AFL News for the week ending January 22, 2023 - Albo on Tassie, a Melbourne legend retires and what the heck is going on at Essendon?
PM's qualified support for new Hobart Stadium
As we await the official nod from the AFL (and club presidents) as to whether or not Tasmania will get its own team, Tassie fans may have moved one step closer to it becoming reality.
The sticking point on whether or not Tasmania's standalone team will go ahead has been over the Federal government stumping up the additional $240m needed to go towards building a new multi-purpose roofed stadium at Macquarie Point.
Currently being considered by the department of infrastructure, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has offered qualified support for the stadium if it "offers a positive return on the investment".
Pointing to the fact that an investment in the project needed to provide broader community benefit than just to the AFL, the PM indicated that further investment in the area was also required, particularly around public transport.
No doubt the AFL, Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff and ardent Tasmanian AFL fans will be glued to the TV for the May 2023 Federal budget where a potential announcement on the funding may occur.
AFLW: Daisy downs her Dees boots
The footy world lost one of its trailblazing AFLW footballers when Daisy Pearce retired on Wednesday January 18th, 2023.
Having taken home the silverware in the 2022 AFLW season, and with three club best and fairest's and four best captain awards under her belt, Pearce leaves the game highly decorated but will be sorely missed by the broader AFL community as a much-loved footy figure.
However, given her ongoing media commitments and the coaching role she will step into at Geelong, it won't be the last we will see of the talented 34-year-old who has one of the better footy brains going around.
It also poses the question - when will the AFL be open to a female coach, and could it be the likes of Pearce?
Stringer and Redman bust-up at Windy Hill?
The Herald Sun reported a minor fracas at Essendon FC's Windy Hill on Friday.
During a training session, Mason Redman and Jake Stringer got into a little push and shove, having to be separated by teammates.
While it was short and sharp, with some words exchanged between the two Bombers, Scooter, an Essendon member, tweeted out that Brad Scott didn't look overly perturbed about it:
Which makes sense, given the competitive beast Scott is.
Maybe it's even part of a plan to get some fighting spirit back into the side to launch their 2023 campaign in just under two month's time?