Tassie stadium quietly delayed as 19th club set to spend several years waiting — AFL Daily

Mick Malthouse has weighed in on the drama between Carlton and Sam Docherty.

Plus hopes of the Tasmania Devils beginning play in their new stadium quickly have been dashed. AFL DAILY!

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TASSIE STADIUM QUIETLY DELAYED AS 19TH CLUB SET TO SPEND SEVERAL YEARS WAITING

The AFL’s newest team looks likely to be waiting until next decade to play in their $1.13 billion stadium.

The Tasmania Devils will enter the AFL for the 2028 season, with the construction of a roofed, 23,000-seat venue at Hobart’s Macquarie Point approved by Tasmanian parliament late last year.

But despite hopes the Devils would be playing at the new venue in 2029, the boss of the Macquarie Point Development Corporation revealed on Tuesday they’re aiming to finish the build “towards the end of 2030”.

That would mean the Devils would spend three seasons playing at Hobart’s Bellerive Oval, along with Launceston’s York Park, before moving into the new venue in 2031.

The AFL funding agreement states the stadium must be built before the start of 2031 or the deal may be terminated, with CEO Anne Beach saying they are following that timeline and she “wouldn’t anticipate” the stadium being ready until the 2031 season.

“It’s important to the delivery of the stadium that we don’t just get it to practical completion but also make sure that it’s ready for play,” Beach told ABC Hobart Drive.

“There’s things we need to allow time for and consider, like the laying of the turf and allowing time for that turf to establish before it’s subject to that play.

“It’s a complex structure and we need to allow time for that to be built.

“We’re still working to the timelines that are set out in that agreement.”

It comes as the translucent roof begins to be tested by cricketers, with hopes Macquarie Point will host the world’s first indoor Test match.

The dome-shaped roof will be made of ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) with Cricket Tasmania chief executive Dominic Baker ticking off the design after initial fears shadows could cause havoc during matches.

“We haven’t played cricket under a roof of this type before so what we’re trying to prove is that it’s a safe environment for batters, bowlers, fielders,” Baker said.

“We’ll capture as much data as possible, but the early signs are really fantastic.”

MALTHOUSE QUESTIONS ON DOCHERTY, BLUES DRAMA

Former Carlton coach Mick Malthouse disagrees with the club’s decision to ban Sam Docherty from a function in the fallout from his scathing Opening Round criticism.

Docherty was scrapped from appearing at a club event on Thursday night ahead of Carlton’s Round 1 clash with Richmond for the ex-Blues skipper’s expletive laden comments that were aired without his permission on close friend Dan Gorringe’s podcast.

Docherty won’t hold any official role at the Blues until at least their Round 6 meeting with arch rival Collingwood.

And Malthouse, who coached Docherty in his first couple of seasons at Carlton, questioned if that was the right move from his former club.

“By banning a player who has played so many years there, it’s almost like (they’ve said) ‘well that’s one wrong, we’ll make it wrong as well’,” Malthouse told Code Sports.

“You’ve got to be bigger than the individual making a comment.

“Because what you’ve done now is gone tit for tat, and I wouldn’t have thought that’s the right way to do it.”

Malthouse, who holds the AFL’s all-time games coached record, suggested Docherty was also in the wrong.

But the three-time premiership coach thinks the beloved Blue’s standing at the club should make his comments “redeemable”.

“The cool light of dawn, you get up and think ‘that wasn’t the best thing to say, regardless of whether I thought it was going to be on record or not ... yes, the club’s been great to me’,” Malthouse said.

“You’re just giving a different version to a different group and probably the frustrations of the game, everything is out the window and you’re able to think a bit better.

“I’m not totally convinced they’ve (the club) got it right.”

AFL’S ILLICIT DRUGS POLICY REVAMPED

The AFL will abolish ‘strikes’ and move towards a more detailed, regular hair-testing model as part of its updated illicit drugs policy.

The Herald Sun and Age reported the looming changes to the illicit drugs policy, which is still yet to be finalised.

The policy is also set to include AFLW players for the first time since the league was formed in 2017.

Players that submit one positive sample will be removed from the game and put into a medical slipstream, where they’ll be made to undergo management and education programs.

Those players will remain stood down under they meet the necessary requirements through consultation with the AFL’s medical experts.

It’s believed players will need to make a financial contribution to their treatment in some cases as part of the policy.

The new code, which could be finalised with the AFL Players’ Association within weeks, would see players get hair tested multiple times in season and replace urine testing.

It will provide more detailed information, as hair testing can detect substances up to three months in advance, whereas urine testing only shows up positive results for a few days.

Under the current model, two ‘strikes’ — or positive drug tests — results in the automatic suspension of a player. Though a player that self-reports can avoid recording a strike.

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