Julie Collins (Franklin, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Regional Development and Local Government) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I stand here to congratulate the Hawthorn Football Club on its 13th AFL grand final—indeed, the third in a row. I do that as a proud Tasmanian with the association that Hawthorn has with Tasmania—we call them the Tassie Hawks. We have had that proud association with the Hawthorn Football Club since 2007 when they began playing four games a year at Aurora Stadium, in the member for Bass's electorate. As a Tasmanian, I would like to claim some of the credit for Hawthorn Football Club's success because they have won 16 out of the last 17 games they have played at Aurora Stadium. I am sure the home ground advantage of Aurora has been part of Hawthorn's great success.

The Hawthorn Football Club have a wonderful partnership in Tasmania, where they go out and about visiting communities and schools and contributing to the efforts of local charities, community groups and sporting clubs in Tasmania. Recent studies have valued Hawthorn's economic impact in Tasmania, and the brand exposure for Tasmania of Hawthorn's success, at around $29.5 million in 2014. So the Hawks' success is also benefiting the Tasmanian economy. I hope that over the next few years the Hawthorn Football Club continue their success. I particularly look forward to 2016, when, hopefully, we can be only the second team to ever get four in a row.