A-League clubs told Tasmanian FIFO games over, homegrown soccer team the priority

Updated about 3 hours ago

The CEO of Football Federation Tasmania has issued a bold statement to mainland A-League clubs: "We don't want you anymore".

Mike Palmer said his organisation will no longer pursue A-League content for Tasmania, after years of trying.

Instead, it will pour its efforts into supporting a bid for a standalone Tasmanian A-League club.

"We're not looking to go down that path anymore," Mr Palmer said.

"We don't want to be seen as a place that is happy with just a couple of games. We want to be a place with our own team."

"To some extent, spending a bunch of money on getting one of the A-League teams down is counterproductive cash wise, and also in the message it sends."

Previously, Football Federation Tasmania has been in commercial arrangements with the Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City A-League clubs.

The Melbourne Victory deal included naming rights sponsorship of the state league, pre-season fixtures and community camps, while the City deal focused on player development.

But, Mr Palmer said deals with fly-in fly-out clubs were no longer the best way forward.

"We've really gone away from the idea of the occasional game. We're not sure it gives us the real long-term value that we are seeking.

"We did from time to time have an A-League game, but now our focus and support is squarely behind getting our own A-League team."

Expansion of the A-League could still be some way off, with FFA still at loggerheads with the A-League and NPL clubs over control of the game.

Mr Palmer said the Tasmanian bid, led by a consortium of Melbourne businessmen including Harry Stamoulis, was still alive and had been discussed with both major Tasmanian political parties ahead of the looming state election.

"It's been opened on a couple of fronts. We've discussed it with the major parties, but the real work is being done by the consortium," Mr Palmer said.

"The consortium that came forward a year or so ago is still very, very strongly in play working behind the scenes to get an A-League license"

A-League clubs told Tasmanian FIFO games over, homegrown soccer team the priority - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Is this the same guy that used to not back Tasmania getting its own team?

Same as EPL visitors sucking the life out of local theater goers  market

If you mean visiting club vs all stars then yes
If you mean visiting club vs A League club, that's just football

Tasmania don't care who the opposition is. As long as the home team is a Tasmanian team

Good on them. Exhibition matches don't serve a purpose in this day and age

Good on you Tassie, FFA are just making the wrong moves continuously and playing you for suckers. As if your satisfied with afew crumbs of A League content anymore.

Yepppp

After such a long period of inertia, stakeholders are no longer content with scraps from the grown-ups table and making themselves heard. Keep it up.

build a rectangular stadium first - then get your team

He mentioned discussions with both major parties ahead of the state election, you can be sure that was a key part of it.

if they can pull it off , then the metrics ( gosh that sounds like gallop ) stack up....
if they decided a team to play at an oval or decide to upgrade an oval. it will only benefit AFL

Great to hear and the timing perfect with Gallops recent interview stating they need to find a way to turn footballers into A-League fans.

Give us a team of our own.

FNR interviewed Robert Belteky on the Footballs bosses show last night, and he said they have support from all sides of government for a team and a rectangular boutique football stadium built in Hobart, only thing stopping it is the FFA.

Worth the listen.

All this seems to be following on from all the drama in the AFL at a local level down here recently and So many people are disgruntled with the AFL.

Got a link?

https://m.soundcloud.com/fnr_footballnationradio/fnr_football-football-bosses-14-february-2018

Why is this so important, when Victory have played out of Etihad's oval stadium for years?

Because Etihad is soulless and ruins any atmosphere (what's left anyway) that the club has - ask any Vuck member what they prefer and 99% will tell you that AAMI Park is the way to go. Etihad continues to be used simply because the break even mark for the club is ridiculously low, thus ensuring a guaranteed profit for a standard Vuck crowd - it's economic more than anything, but with pretty much every club playing in nice, rectangular stadiums these days (very jealous of the Parramatta redevelopment) I can't see the Etihad days lasting too much longer than the current contract (2025 I think?)

I was very privileged to be at the AAMI Park grand final for the 14/15 season and, even though there was 'only' ~30k there, the atmosphere was very special. That is how good football can be in this country - unfortunately, it's done nothing but go downhill since then.

I don't doubt what you are saying. I've attended games at Etihad too.

The difference is why is no Tasmanian HAL team allowed to even enter the comp for not having a rectangular stadium, whilst another team, Victory, has operated out of one for 12 years?

