The Tasmanian government has launched its bid to be granted an AFL team licence.

Tasmanian Premier Paul Lennon met with AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou urging the league to consider the state's submission on its merits.

Lennon said Tasmania had a long, proud history in Australian rules football and that the AFL could not be considered a national competition without a team representing the island state.

However, Demetriou said the AFL believed south-east Queensland and western Sydney to be best-placed as the venues for the league's 17th and 18th licences issued in 2011-12.

But the AFL is expected to accept the submission from the Tasmanian government.

Lennon said a Tasmanian team would have the support and economic backing required to be competitive in the AFL.

He said Tasmania's population of 500,000 was also enough to satisfy the support for an AFL side.

"It's a big ask to establish themselves (the AFL) in western Sydney, that's the bread and butter of rugby league," said Lennon.

"We are the bread and butter of the AFL. Why ignore the home base?"

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