Tasmania United, the A-League task-force, attended Wednesday night’s A-League clash between Melbourne Victory and Gold Coast United at Launceston’s Aurora Stadium.

With the Tasmanian Premier and Opposition Leader also in attendance, the state’s football visionaries were keen to show off the A-League’s potential to the political powerbrokers.

But it’s the private sector who the task force hope will capitalise their bid to the level required to run it successfully.

“This has got to be supported and driven by the private sector but Government can support in other ways in terms of infrastructure,” Daniel Hanna, Chairman of Tasmanian United taskforce, told au.fourfourtwo.com.

“We need to look at $8-10m to raise to get it up and running. We think that’s the sort of model the FFA wants as well. It’s got to be something that can stand on its own two feet.

“Our dream is to have 10 or 11 ‘events’ in Tasmania each season when the local community can come out and celebrate football but also seeing elite sport – which is something Tasmanians are a little bit starved of."

It’s an approach that differs from the Coffey Report into A-League viability which recommended Government underwriting of the club. However, both major political parties as well as the Greens have got behind the push for an A-League team.

The taskforce favours a Hobart-Launceston model with games being played at Bellerieve Oval in the capital and Aurora Stadium in a 50-50 split of matches.

“The economics for both of those grounds is very strong and when you can share between the north and south of the state, you build that unity,” said Hanna.

“There is a little bit of a divide but by calling ourselves with a name “United” is a deliberate choice. We want all Tasmanians to get behind this.”

The ball is rolling with two competitive A-League fixtures in the next couple of seasons maintaining the momentum.

And at club level, another element of the long-term vision is the launch of the T-League which will draw together the best eight clubs from across the state.

But with a Wednesday night crowd of 5200 for the 1-1 draw between Victory and Gold Coast, clearly there is still work to be done, though some argued a weekend game would’ve attracted close to 10,000.

That said, FFA Chairman Frank Lowy has made it abundantly clear that expansion is off the agenda over the next strategic cycle through till 2015.

The reality is western Sydney will be the first choice for the next expansion zone, confirm insiders.

It could mean a Tasmania A-League team might not win a place for another five to ten years, if at all.

However with Gold Coast United coach using the media this week to ramp up interest, the task force senses 2012 is a key year for their dream to be sold and story told.

“Now it’s the big clincher: is there the private sector support to invest in this dream?” Hanna said.

“Our aim is that when they [FFA] are looking to take on another licence that we’re there with a fully funded business case ready to go.

“And with the A-League and the Socceroos getting a lot of recognition and penetrating into that market in Asia, there are a lot of Tasmanian businesses looking at exporting into Asia."

Hanna added: “Tourism is a growth industry and ‘events’ such as games are a great kicker. They encourage people to come to Tasmania who may not have otherwise considered it.

“We think is a good confluence that those things can come together. We hope our A-League team can embody our ‘brand’ here in Tasmania and take that nationally and internationally - particularly into Asia.

"This is a pathway to the world for Tasmania."

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