With critics seemingly everywhere, Tasmania's Premier Jeremy Rockliff is facing one hell of a fight if he's to deliver on what has almost accidentally become his pet project — securing the island state's entry into the AFL.

There are two main paths forward, each posing their own obstacles. 

If Mr Rockliff manages to do what looks increasingly difficult and convince the federal government that they should cough up almost half of the stadium's cost, he's got a huge task in getting the public onside. 

He has to turn the tide of public opinion given the only poll on the proposal, commissioned by the Labor Party, found two thirds of Tasmanians are opposed to it. 

Political blowback would also be fierce. 

Every issue would be looked at under a new microscope — each bad outcome in health, housing or education presented as being less important to the government than delivering a new sporting team. 

And he'd also have internal fires to put out. 

Federal Liberals Jonathan Duniam, Bridget Archer and Gavin Pearce have already called on the federal government not to fund a stadium, and spend money on other priorities. 

If the public reaction switches from unenthusiastic to angry, more Liberal MPs and party members, could join them in speaking out. 

And given a Tasmanian team won't play in the heart of the CBD until 2027, there's lots of time for that public anger to grow before any benefits are realised.

Even if it does become the transformative project that Mr Rockliff says it will, he'll have to wear lots of pain first. 

That doesn't even factor in how much political capital Mr Rockliff would have to use to convince the federal government to fund the project.

Given federal Sports Minister's Anika Wells' comments that she didn't believe getting a Tasmanian team should be conditional on a new stadium, getting them to cough up money won't be an easy feat. 

And if the federal government, which has finally received a business case for the project, does fund the stadium, they'll be eager to at least share the credit for finally delivering a Tasmanian AFL team. 

The second path isn't much easier. 

That's the one where the federal government, having viewed the business case that will likely be released publicly later this week, decides it won't pay for the stadium.

That would leave the plan, and the push for a 19th AFL licence, in an incredibly precarious situation.