Former AFL chief Gillon McLachlan remains bullish that the Macquarie Point stadium in Hobart will be built and the Tassie Devils expansion side will come into existence.
Debate surrounding the 23,000 seat roofed stadium has raged on for multiple years now, and even led to a snap state election in Tasmania, given it will likely cost $1b to build.
However, if it is not built, there will be no team. The provisional licence, which McLachlan himself negotiated, is contingent on the building of the shiny new venue in Hobart.
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Tasmanian politicians from the Greens and other parties met with new AFL second in command Tom Harley in October, hoping the league would budge on the stadium requirement. No ground was given.
The stadium does have bipartisan support in Tasmanian state politics, but the stadium has not yet been confirmed.
McLachlan said those opposed to the build will come around once it is up and running.
"I'm sure it will (go ahead)," McLachlan told 3AW.
"Because the stadium and the team will change that state.
"Change is difficult. We saw it with Adelaide. Nobody wanted the Adelaide Oval (redevelopments) to go ahead.
"Now it's the son or daughter of every person in Adelaide and everyone is so proud of it.
"It's not only been an economic boon for Adelaide, it has also given them huge pride and a stadium will do that for Hobart.
"It will have people going there for a week and booking rooms and visitations and giving a real identity to that state.
"I know people don't see that now, but they will."
The Devils are supposed to enter the competition in 2028, with the stadium initially hoped for 2029. The latter now seems incredibly unlikely, though there has been no talk of delaying the team's entry.
On the AFL's decision to make seven rule changes for the 2026 season, including ditching the substitute rule, which the former AFL boss himself oversaw the introduction of, McLachlan refused to be drawn into the debate.
"I've moved on, I'm not going to get into (the rule changes)," McLachlan said.
"Rule changes at the AFL are the most subjective thing in the world, I'm sure they've got it right."
The AFL has a new look at the top going forward, with chief Andrew Dillon flanked by former Sydney Swans CEO Tom Harley and former Brisbane Lions chief Greg Swann.
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