North Chairman Ben Buckley says the club is looking to build further on its successful partnership with Tasmania.
The Roos head to Hobart to take on ladder-leaders Adelaide this weekend and Buckley told The Mercury everyone at the club valued the support of its Tasmanian members.
“(The games deal) has given North Melbourne an opportunity to grow an additional supporter base, one that we are very happy with and one we will continue to invest in and make special for many years to come,” Buckley said.
“We are in the first year of a five-year agreement but we take a long-term view.
“We are making significant investments in community football and we feel the partnership is working well for the club and Tasmania.”
“We have made a very conscious effort to work hard in the local community and not just turn up and play.”
On Sunday, North will visit a number of Auskick centres, as the club launches its 2017 Next Generation Academies.
Buckley added women’s football was also a key focus for the club, with Tasmania likely to play a part in any North bid for an AFLW team.
“The AFL will decide how many new women’s teams and when those teams are coming in, and we have put up our hand to have one of those teams,” Buckley said.
“We would like to find a way to work with Tasmania to integrate that opportunity into whatever we do.
“As I understand it, the AFL will only be admitting AFL clubs so I’m not sure how it would work or how successful a stand-alone team would be. We are certainly prepared to work with the Tasmanian Government and Tasmanian football to see if we can find a way to partner on women’s football.”