The Tasmanian government believes the state's push for its own AFL club will be impossible to ignore, once their strong emotional and moral claims are backed by a sustainable financial model.

The Apple Isle's campaign to join the AFL took a step in that direction on Tuesday with the announcement that Melbourne-based consultancy firm Gemba, which has worked with eight current AFL clubs, will develop the business case for the bid.

While the AFL have consistently stated their priority is to create new clubs on the Gold Coast and western Sydney, Tasmanian Economic Development Minister Paula Wriedt said there were signs her state's campaign was having an effect.

"We have seen some sort of a shift already as far as the AFL is concerned," Wriedt said.

"(AFL chief executive) Andrew Demetriou was on the news last night saying `Who knows what might happen?'

"Previously he had closed the door on Tasmania.

"When the former premier Paul Lennon and myself met with him in May, we asked whether we could put a business case and if we did, would it be given due consideration and proper consideration based on the merits of the case.

"We were given that undertaking.

"So the door had been closed, it has opened a crack back in May and I think it has been opened a little bit further now."

Wriedt said Tasmania's strong Australian Rules history meant they deserved a club of their own, but just as important was that they had the business and community support to sustain it.

"We can't (just) say we deserve it because we're passionate football supporters," she said.

"We also have to say yes that support's there, but we can actually put forward, we believe, a sustainable business case for a team to be there in the long term ... we believe we can do just that.

"When we do that and put the submission in, the AFL can't ignore that."

Wriedt said the government expected to announce a naming rights sponsor within the next month and were also in negotiations with several second-tier sponsors.

Their research also demonstrates that one in four Tasmanians would become members of an AFL club based in their state.

The campaign was further buoyed this week by a News Limited poll which found more than 80 per cent of AFL fans favoured a Tasmanian team over one in western Sydney.

Wriedt said the state was not daunted by the estimated minimum $30 million annual revenue needed to sustain an AFL club, given the indications of support already received.

Gemba chief executive Rob Mills said he suspected a Tasmanian AFL club could be run more profitably than Melbourne-based clubs with similar revenue.

"We don't necessarily have to have the biggest turnover in the league to be profitable," Mills said.

"I thing Geelong's shown that by a really good, focussed management team down there, great governance, really good stadium economics as well, that you can be profitable.

"So my sense of it is this is probably going to be a different type of model to a lot of the AFL teams."

Wriedt said the government would have a formal bid in the hands of the AFL Commission before the end of the season.

Teenaged Tasmanian midfielder Mitch Robinson, expected to be selected in the first round of this year's national draft, said the possibility of playing for an AFL club in his home state would be a dream.

"It would be every boy's dream to play for an AFL team representing their state," Robinson said.

"There has been a lot of support from all of the public ... it'll bring a lot of youth up and it'll be a big goal (to aspire to)."

Brought to you by AAP © 2024 AAP