North Melbourne wants one more Hobart game
North Melbourne has confirmed it will push to increase its Hobart commitment.
North chief operating officer Cameron Vale told The Mercury on Thursday the club would start negotiations later this year to play an extra match in Hobart once its current three-year agreement expires at the end of 2014.
"[North chairman] James Brayshaw, on the weekend, made it pretty clear he would love to play a third game here," Vale said.
"We are very committed.
"It is a two-game deal for three years [but] we are looking to extend and we will start talking about that later in the year with the relevant stakeholders."
Vale's comments come after Brayshaw told News Limited last week North would not relocate while he was club chairman.
Vale said North's commitment to remain based in Victoria would not detract from its efforts to grow the foothold it had already established in Tasmania.
North's Tasmanian membership reached 3803 last season, a 175 per cent increase from 1383 in 2011.
The Roos also attracted healthy crowds to their first two Hobart games last year: 11,127 against Greater Western Sydney in round two on Easter Sunday and a capacity 14,113 against West Coast in round 15.
Vale was in Hobart on Wednesday to launch North's round three game at Blundstone Arena against the Sydney Swans.
North's other game in Hobart this year is against Port Adelaide in round six.