Kestelman: NBL, AFL Can Thrive in Tassie

NBL Owner Larry Kestelman has reassured Tasmania’s entry into the AFL serves no threat to the Tasmania JackJumpers.

The JackJumpers have captured the hearts and minds of all of Tasmania, selling out every game in the state and making Finals twice in their two years of existence.

Tasmanians will have another national sporting team to cheer in 2028, when the AFL’s 19th team joins the competition.

Kestelman says the passionate Tasmanians fans will enjoy having a new team to support during winter and holds no concerns about how it could influence the JackJumpers.

“We’ve got another five years of no AFL there, so we will certainly make the most of it while that is the case,” Kestelman told Newscorp.

“But our position against the AFL has always been very clear. We don’t see the AFL as a competitor at all. They play in the winter, and we play in the summer. It is a very complementary relationship, and we don’t have any issues with it.”

Kestelman added conversations around the selling of the JackJumpers are ongoing, with the club attracting interest from the United States.

However, he reiterated the top priority is trying to “attract the right interest out of Tasmania and Australia and then we will engage with the overseas parties”.

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