FFA admin ( Gallop and Lowy) will keep changing the criteria for HAL eligibility to disallow a Tasmanian team, or one from anywhere else, they don't want.

1) Victory can actually fill or nearly fill Dockland's capacity on occasion, and

2) Docklands has movable seats.

Excellent to hear this, Football Fed Tas.

Gallop's attitude when in the state was  confrontational, paternalistic and patronising, regarding Tasmania getting a HAL team.

Then the excellent Belteky/Stamoulis bid was so good, it was difficult to refuse. Gallop then told the bid group they could have a HAL team anywhere else except Tasmania.

Apart from the Asian Cup organisation for a successful tournament, Gallop has achieved nothing for the progression of football. Others said he was diffident in an interview with Gerard Whately in Melbourne. He wasn't when he was down here. This guy is so Sydneycentric.

Gallop has aslo exuded considerable hostility to success in the ACT and West Aus about Socceroo attendances too.

Really pleased to hear this - regions need to stop accepting scraps from head office and make it seem like they're doing something positive for the game. Either give them full representation or none at all.

This isn't just about Tasmania. It is FFA's attitude to regional football in Australia per se.

I've been disgusted by Gallop's comments about the ACT. They draw 20 0000 to a Socceroo game, and Gallop claims it isn't good enough.

On the other hand, in Sydney or Melbourne, 23 - 25 000 attend some Socceroo games and it is acceptable!

good luck with getting an AL team in under this FFA.  it's going to be sydney and brisbane. and its not  going to happen for years.

Im not sure it is, because FFA admin are alienating almost all stakeholders in football. To have a state FFA revolting is astonishing!

To play devil's advocate I don't want a few big  HAL clubs dominating the sporting landscape and sucking all the money in the game for their own interests either.

 I've seen this happening at NPL level and there are constant disasters with egotistical financial backers of bigger NPL clubs making bad decision after bad decision, that takes  football backwards. I'm worried there could be little money to fund national teams if we have a national organisation  dominated by big clubs and a Tony Labozetta type  becomes CEO again.

In this case, as I understand it, Football Fed Tas's CEO's Mike Palmer's salary is paid by FFA's Gallop. He could easily be sacked for his and the Football Fed Tas board's actions.

Will never get in as they don't meet the imaginary ffa metrics.

Hope they have a crack at the 2nd division but I know stamoulis and beltecky won't throw money at it.

Hopefully once the FFA lose control of the A-League they'll lose control of expansion too. I wonder where the HAL CEOs will prefer the new clubs to be and when they will come in?
May well be good for Brissie, Canberra and Tassie and less so for rubbish bids like 'southern china fc'. Will be interesting their preference for Melbourne too.

Hurry up FIFA and kick out these muppets

By the sounds of it, if di Pietro, Sage et al get their way, you won't have to worry about 'southern china fc', you will probably get the real thing.

https://twitter.com/brentcostelloe/status/963682179804028928?ref_src=twcamp%5Eshare%7Ctwsrc%5Em5%7Ctwgr%5Eemail%7Ctwcon%5E7046%7Ctwterm%5E3

While the FFA would have limited powers over the independent AL, i'm sure one condition they could make would be all new clubs are based in Australia or have the power to veto any such foreign clubs from joining if it wasn't in the best interests of Australian football. 

That would be fun to watch.

FOX are funding any expansion teams on the proviso they choose where, so it will be Brisbane Melbourne or Sydney

Tas, canberra and woolongong are no brainers taping into new markets to make new fans....

The ffa needs to restructure its business model so that clubs are affordable without needing 15k at every game. It happens abroad but because of the sh it tv deal and ffa management seems hard here. Hence their insistance that any expansion must be like wsw, so no expansion just talk

Tasmania's best bet is to stop pissing in the HALs pocket, making them look desirable.

 and start demanding a Promotion pathway.

I've tried a few different avenues of getting in contact with Belteky. Emailing politicians(no replies) and the most recent messaging the FNR page(replied today the day after the interview?) Stopping short of emailing his workplaces etc. Just to ask out of curiosity if all their eggs are in the A-League basket or if they would consider any future second division or even backing a current NPL club in a second division. 

Ring Andrew Wilkie's office.

And tell him to push for a full Pyramid  not buying into a Monopoly

Well my question to all of them was to ask Belteky if its purely an A-League bid or would they consider second division status.

