Adelaide great Andrew McLeod believes the Northern Territory should be in the mix for an AFL team if the league expands again.
AFL presidents will vote on expanding into Tasmania at some point in 2022, which would take the competition to 19 teams. Logically, a 20th would make sense, and McLeod believes the Northern Territory would make sense.
The two-time Norm Smith Medallist believes the NT has provided footy with enough elite talent over the years to warrant a side of their own.
“I think it’s great for the Northern Territory to have that aspiration of playing in the big league,” McLeod told SEN Top End footy coverage.
“I’ve spoken to Sean Bowden a number of times about what that looks like as well and I know they’ve put a taskforce together.
“I think as a Territory, we tend to get forgotten about a little bit, I know there’s been a big push for Tasmania for them to be the next AFL side.
“If you look across the board, I think we bat way above our average in terms of providing talent.
“You look at blokes who have played in premiership sides, blokes that have one Norm Smiths, our average is certainly high.
“Nathan Buckley is certainly one of those, Maurice Rioli, Michael Long, Cyril Rioli, (himself, obviously).
“We’ve been very blessed with talent and I think we deserve an opportunity to put a proposal to get a side in.
“I was lucky to come up in October and celebrate the 10-year reunion for the NT Thunder’s first premiership, one of my greatest memories to be able to come home and play alongside some of the greats of NT footy.
“I think it’s great to keep that dream alive. We’ve got some great role models, great story, great history and why not? Why can’t we have one?”
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Joel Bowden, a former Richmond star and now a politician in the Northern Territory, told SEN in 2021 that a local team would “permeate throughout the entire Territory”.
“I think when they decide to expand and let’s just say they go to 20 in 10 years, I think what you’ll find is that crowds and population is less of an incentive,” Bowden said.
“This will have a social impact. This will permeate through the entire Territory. “We’re not just talking about bums on seats anymore. We’re talking about eyeballs. You can watch a whole game on your tablet or your phone.
“This move away from bums on seats to just consuming product … it’s more about eyeballs and experiences. So when you go to the Northern Territory you’ll have the most vocal, parochial Port Adelaide or Collingwood type crowds.
“Not only do they have an extra game to put into the market, they have an extra incentive to showcase the Northern Territory.
“AFL football is an investment in the community. Look at the amount of money that’s been pumped into GWS and Gold Coast. It’s an investment.
“Don’t ever forget the AFL is a not-for-profit industry. Every dollar that it makes it pumps back into the industry. It’s not out there to make dollars.”
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