I have spoken with Tasmania Devils Chief Executive Officer Brendon Gale on many occasions. He is a genuinely good man, highly intelligent, and with an unquestionable passion and commitment to the Devils’ success. I believe him when he says the Devils will deliver the AFL games for Launceston. But many in our city say their scepticism regarding the Devils is justified, and that the question is about what those scheduled games will bring. Hawthorn’s presence was not simply about football content; it was about consistency, and a visitor economy connection built over a quarter of a century. The Devils, by contrast, remain an unknown. They have not sold a ticket to an AFL home game or proven they can generate the interstate pull Hawthorn did. Devils supporters say opposing teams’ fans like Collingwood will visit, as Hawthorn fans have. That remains an unknown.