That imagined kit in the photo on the side looks magnificent.

Just hold out til we have a full pyramid 

I'm sure this guy meant he wants to see it in his lifetime

I find myself googling cryogenics

Tasmania tears up a deal for HAL games in Tasmania that doesn't actually exist, as leverage to get a HAL team they won't be granted.

Sorry Tassie, need a bit more leverage than that.

No deal, just not going to chase them anymore. I read that as something that happens behind the scenes.

Also there has been alot of carry on down here regarding the AFL and the state being happy to pay a fortune for some scraps whilst nothing goes back into grassroots, so I'm taking it as a little stab in that direction.

Also with Gallops comments the other day regarring turning football people into A-League fans, I'm taking it as a stand that if he wants Tasmanians as A-League fans then hes goingbto have to give us our oen team.

I'd surmise most people who post on 442, do so  having a local HAL team to follow. Few others post from outside the areas where there are no HAL clubs.

I know there are three of us who post from Tassie.

A greater number  post from Canberra and areas close by.

There are a couple from FNQ. 

How many post from Geelong, Wollongong, Gold Coast?

Outside these areas, the regional and rural areas of most states probably evoke little interest in the HAL. Nearly all posters who follow football and post on this forum have an A League team to follow in Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Gosford, Newcastle, Brisbane and Wellington.

Compared to cricket, where I watch top level Tassie born cricketers play in the Shield on a regular basis, I think my interest in A League football is declining with no local team to support. Gallop and Lowy seem barely interested in football spreading to regions outside Sydney.

Exactly. I had a TCA membership as a teen, and I went to most games and now that I've moved to the mainland around various small cities and towns every couple of years for work I still stream them all. As much as I love football, the only team I can really form an attachement to is the Socceroos so my interest in the A-League also declining, to the point of irrelevance during cricket season. I feel that many Tasmanians aside you and I also feel the same, and even sadder, so many just probably haven't gotten into football because of it. I know this is an argument that we both wheel out in every thread, but everyone seriously estimates how much its "Tasmanian, then Australian" for us, and Tasmanains just thrive on being us vs them with the rest of the country. I think some clever marketing by a Tasmanian A-League club through the enormous amounts of grassroots football that is played amongst kids- free/discounted tickets etc could drag in a lot of parents to the games and hopefully you'd build a nice support base that way. if the state media gets behind the club, and the club is aggressive in it's marketing, I honestly think you could build a sustainable support base. Talent and team success is a different and much more complex matter. Sounds a bit like a weak argument, but our cricket team has pretty consistently done very well for a player pool of our size, so hopefully the club and FFT could draw from that

Agree with all this.

In the past HAL practice games, I saw a lot of stakeholders in NPL and regional football attend games who don't have any interest in the current HAL comp with no Tassie club to follow. Their position has been to follow the best football on TV one can see with no parochial HAL interest  - in Europe and South A.

I think it could be a uniting force. I don't know about whether it should be Hobart based, but eventually with a 2nd  HAL Tier there could  be a club in Launceston as well.

Currently grass roots and state league AFL comps are in crisis with little financial support from the AFL hierarchy. If FFA move now, they could destroy support for AFL in Tasmania with the younger generation

Regionalism works differently around Australia. People from the Gong say they're not Sydney. People from Geelong are from either Geelong or the shit part of Melbourne. People from Tassie are either from the north or south. If you're from anywhere in SA you're from Adelaide. Further north you're from the "top end." If you're from Perth you're south or north of the river. Canberra once had a north/south of the lake thing too, but these days they just dump on Queanbeyan.

Wilkie ups A-League push
NT News-1 timme sedan
The TV audience [from Tasmania] would grow the A-League as there are already teams there in Sydney and also in Melbourne, too. “It would also be a fraction of the cost to a run a team here compared to Melbourne or Sydney.” Mr Wilkie said there needed to be a rectangular stadium built in Hobart, with a ...

Wilkie ups A-League push

INDEPENDENT Denison MP Andrew Wilkie has branded Tasmania’s A-League bid a project of state significance and called on all levels of government to get behind the proposal.

After Football Federation Australia announced on Friday it was targeting a two team expansion to 12 clubs for the 2019-20 A-League season, Mr Wilkie came out and urged local, state and federal governments to stop at nothing and make “FC Tasmania” come to fruition.

