GARY McCAFFRIE - CREATOR’S STATEMENT
For a country that is so obsessed with sport we’ve made surprisingly few films and TV shows about it. So being a resident of Tasmania, a lifelong supporter of an Australian Rules football club, and witnessing first hand the split in the community over the entry of a Tasmanian team in the AFL being contingent on the building of a stadium, I figured this might be fertile ground to explore.
Tasmania has long been a football state and there is widespread support for it to have an AFL team, but many Tasmanians who want the team are opposed to it if it only comes on the condition the state builds a new stadium in the city. The government argues it will be great for the economy. Many economists have argued the opposite. There have been anti-stadium protests and pro-stadium protests. This was never going to be easy.
But equally appealing to me as the enormity of this project (establishing a new professional football club by attracting experienced football administrators and building a state-of-the-art stadium) is that the club also has to choose a mascot, a logo, a song. It really is a mixed business.
The world of the show is dramatically rich - the intersection of government and the private sector as the State government provides much of the start-up costs; the inevitability of things going wrong on projects of this scale; the expenditure of a lot of taxpayers’ money with no guaranteed returns in a very difficult economic climate; the passion of people wanting to get involved; the passion of people wanting to block it; the compromises that have to be made to satisfy so many different interests; and the problematic types who have to be accommodated because they’re valuable to the club or are connected to someone who is.
I also felt that Hobart had been under-represented on our screens in dramas and comedies. Invariably productions that come to film in Tasmania head off to shoot in the mountains, forests and coastal areas, but this idea presented an ideal opportunity to showcase the beautiful cityscapes in Hobart.
So the CEO of the new Great Southern Football Club, Hugh Shen (Sam Pang), dispatched from Melbourne by the AFL , just wants to get this project done and dusted and return triumphantly to take over as CEO of the AFL from Alistair Penfold (Josh McConville). But Penfold, at some level threatened by Shen and knowing Shen wants his job, enjoys making life difficult for his counterpart and piling the pressure on him. Shen’s job is further complicated by the wealthy, well-meaning but out-of-her-depth President Catherine La Fontaine (Marg Downey), her unqualified nepo-baby son and Executive “Assistant” to Hugh, Jameson (Dylan Murphy), and Chief Financial Officer Destiny Pitt (Emma Harvie), whose interest lies not in football but in delivering an on-budget and on-time stadium and club which enhances her CV in her quest to become the state’s senior public servant. As far as Hugh is concerned, none of these people are helping.
Alistair is an intimidating man, though we can sense it may be a defence mechanism, and it’s only Destiny who will stand up to him. Destiny is outraged by what she considers inappropriate and unethical business practices but she is also happy to dabble in a little of this activity if she deems it’s for a worthy cause. Catherine’s access to the football world comes from her wealth, and she mistakenly believes this gives her some insight into how a football club should operate. She’s full of ‘great ideas’ which Hugh has to be grateful for.
So the pressure is on to build a professional sporting team and stadium in a beautiful small city that isn’t completely convinced about it, in an at-times hostile environment, surrounded by people with different objectives, competing interests and, sometimes, no idea. It’s a wonderful world to see Sam Pang dropped into.
CHARACTERS
THE GREAT SOUTHERN FOOTBALL CLUB LEADERSHIP
Hugh Shen: Great Southern Football Club Chief Executive Officer played by Sam Pang
Hugh was excited to move from Melbourne to Hobart to establish the nineteenth AFL team in Tasmania. Until he arrived. Only then did he understand the level of deep opposition to a stadium, the people’s willingness to protest, and their antipathy towards the AFL. And that was just his staff. Luckily, Hugh’s mild mannered and amiable disposition allows him to forge ahead - and his malleable moral compass doesn’t hurt his progress either. While Hugh is very frustrated by having Destiny, on secondment from the State Government, as his COO, he finds a way to work with her. And although that mostly entails trying to keep her out of the loop, Hugh is pleasantly surprised when they actually do collaborate quite well.
Which is good; Hugh just needs to get the job done so he can get back to Melbourne and run the whole AFL. Just don’t tell the current boss, Alistair - the very large thorn in Hugh’s side. Hugh would never have guessed that his biggest task is not to get a new team into the competition by 2028, it is to be not undermined by Alistair as he does it.
