlement.

“We’re not going to have a bye for the remainder of the competitors’s existence,” a 3AW Tweet quoted Matthews as saying.

“We will likely be searching for a twentieth crew, will not we?”

GWS and Gold Coast are the newest enlargement groups and whereas the Giants made the 2019 grand closing, the Suns are but to make the highest eight.

Matthews identified not like these two groups, Tasmania’s crew could have a powerful supporter base from the beginning.

“The issue may be if Tasmania are just like the Suns, and they’re a perennial bottom-half crew for the primary decade … will the 25,000 nonetheless go?

“In Tassie they could, as a result of they’re soccer individuals. That is the distinction.”

Fellow commentator Matthew Lloyd additionally weighed in, defending Hawthorn captain James Sicily for his much-derided opinion he couldn’t think about transferring to Tasmania for his taking part in profession.

The Hawks have Tasmania as a significant sponsor and play some residence video games in Launceston.

“What James Sicily mentioned is an actual issue for lots of men – he is solely saying what he believes.

“He’d stand by that 100 per cent, regardless that he cannot proceed on with it.”

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