“There is no doubt that all levels of government should work together to get this off the ground,” he said.

“With the Hobart City Council, [games will] be played on local government land and it would be a project of state significance so the state government needs to be behind it.

“And there would need to be some Commonwealth contribution ... as taxpayers shouldn’t foot the bill for sporting teams.”

However, Mr Wilkie said until the state government took the proposal to Canberra, not much could happen.

The Tasmanian bid, led by a consortium fronted by former Melbourne Victory board members Harry Stamoulis and Robert Belteky, has been pushing for Tasmania’s inclusion since 2016.

Mr Wilkie said their proposal was rock solid compared to others on the cards, including South Melbourne, Geelong, southern Sydney, Wollongong, Canberra and Brisbane.

“The Belteky proposal is a standout proposal compared to the Mickey Mouse ones in New South Wales, the ACT and Victoria.

“You’d have a team in Hobart over New South Wales or the ACT. The TV audience [from Tasmania] would grow the A-League as there are already teams there in Sydney and also in Melbourne, too.

“It would also be a fraction of the cost to a run a team here compared to Melbourne or Sydney.”

Mr Wilkie said there needed to be a rectangular stadium built in Hobart, with a 10,000-15,000 seat stadium proposed for near Cleary’s Gates off the Brooker Highway.

“But we are confident FFA would accept an interim venue like North Hobart Oval.”

Other contenders include Blundstone Arena or UTAS Stadium.

Premier and Sports Minister Will Hodgman was hopeful a deal could be struck for funding of a new stadium if an A-League licence was secured.

“But I think we’re some way off that being materialised because ... we need to ensure there’s a licence and that it’s supported and sustainable,” he said.

“Once that’s secured and our future is a little clearer, I think we should look at an opportunity to ... invest in infrastructure, not just government but also the consortium.”

Mr Wilkie will attempt to contact Robert Belteky next week. He was unable to be reached yesterday.

HCC general manager Nick Health could not be contacted.
http://www.themercury.com.au/sport/wilkie-ups-aleague-push/news-story/d0e3de0b2656c05d184f5d751da9eab7

As I keep saying;

Populate a 2nd Division

Allow them develop theieinfrastructure and Human Capital.

Then allow them to win promotion to populate the A-League.

Start using the World's Gold Standard Football structures!

Four clubs in in season after next (if it has to be so late)..
South Sydney, Wollongong, Brisbane City, South Melbourne (It's time).

Then, a few years later Dandenong, 2nd Adelaide, Canberra and Tassie.

As much as I hate to say it, flick Wellington and replace with another Sydney team (campbelltown etc). Our own country is just so fucked now that i can't argue for nz's inclusion anymore.

18 team 1st division with 34 rounds.

Then 12 team 2nd division mainly selected from existing npl clubs with a few newbies. Perth should have a second team in here. 33 rounds home and away with with randomly selected home/away for the third meeting.

Bloody make it happen FFA. This should be the agenda for the next 10 years and think about the whole shebang that could exist in that short amount of time by engaging football people and already existing fans of the game.

Go Tassie and one day a team from central and western vic and other boondock locations can one day shoot for the same.

It's easier to get blood from a stone.

FFA aren't looking to increase costs by ca 40%

NPL clubs’ mixed reaction to Tasmanian A-League bid

TWO of Tasmania’s biggest NPL clubs have thrown their support behind the state’s push for an A-League team, but one club president has poured cold water on the idea.

FFA announced last week that it is targeting the 2019-20 season to start two new clubs, and intends to decide later this year which teams will enter the competition.

South Hobart coach Ken Morton and Hobart Zebras president Nick Di Giovanni are all for Tasmania’s bid, but Olympia Warriors president George Mamacas does not believe it will get off the ground.

A consortium, fronted by former Melbourne Victory board members Harry Stamoulis and Robert Belteky, has been pushing for Tasmania’s inclusion in the national competition since 2016.

MORE: A-LEAGUE’S EXPANSION COULD PUT TASSIE ON THE MAP

MORE: WILKIE UPS A-LEAGUE PUSH

Morton believes a Tasmanian A-League team would provide local players with more opportunities to play on the national stage.

“I’m 100 per cent behind getting an A-League team in Tasmania, I think we can add something to the competition,” Morton said.

“How can they keep pushing us aside? This is a great opportunity because for once Tasmania have got genuine people behind the bid who are really keen to get Tasmania on the map.

