Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett hopes the AFL club is still playing matches in Tasmania in 20 or 30 years.

Kennett, whose club is negotiating to extend its lucrative deal to play four games per season in Launceston, has also suggested that a push by other clubs to play AFL matches at Bellerive Oval in Hobart could be complicated by that venue's cricket commitments.

The Hawks' contract with the Tasmanian government expires at the end of 2011 but Kennett said he wanted the arrangement to continue for decades.

"We actually see our commitment being here for the long-term," he said ahead of Hawthorn's clash with Brisbane in Launceston on Saturday.

"Certainly you've got to have contracts which involve a number of years but for us this is a whole of organisation commitment, we'd like it to be for 20 or 30 years."

Richmond appear the most enthusiastic of several Melbourne clubs in discussions about hosting matches in Hobart but Kennett said while the Hawks were "neutral" on that idea, there were "issues" with Hobart that did not apply in the northern city.

"It's been the position of many governments on both sides of the political persuasion that Tasmania has football to the north and cricket to the south.

"If that were ever to change, we're happy to review where we play.

"I just simply say this though, from our perspective, this is as I've said before, the best ground we play on in the league, any ground in Australia, this is the best ground.

"Whether it's because not only the curating is so good, but there may be a few less games than elsewhere, as opposed to Etihad Stadium, which is a risk just to walk over let alone to play on.

"But this is the best ground and you don't want to put that overly at risk.

"If you have football down south, then quite obviously you're going to have to come to some arrangement with cricket, who need to have access to a ground well into the start of our normal football season, so there are issues."

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