The Hawthorn Football Club’s victory lap of the state today is a great opportunity for Tasmanians to share in their Grand Final victory.
It is a chance to meet the team behind the three-peat and say congrats, particularly to Tasmanian premiership player Grant Birchall.
This third successive Premiership puts Hawthorn among the greatest AFL teams of the modern era. It’s a terrific time for Tasmania to be their partner. It is a true partnership in every sense of the word – it is good for them, and it is even better for us.
This partnership draws interstate visitors to Tasmania, about one in three spectators at Aurora Stadium, to boost our tourism and hospitality sector during the traditionally quieter winter months.
It gives Tasmanians a chance to watch live AFL action in their backyard. It encourages our kids to get active and enjoy a healthy lifestyle, with about 45,000 young Tasmanians getting involved in Hawthorn’s community and school engagement programs.
And, it puts Tasmania on the map. Saturday was the fifth time that Tasmania has been front and centre, emblazoned on the heart of the guernsey of every Hawk, at an AFL Grand Final.
For more than 120 minutes our state was seen by almost 100,000 fans live at the MCG, a domestic TV audience estimated to be more than 2.5 million and a global audience spanning more than 100 countries.
This audience isn’t just sports fans; it includes holiday-makers, investors, and expats thinking of coming home. Putting Tasmania centre-stage makes our state front of mind for many, and turns a great spectacle into a great opportunity for our state.
While every dollar we invest in Hawthorn is returned nearly ten-fold in direct spending and exposure, we also make a very important contribution to the Hawks. For the Hawks, they have a sponsor who backs them in every single way.
They have Aurora Stadium, where they’ve won the past 15 games; the club’s longest winning streak at any ground.
And, they have a legion of loyal Tassie fans including 9,000 members, which represents more than 12 per cent of their total membership.
By any measure, our partnership is a valuable one. Whether the future holds another flag or not, Hawthorn and Tasmania are both winners out of this deal.