 As Tasmania is the last Australian state to house an AFL team, and is also a heartland state of the code (unlike New South Wales and Queensland), the league has often used the state for Melbourne-based clubs to host games in Tasmania subsidised by local and the Tasmanian state governments.Both of the current deals with Hawthorn and North Melbourne will expire in 2021.Tasmanian news website and newspaper "The Mercury" has been a vocal supporter of the bid.