Tasmania’s A-League hopes in tatters after bid gets struck off expansion list
Related Story: A new stadium at Cornelian Bay could be home for a Tasmanian A-League team: study
Hopes of there being a Tasmanian A-League soccer team in the near future have been dashed after a bid to include a Hobart-based side was cut from the competition's expansion shortlist.
Football Federation Australia (FFA) intends to grant two new licences for two clubs to join the competition in 2019-20, and received 15 bids from around the country.
Earlier this week, the backers of Tasmania's only bid — a team called FC Tasmania, to be possibly based at Cornelian Bay — were confident of being one of those two new A-League clubs.
But they were one of five bids to be cut as FFA whittled the list of contenders down to 10.
FFA chief executive David Gallop offered some consolation, saying the A-League would be expanding further in the future.
"Expansion has created enormous interest and attracted 15 groups to come forward from around the country," he said.
"Once we get these two new clubs established for the season after next we intend to add more clubs in future years."
Of the 10 bids still in the running, three are from Sydney, three from Melbourne and one each from Brisbane, Ipswich, Canberra and Wollongong.
'A massive own goal of the Premier's making'
Shadow Minister for Sport David O'Byrne said it was "gobsmacking" the Tasmanian bid had not even progressed to the final 10, and laid the blame at the feet of Premier Will Hodgman and Sports Minister Jacquie Petrusma.
"Premier Hodgman's trademark for being asleep at the wheel has cost Tasmania yet again," he said in a statement.
"This is a massive own goal of the Premier's making.
"Tasmania's bid seemed to tick all the boxes — except having driven, hands-on support from the Liberal Government.
"To make things happen we need leaders who will take an active role in ensuring Tasmania at least made the first list of 10 clubs and then worked with the bid proponents and the community to advance our case.
"It's gobsmacking that we have not been able to at least remain in the conversation."
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