ABC iview · To Be Determined

Ground Up

Comedy, Sports · 2026 · Rated 3.5/10

Last aired: S1 E6, Contested Possession · 2026-06-12

Set in Tasmania, the series follows AFL administrator Hugh Shen, dispatched from Melbourne to establish the island's first-ever AFL team. But there's a catch: the locals must build a brand-new stadium and not everyone's happy about the $1.13 billion taxpayer-funded spend. Hugh's mission? Win over a divided public, meet impossible deadlines, placate feisty protesters, and somehow find a coach, players, and a mascot that won't offend anyone. Should be a piece of cake.

Cast

Sam Pang Hugh Shen

Josh McConville Alistair Penfold

Emma Harvie Destiny Pitt

Dylan Murphy Jameson

Lucy Durack Angela Lipscombe

Marg Downey Catherine La Fontaine

Season 1

E1 Offensive Pressure 2026-06-07 · 28 min The new CEO Hugh and the new COO Destiny feel each other out while trying to settle on a club song, a mascot and whether it's appropriate to have a salmon producer as a sponsor.

E2 Taking Territory 2026-06-07 · 29 min AFL CEO Alistair is in town to help secure a site for the club's new Training Centre. When the RSL rejects the use of the land at the war memorial, Alistair and Hugh turn their attention to the Governor's residence.

E3 Too High 2026-06-07 · 29 min Destiny is tasked with securing a sponsorship from an Opium producer, Hugh has to counter a Greens campaign about the economics of the stadium and the new coach's past proves problematic.

E4 Ins and Outs 2026-06-07 · 26 min Hugh weathers protests against the proposed Training Centre site and against the club's salmon sponsorship. The President Catherine tries to buy some council support for the site, while GPS data implicates a player.

E5 Boundaries 2026-06-07 · 30 min The Symphony Orchestra is unhappy with the proximity of the new stadium to their concert hall, the relocation of a waste treatment plant stalls, and a feel-good hospital visit by a player goes south.

E6 Contested Possession 2026-06-12 · 31 min Alistair tells a Hobart Bishop the AFL provides superior moral guidance, Hugh's dog is kidnapped, the football department's database is hacked and a statue unveiling drops Alistair right in it.

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