Destiny Pitt: Great Southern Football Club Chief Operating Officer played by Emma Harvie
Appointed by the State government to oversee the establishment of the Great Southern Football club, Destiny is privately not a fan of building the stadium. However she quickly sees that if she were to pull off this huge infrastructure project, she’d be fast tracked to become the state’s top Public Servant. Destiny’s general belief that she’s smarter than everyone else makes her confident she can do it. However, although she is very sharp, she finds working with the AFL corporate juggernaut a shock. Increasingly committed to the success of the GSFC, Destiny surprises herself with political manoeuvring she didn’t know she was capable of. She feels frequently morally tested… sometimes failing according to her personal politics. Although Destiny initially thinks Hugh is a bit of a fool, she soon finds they’re forming a weird but necessary alliance.
Jameson La Fontaine: Great Southern Football Club Executive Assistant to CEO and COO (Hugh and Destiny) played by Dylan Murphy
Jameson has never had a proper job in his life before becoming Hugh and Destiny’s EA, a work history which became abundantly clear within hours of his employment. Jameson is inept. BUT he is the son of Catherine AKA the Club President AKA one of the wealthiest women in the state. Jameson is very enthusiastic and genial and, although he’s the poster child for entitlement, Jameson is not lazy or arrogant. He’s just tone deaf and completely unaware of his privilege, something that is equally annoying and perplexing. He definitely thinks he’s more valuable than he is and has no qualms about offering an opinion no matter who else might be in the room. Despite their huge differences (Jameson loves hanging out with Hugh and Destiny.
Alistair Penfold: AFL CEO played by Josh McConville
Although technically not part of the GSFC leadership, Alistair is in fact the supreme leader (his words) as CEO of the AFL. Alistair is the embodiment of privilege and entitlement: house in Toorak and in Portsea, neither of which put a dint in the Aspen budget. Still, Alistair can comfortably rub shoulders with the common man. While his public face oozes charm and charisma, privately Alistair is brutal. He won’t spare his assassin’s tongue to torch people - especially if they’re in his way to getting what he wants. And what he wants right now is a nineteenth AFL team in Tasmania.
Catherine La Fontaine: Great Southern Football Club President played by Marg Downey
A successful Tasmanian company owner, Catherine great wealth, alongside her business and political connections, made her an obvious choice for Club President, a role she revels in for its kudos. While a great advocate for the state, Catherine remains oblivious to its economic woes: the housing crisis, the health crisis…they seem to slip right by Catherine. She’s very excited about the Great Southern football club and wishes she could be a bit more involved, but Hugh, Destiny and Alistair don’t seem that keen for her input. Or her proximity. But that has little impact. Inherently optimistic and always very chipper, Catherine has the great advantage that entitlement brings: thinking she’s much more of a valuable asset than she actually is.
Angela Lipscombe: Great Southern Football Club Head of Marketing and Comms played by Lucy Durack
Angela is delightful, bubbly and very enthusiastic and, it’s safe to say, in over her head. New to the world of football, Angela got the job because she’s done a bit of marketing and comms for some Tasmanian companies, but mainly because she’s what they call “pretty good for the price”. A little socially clumsy at the best of times, Angela struggles to say the right thing amongst the constantly changing politics and demands of the GSFC. However her naturally affable disposition makes her wrong footedness and occasional missteps easier to bear.
THE GREAT SOUTHERN FOOTBALL CLUB COACHING STAFF
Luke Gorman: Great Southern Football Club Coach played by Dave Thornton
The inaugural GSFC coach, Luke has the drive, acumen, and inflated ego of a former formidable player. His forthright approach makes for a solid leader - and a sometimes annoying one for Hugh. But his bluntness-verging-on-rudeness might be overcompensating for insecurity about stepping into the coach’s hot seat. There’s a lot to prove: he’s a fully fledged responsible adult now. Gone are the days of being a wild player who likes to party. (Although the digital footprint remains.)
Wayne Bellchamber: Great Southern Football Club, Head of Next Generation Academy played by Broden Kelly
Wayne is a Tasmanian born former AFL player who’s affable and well liked. He has a fairly simple outlook to life which is challenged by his wife’s super charged sex drive. Wayne can’t keep up and is increasingly flattened and disappointed by the consequences of failing to meet his wife’s needs. He does love his job though. When he can remember to focus on it.
