A new poll, conducted for The Australia Institute, reveals more than two-thirds of Tasmanians believe the stadium deal is unfair and want Parliament to stand up to the AFL and negotiate a new deal.

The YouGov poll of 842 voters asked the extent to which they agreed or disagreed with the statement “The AFL is treating Tasmania unfairly in its requirements for granting Tasmania a license to join the national competition”.

• 69% agreed
• 21% disagreed
• More Labor voters (72%)  than Liberal voters (60%) agreed
• More men (72%) than women (65%) agreed

Voters were also asked the extent to which they agreed or disagreed with the statement “The Tasmanian Parliament should renegotiate with the AFL to avoid building a new stadium”.

• 69% agreed
• 27% disagreed
• The same percentage (69%) of women and men agreed
• More Labor voters (71%) than Liberal voters (56%) agreed

“The stadium deal is a dud. Tasmanians are rightly appalled at the way they’ve been treated by the AFL,” said Leanne Minshull, Strategy Director at The Australia Institute.

“Whoever wins the state election on July 19 must stand up to the AFL and stand up for Tasmanians.

“This state deserves to have a team in the AFL, but Tassie taxpayers don’t want to be on the hook for a billion-dollar indoor stadium they don’t want.

“The AFL has put a gun to the head of Tasmanians and now it’s sitting back, refusing to negotiate on the most terrible, one-sided deal in Australian sport.

“When you consider everything that Tasmania has done for footy for more than a century, this is shameful treatment by the AFL, which claims to support grass-roots football.”

YouGov conducted a national survey of 842 Tasmanian voters on behalf of The Australia Institute between 12 and 16 June 2025, using an online survey polling methodology. Full details are provided in the methodology statement. The poll is compliant with the Australian Polling Council’s requirements.