Tasmania looms as a key battleground in the race for the Hawthorn presidency, with the state's 8,000 members set to play a major role in shaping the future of the club.
Acting president Peter Nankivell and 1991 premiership player Andy Gowers are vying for the Hawthorn presidency, as longtime president Jeff Kennett's time in the role comes to an end.
Both nominees are in Launceston today, with Nankivell set to pitch his vision to Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff as he attempts to win over the state's significant membership base.
Gowers, who is challenging the Kennett-endorsed Nankivell and has been backed by the powerful "Hawks for Change" supporter group, is also keen to win the support of the club's Tasmanian base.
He is set to push hard for Hawthorn to maintain its presence in Tasmania beyond next year, even if the state is granted its own AFL license.
He is keen on a new deal with the Tasmanian government that could see Hawthorn transition to playing two home games a year in Tasmania, with the new Tasmanian club acting as its "away" opponents for one or both Launceston fixtures.
As disquiet grows in Tasmania's north about a new Hobart stadium and the potential for it to host the lion's share of AFL fixtures in the future, the proposed new arrangement with the Hawks could be a crafty way to boost the number of games played in Launceston from four to six.
"Maybe we host one, maybe we're the away team for another one. It'd be a great clash and an instant rivalry I'd have thought," Gowers told the ABC.
"Is there an opportunity for a fifth game, or for Hawthorn to host Tassie? That's up in the air, but it's something I'd really like to discuss with the Tasmanian government."
Gowers promises 'unequivocal' support for Tasmanian team
Both presidential nominees have thrown their support behind Tasmania's bid for a standalone team, but Gowers believes his rival nominee's support is politically motivated.
"It's a shame it's taken a presidential election for a member of the current board to finally come out in support of the Tasmanian team," Gowers said.
"We've seen in the past there's been a lukewarm stance [on a Tasmanian team] taken by our former president Jeff Kennett and by extension his vice-president Peter Nankivell.
"My overall view is that Hawthorn for too long has been reluctant to support a Tasmanian team, but under my leadership, this would be unequivocal."
A Tasmanian team would likely enter the league in 2027, should the license be granted.
The Tasmanian government has pledged a 12-year, $204 million package to secure the 19th license, which includes team funding of $12 million a year and $60 million towards a new high-performance facility.
It has also promised to fund half the cost of a new Hobart stadium at Macquarie Point to house the team, and has plans to upgrade both York Park and Penguin's Dial Park facility in the coming years.
In all, its total financial commitment to securing the team and building infrastructure to support it will be in the neighbourhood of half a billion dollars.
Given that commitment, it is unlikely the government would continue to fund Hawthorn home games.
Nankivell keen for rivalry rounds with Tasmanian team
Nankivell will take a similar position to Gowers in his push to win over the large Tasmanian membership base, which will have a significant say on the club's Hawks leadership.
He is set to meet with the premier today and will also host a Hawthorn member event in Launceston tonight.
The Nankivell ticket is also keen for the club to continue to play games in Tasmania alongside a new Tasmanian team
"This is in discussion at the moment, in terms of what the future looks like, and those discussions have been going on for a while and are very very constructive," he told ABC Sport on Saturday.
"We've got about 8,000 passionate Tasmanian members and we don't want them to lose the opportunity to watch football and to see the Hawks play.
"In terms of some instant rivalry rounds emerging, I think it'd be a great initiative and I'd be advocating for that. It'd be really good for the game to have that competition and that rivalry early in the piece."
A decision on Tasmania's entry into the league was expected in August but has been delayed as the AFL concedes there is a stadium "funding hole" that needs to be filled.
The state government is yet to submit its stadium proposal to the federal government, from which it will need to garner significant funding if the new venue is to be built.
On Wednesday, AFL chief Gillon McLachlan said that while that funding gap existed, he was confident it would be "closed out".
It is understood there is interest from the private sector around partially funding the construction of a stadium, but the bulk of the funds will likely come from the federal government.
McLachlan also said the Tasmanian team decision would not be decided by a vote of the 18 clubs, but rather by a consensus, and that there would be another meeting of the clubs in "a couple of weeks".
