18/07/2025
Hi everyone - yes, this page is still around!
[This is the original page admin - just to clarify that this doesn't represent any specific bid team - just my personal opinion!]
Tomorrow will be a significant day for sport in Tasmania. Yep - it's a stadium post!
Building the Macquarie Point Stadium paves the way for the best chance Tasmania has ever had at landing an A-League team.
It will be a modern venue, with all the amenities expected of professional sporting teams. It will be in a central Hobart location, and appropriately sized for our expected crowds.
No doubt the government of the day would be keen to see another 9-10 events at the venue, during the under-utilised summer period, and may offer incentives to make that happen. It's not unlikely that the north of the state would also benefit, with York Park hosting some of these matches.
But football isnโt just the A-League, of course. Neither the Socceroos nor the Matildas have played an international match in Tasmania. If the stadium is built, that would almost certainly change - we could possibly see a match every year!
Next time Australia hosts a major football competition, weโd be a strong candidate to host matches - unlike the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, where we missed out. Dunedin - a city of just 130,000 people, but with a roofed stadium - hosted six matches! Future AFC Asian Cup and U23/U20 World Cups are possibilities.
Now, the elephant in the room: the stadium isn't rectangular, which is unfortunate. But let's be honest - a better opportunity isn't coming. If the stadium is built, no political party is going to suggest building *another* one. And if it doesn't go ahead, *any* stadium will be off the table for years - and with it, any chance of high-level football.
This is, of course, in addition to all the other content the stadium is expected to host, from AFL and cricket, through to concerts and other community events.
When you vote tomorrow, please consider supporting candidates who back the stadium! Tasmania's strict electoral laws prevent me from naming candidates, but very broadly, the two major parties are supportive (and the one currently in government is the most supportive). The ones who are against it - well, they've been quite vocal.
Pictured: A flashback to earlier days, when our political leaders could agree on things!
Thanks - Charles