“They’ve got the financial backing to do that and to take us places.”

Di Giovanni would love to see a Tasmanian team in the national competition.

“We all support a Tasmanian A-League bid,” Di Giovanni said.

“I don’t know how it would go, but we would support it.

“If we get the government support and the people support behind it, FFA might take a serious look at it.”

However, Di Giovanni believes the team would need to play games in both the north and south of Tasmania to unite the state, and said a rectangular stadium is a must.

Speaking from a personal perspective, Mamacas said he would need answers to a lot of questions before he can get behind Tasmania’s bid.

“I really think there are too many hurdles to jump over for this to happen any time soon,” Mamacas said.

“I think FFA’s focus is on the mainland in other bigger, wider markets than Tasmania.

“There are too many unknowns, and there’s too much money that needs to be spent to get it off the ground first of all. Second of all I don’t think there is the groundswell of dollars at the end of the day to support it from the public.”

An FFA spokesman welcomed the interest from Tasmania.

“We are encouraged by the interest that’s been shown to date, including from Tasmania,” the spokesman said.

“We look forward to engaging with all interested parties when the process begins, and there will be more details next month.”

Mamacas also confirmed that Dale Itchins will coach the Warriors in the coming NPL Tasmania season.

http://www.themercury.com.au/sport/npl-clubs-mixed-reaction-to-tasmanian-aleague-bid/news-story/8783055dfa3d27e7533a817aee72f7fe

Mamacas probably has the money himself.

He is a controversial character, having been the Olympia president for years.

NPL clubs’ mixed reaction to Tasmanian A-League bid

TWO of Tasmania’s biggest NPL clubs have thrown their support behind the state’s push for an A-League team, but one club president has poured cold water on the idea.

FFA announced last week that it is targeting the 2019-20 season to start two new clubs, and intends to decide later this year which teams will enter the competition.

South Hobart coach Ken Morton and Hobart Zebras president Nick Di Giovanni are all for Tasmania’s bid, but Olympia Warriors president George Mamacas does not believe it will get off the ground.

A consortium, fronted by former Melbourne Victory board members Harry Stamoulis and Robert Belteky, has been pushing for Tasmania’s inclusion in the national competition since 2016.

MORE: A-LEAGUE’S EXPANSION COULD PUT TASSIE ON THE MAP

MORE: WILKIE UPS A-LEAGUE PUSH

Morton believes a Tasmanian A-League team would provide local players with more opportunities to play on the national stage.

“I’m 100 per cent behind getting an A-League team in Tasmania, I think we can add something to the competition,” Morton said.

“How can they keep pushing us aside? This is a great opportunity because for once Tasmania have got genuine people behind the bid who are really keen to get Tasmania on the map.

“They’ve got the financial backing to do that and to take us places.”

Di Giovanni would love to see a Tasmanian team in the national competition.

“We all support a Tasmanian A-League bid,” Di Giovanni said.

“I don’t know how it would go, but we would support it.

“If we get the government support and the people support behind it, FFA might take a serious look at it.”

However, Di Giovanni believes the team would need to play games in both the north and south of Tasmania to unite the state, and said a rectangular stadium is a must.

Speaking from a personal perspective, Mamacas said he would need answers to a lot of questions before he can get behind Tasmania’s bid.

“I really think there are too many hurdles to jump over for this to happen any time soon,” Mamacas said.

“I think FFA’s focus is on the mainland in other bigger, wider markets than Tasmania.

“There are too many unknowns, and there’s too much money that needs to be spent to get it off the ground first of all. Second of all I don’t think there is the groundswell of dollars at the end of the day to support it from the public.”

An FFA spokesman welcomed the interest from Tasmania.

“We are encouraged by the interest that’s been shown to date, including from Tasmania,” the spokesman said.

“We look forward to engaging with all interested parties when the process begins, and there will be more details next month.”

Mamacas also confirmed that Dale Itchins will coach the Warriors in the coming NPL Tasmania season.

http://www.themercury.com.au/sport/npl-clubs-mixed-reaction-to-tasmanian-aleague-bid/news-story/8783055dfa3d27e7533a817aee72f7fe

Morton and Di Giovani would reflect all other clubs outside Olympia. The notable exception is that games should be played in both ends of the state. Di Giovani contends this needs to be the case.

