TASMANIA'S QUEST FOR INCLUSION IN THE AFL
* 1994 - The state government launches a failed bid featuring a 30,000-seat stadium at Glenorchy in northern Hobart.
* 2008 - Another push, with confectionary company Mars on board as a potential sponsor, occurs despite the AFL stating it prefers the Gold Coast and western Sydney.
* 2014 - Then-AFL deputy chief executive Gillon McLachlan says he supports a stand-alone Tasmanian side entering the competition but it would not happen for at least 10 years.
* 2016 - A report by former Western Bulldogs CEO Simon Garlick suggests a path forward where one Melbourne-based club plays 6-8 games a season in Tasmania.
* 2018 - McLachlan releases the findings of a review, saying football's fractured and fragmented state in Tasmania has to be fixed before a team can be considered.
* June, 2019 - A new task force, headed by co-founder of Virgin Australia Brett Godfrey, is formed to create a business case.
* March, 2020 - Then-premier Peter Gutwein urges the AFL to consider replacing one of its less profitable clubs with one from the Apple Isle.
* August, 2021 - A report by former Geelong president Colin Carter finds the case for a team representing Tasmania is strong but relocation was still an option.
* August, 2021 - McLachlan says the AFL will decide in 2022 whether to grant Tasmania a licence.
* October, 2021 - Four-time Hawthorn premiership coach Alastair Clarkson officially joins Tasmania's campaign.
* March, 2022 - Gutwein unveils early plans for a new 27,000-seat stadium at Regatta Point in Hobart.
* June, 2022 - McLachlan indicates the bid is contingent on the island state building a new stadium.
* September, 2022 - The state government confirms the preferred location for a new $715 million multi-purpose 23,000-seat roofed stadium is Macquarie Point in Hobart.
* November, 2022 - Tasmania's government and the AFL reach an in-principle agreement on commercial terms for the bid, but the timeline around a final decision remains unclear.
* February, 2023 - The AFL pledges $360 million towards a team.
* April, 2023 - Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirms the federal government will contribute $240 million towards the stadium precinct, the final piece of funding needed.
* May, 2023 - McLachlan grants Tasmania the league's 19th licence after 18 club presidents reach unanimous agreement and it gets the green light from the commission.
© AAP 2023