It is now (almost) official: Tasmania will finally take its place in the Australian Football League (AFL).

Tasmania, a foundation state of the nation’s homegrown game of Australian rules football, has trod a tortuous route, with great drama, over its plan for a 23,000-seat indoor stadium precinct at Macquarie Point on Hobart’s picturesque waterfront.

The state is now on the cusp of realising a dream many footy-loving Tasmanians had long hoped for.

To cement the club (known as the Devils, and featuring the state colours of myrtle green, primrose yellow and rose red) as the AFL’s 19th team, Tasmania needed parliament to approve the ambitious and costly project.

It passed the lower house easily (25-9) with the Liberal government and Labor opposition both supporting it.

But it was no sure thing to pass the upper house, with many independents either against the project or unsure about the mooted A$1.13 billion price tag.

For a small state, this is a huge commitment: Tasmania will pay $375 million plus the remainder in borrowings, and

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