The Devonport Striker support Tasmania's A-League bid

• Jarryd McGuane

Local Sport

I agree with him about the A-League club being based solely based in Hobart.

I'm not sure his point regarding leaving the standard of Tassie football poor. Maybe initially but having pathways especially at different levels would eventually raise the standard to new heights.

That's most of the bigger clubs state wide backing an A-League side. I'm personally torn about it now. I can envisage what it would immediately do for the state in terms of raising the sports profile and fast tracking infrastructure etc but I'm not sold on supporting the A-League in its current format. I also believe though that a club in the second division would have a similar effect longer term albeit without the mass immediate fanfare. Tasmanians will back our own no matter what, a second division side would just take abit longer to get the recognition I'm assuming.

It is great though to see Devonport throw their hat into the ring re; second division, it's be great travelling an hour to support a second division side opposed to two to Hobart and it would be a great story a town of 20 odd thousand competing against the big boys

It'd also open a few eyes to the juggernaut of football if Devonport can't sustain a team in the Tas AFL state league but the Devonport Striker play in a national competition.

.

I know nothing about Tasmania. Except they like to chop wood.

If you caught a ferry from Melbourne where does it go? (Fastest/best)

Is there a stadium there?

Tas gov should be going hard pushing tourism. Especially from Melbourne. Create a Victory to Tasmania weekend long weekend each season (in a closed league of course)

It goes to Devonport.  From there its 1 hours drive to Launceston and 3 hours to Hobart.

Tasmania is supposedly the current most popular tourist destination in Australia.

There are a number of Victory supporters on this forum who want  a Tasmanian HAL team, because of the possible trip to the state with Victory. They are repeat visitors.

Former Socceroo Dominic Longo backs Tassie’s A-League bid

TASMANIA’S most recent Socceroo has backed Tasmania’s bid for an A-League team, declaring the state a “sleeping giant” of the sport.

Dominic Longo, who made 13 appearances for the Socceroos between 1993 and 1998, believes an A-League team would do wonders for youth development in the state.

“If there’s probably a sleeping giant in soccer at the ­moment, it’s in Tassie,” Longo told the Mercury.

“There’s a lot of people down there who love playing soccer and love playing football, so I see it as a big benefit [and] a good growth opportunity if an A-League side does get in down there.

“It would be special.

“Hopefully I will get to see it in my lifetime.”

Football Federation Australia is aiming to start two new clubs for the 2019-20 season and intends to decide which teams will enter the competition later this year.

A consortium fronted by former Melbourne Victory board members Harry Stamoulis and Robert Belteky is pushing for Tasmania’s ­inclusion, and Longo believes Tasmania is a good chance to be one of the new teams.

“I think with the Melbourne consortium and the right people behind it, I don’t see why it wouldn’t be looked upon favourably,” he said.

New Football Federation Tasmania president Bob Gordon added his voice to the growing chorus of support for the state’s A-League bid.

“At a time when AFL is ­ignoring the state on the issue of expansion, this represents a truly golden opportunity for football to steal a march and give Tasmania the professional sporting team it has long been crying out for,” Gordon said.

However, Gordon said, an A-League licence would present new challenges.

“When we get an A-League side that is only going to further grow the game, which would only exacerbate the ­already urgent need for new ­facilities,” he said.

“We have the highest participation rate of any sport in the state, but right now we simply don’t have enough pitches.”

Dominic Longo was born and raised in Tasmania before moving interstate when he was 16, and went on to represent Australia at the 1992 Olympics.

He lives in Sydney, but ­believes an A-League team could unite the state and accelerate youth development.

“I think the A-League bid, if successful, would provide a real solid pathway for young kids in Tassie who want to pursue the Socceroos as a career,” he said.

“Trying to become a Socceroo requires a lot of dedication and determination. It isn’t easy, but if there was that career path for an A-League side in Tassie it would definitely fast-track the knowledge of those players around Australia and internationally.”

http://www.themercury.com.au/sport/former-socceroo-dominic-longo-backs-tassies-aleague-bid/news-story/2ef740e63a12b1c976c2b71189be06fd

This is a bit like the Tas media in the AFL bid.

They create news stories from former pre-eminent players advancing opinions.

Bob Gordon's opinion is far more noteworthy than Luongo's. In his role as FFT president he would have been involved in the debate regarding the decision to reject HAL practice games.