Emma Bellchamber: Wayne’s wife played by Christie Whelan Browne
It’s not Emma’s fault that she was endowed with a supercharged sex drive. Honestly, life would be so much easier if she was like other women she knew who had to pretend they didn’t see their husband’s advances. Emma loves Wayne, and always has, it’s just he in no way satisfies her. So if she wanders outside the marriage, it’s actually for Wayne’s benefit. She’s lessening the pressure on him. Emma’s
blind spot is that she truly thinks she’s kind and caring to Wayne and cannot see how hurt he is.
Zoe Newton: Great Southern Football Club Head of High Performance played by Tegan Higginbotham
As a former state champion netballer and a sports scientist, Zoe is a brilliant Head of High Performance. She has drive, passion, and, importantly, is comfortable with running intrusive technology trials on the footballers. Zoe is frank and direct (or some might say humourless) and she gets the job done
THE GREAT SOUTHERN FOOTBALL CLUB FOOTBALLERS
Revere Hutchins: Great Southern Football Club Inaugural VFL Player played by Darcy Tadich
Revere is a very talented footballer, who’s very aware of his talent. A superstar at school, Revere is used to attention and being the most important person in the room. Becoming not the most important person in the room - and a team player - is going to be a challenge.
Memphis Fishlock-Bragg: Great Southern Football Club Inaugural VFL Player played by Lachlan Fairbairn
A brilliant footballer, Memphis grew up in rural Tasmania. Coming to Hobart to play football is a dream come true and also a nightmare: the city is so full on. Memphis wishes the whole experience could be just playing football and not all the other events and weird dinners and stuff.
Bronx Cleverly: Great Southern Football Club Inaugural VFL Player played by Zac Blampied
Bronx is a great footballer and an environmental activist, which makes him an outlier in football circles. Bronx is passionate and committed (or arrogant and obstinate depending on who you ask).
THE STATE OF TASMANIA LEADERS
Roger O’Loughlin: Premier of Tasmania played by Toby Truslove
Roger governs the state when the AFL allows it. He’s feeling the pinch in terms of the scale of the club and stadium projects, the economic stressors it’s creating on an already stressed economy and the public disquiet about his government’s spending priorities. His public demeanour shows none of this - but his subservience to Alistair does.
Meredith Crotty: Governor of Tasmania played by Jane Longhurst
A proud and loyal, fifth generation Tasmanian of great wealth and privilege, it seems fitting that Meredith governs the state which her family mostly owns. Meredith is an exemplary representative of the King: unfailingly polite, cultivated, un-opinionated. That is, until the AFL comes to town. Meredith, infuriated by the AFL’s arrogance, finds herself losing her vice-regal demeanor.
THE TASMANIAN MEDIA
Libby Kitcher: ABC Radio Presenter played by Lisa McCune
Libby has been a journalist with the ABC in one form or another for two decades. Intelligent and sharp, she’s a great journalist and an equally great shit stirrer. Politicians go on her show because they have to not because they want to. Cynical and a little jaded, Libby thought maybe her career was quietening down but now, with the arrival of the Tasmanian AFL, she’s having a gleeful renaissance period.
Alicia Shearwater: Channel 4, Hobart News Reporter played by Jordan Barr
Alicia is a hungry young sports reporter who’s good at her job and getting better all the time because she has so much to report on. Being the Channel 4 sports reporter was already a dream gig but now with the whole 19th-AFL- team-on-the-condition-of-a-new-stadium thing, it just keeps getting better. The AFL cannot seem to stop putting their foot in it and every time they do, Alicia is ready to report the story.
THE GREAT SOUTHERN FOOTBALL CLUB SPONSORS
George Kouros: Salmania Managing Director played by Damien Fotiou
George is almost a celebrity in Tasmania, such is the rise of his Salmania empire. A very enthusiastic salesman with a silver tongue, George can talk his way into anything. And out of anything, including multiple claims of malpractice within his salmon farms. Being the sponsor of the new Tasmanian AFL football team is the perfect marketing opportunity for Salmania; George is desperate for it to go well. He didn’t get where he is by being a fool, George is tough and, when his brand is threatened, not afraid to put up a fight.
