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Full Noise by SN
Important update on 1476AM"No delay": Gale confident Tassie's entry will be on time
Nicholas Quinlan • April 9th, 2026 10:03 pm
Tasmania Devils CEO Brendon Gale is remaining confident that the AFL's 19th side is still on track for a 2028 entry despite delays in the construction of the Macquarie Point Stadium.
With their entry into the competition, the league provided a list of conditions that the side must meet to join the competition.
One of the conditions that the AFL gave a team license to Tasmania in 2023 was that a new 23,000-seat stadium would be built at Macquarie Point (2km from Hobart's CBD).
Initially, it was expected that the construction would be finished by 2029.
But with the Tasmanian Government having got the bill through the state's parliament last December and still yet to lock in a major contractor to build the stadium, it has seen the deadline blow out to late 2030.
But while they won't begin their AFL life in their brand new stadium, the former Richmond and AFLPA CEO notes that the side will make use of the two existing venues, which host home and away matches.
“It'll be ready early to mid 2030,” Gale explained on SEN’s Dwayne’s World.
“But then it needs to be commissioned, and all the wrinkles ironed out. So, we're told it'll be ready for Round 1, 2031.
“In the meantime, we'll play at the existing venues. That's UTAS Stadium in Launceston and Ninja Stadium (in) Bellerive, where North Melbourne have played.
“They're satisfactory venues. In fact, York Park (UTAS) is undergoing a $130 million renovation itself. That'll be one of…probably the best regional venues in the country.
“So we'll play there, and it'll probably be a superior footy venue than Hobart (Ninja Stadium). We'd probably (be) playing the majority of our games there.
“Ultimately, it's up to the AFL.”
While it would be a majority of matches in Launceston, the 57-year-old, who was born in Burnie, wants to ensure the split of home games is as even as possible while they wait for the Macquarie Point Stadium to be built.
“I think probably a minimum of 6 (in Launceston) and 5 in Hobart,” he added.
“Clearly, when the stadium (Mac Point) comes, that'll flip with the seating capacity and the investment's gone into that.
“But I think in those early years, it's really important to get up there and be present (in) that northern part of Tasmania to the northwest…it's footy heartland.
“We're a team by Tasmania for Tasmania, and we've gotta be everywhere in Tasmania.”
But despite the Devils being unable to play at Mac Point until their fourth season in the AFL, the CEO is adamant that the AFL's 19th team are still on track to start competing from 2028.
This is despite the AFL being able to terminate the license should the stadium not be ready by December 30, 2030.
“There's no delay,” Gale said.
“Some questions have been asked about the impact on a team coming in ‘28, not just about infrastructure but (with) talent and all that sort of stuff.
“We're locked in for ‘28. We've heard nothing else.
“It's in the AFL's planning, and it's on their radar, and how they structure the competition and the like going forward.
“So, we're locked in for Round 1, 2028. We can't wait.”
While the side waits for its AFL entry in 2028, the Devils are currently undefeated in their first season in VFL after three games.
Their VFLW side will begin from May 16 when they host the Casey Demons at North Hobart Oval.
