Tasmania after AFL's 18th licence

doesn't put a team in Tasmania it risks other (football) codes taking over, principally soccer," he said, warning the league could not take for granted that Tasmania would always remain an AFL state.

Lennon said that Tasmania not only already had a suitable stadium to host games - Launceston's Aurora Stadium which is widely regarded as having the best surface in Australia - but contrary to popular opinion also had a sufficient population base.

He said Tasmania's population of 500,000 was more than enough to support a team considering last year's two grand finalists - Geelong and Port Adelaide - draw from their support from much smaller population bases given Adelaide enjoys the bulk of support in South Australia.

Demetriou denied the AFL was neglecting Tasmania.

"Football is moving forward in Tasmania but does that translate into a new licence?"

"Not at this stage because our view is that the two key priority markets for us are the Gold Coast and western Sydney."

Demetriou said unlike in Tasmania - which has no football clubs at the top level in either soccer, rugby union, rugby league or the AFL - there was far more competition for the sporting dollar in New South Wales and Queensland making it imperative for the AFL to increase its presence in those states.

"In Sydney and Brisbane the AFL currently has two clubs competing with 25 clubs from rival (football) codes," he said.

"Our market share is quite small in those two areas competing with other codes and our market share will diminish unless we put two new clubs into those areas."

Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade, one of many of a long line of Tasmanians to have excelled in the AFL - a list that also includes legends such as Peter Hudson, Royce Hart, Darrel Baldock and Ian Stewart as well as recently retired Brisbane spearhead Alastair Lynch and Richmond star Matthew Richardson - said Tasmania's contribution to Australian Rules Football deserved to be rewarded.

"It is one of the founding states and footy has been played in Tassie for over 100 years," he said.

"Some of the best players ever - you are talking Hudson, Hart, Stewart and Baldock - have come out of Tassie."

"You can understand the push into the Gold Coast and western Sydney and we need to do that to grow the game but you would hope one of the great (football) states doesn't get left behind."