The Hobart Mercury 31 May 2011
The numbers used to justify sponsoring Hawthorn are pretty compelling. We pay in around a jajillion dollars for them to play in Launceston and if you believe the hype, get a jajillion jajillion dollars back, more or less, who knows, apparently it’s a lot. Total no-brainer for the government, which is probably just as well considering the current playing list.
Now we have the opportunity to get North Melbourne to play in Hobart for around half  a jajillion and all of a sudden the government’s not at all keen to pick up that ball, much less run with it.
Sure, the North Melbourne strip isn’t as sexy as Hawthorn’s light and dark baby poo ensemble, and it probably will be a bit confusing for our northern cousins having a team with “north” in its name playing in the south, but it seems difficult to believe that the economic fantasticness of the Launceston deal suddenly becomes that much less fantastic south of Oatlands.
Somebody get the umpire a set of specs, pronto.
YES for footy at Bellerive.
Because it will annoy Nick McKim.
Beacause it will annoy people who exist in Launceston.
Because it will be good for business.
Because even people who support North Melbourne deserve a little sunshine in their miserable lives.
These are four very good reasons.