Gillon McLachlan vows AFL won’t ‘abandon’ Tasmania in speech to club chiefs

AFL chief Gillon McLachlan has pledged his support to embattled Tasmania in a speech to club chiefs at the league’s season launch and gave more detail on a mooted mid-season draft or trade period.

AFL gave a speech to club chiefs on Wednesday night. Picture: AAP

AFL boss Gillon McLachlan has pledged his support to embattled Tasmania amid criticism of the league’s priorities.

The AFL has come under fire for letting the former football stronghold wither on the vine as historic clubs battle to field teams.

On Wednesdsay night McLachlan vowed the league would not “abandon” a state that has produced some of football’s biggest stars.

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But in his speech at the official AFL season launch, the chief executive failed to provide any concrete plans to resurrect the state of Tasmanian football.

The Herald Sun understands McLachlan will next week make a dash south to meet new AFL Tasmania chief executive Trisha Squires.

“In Tasmania, there is a divide and there are some issues which need to be addressed,” McLachlan said.

“But I promise you, the AFL will not forget or abandon one of our founding states. Football is about a sense of belonging and connection and we will work with all of Tasmania and its fans to ensure that happens.”

Gillon McLachlan says the AFL won’t “abandon” Tasmania. Picture: Getty Images

On a day in which the AFL met with club CEO’s, presidents and coaches, it ruled out introducing a mid-season draft or trade period this year and again failed to clarify the 2018 Grand Final start time.

Club officials walked away convinced the league would introduce a mid-year player exchange window in 2019, even if they weren’t given any specific detail.

The teams were also reminded of their obligations to the AFL’s respect and responsibility policy, six months after the league itself was engulfed by extra-marital office affairs.

The AFL will invite two senior coaches to sit on its new consultation panel to steer the direction of the game.

But how the coaches decide which senior coaches are handed that lofty position of power is yet to be decided.

McLachlan and footy boss Steve Hocking met the league’s 18 senior coaches for breakfast at Etihad Stadium on Wednesday.

There remains no consensus from the AFL’s senior coaches on a crackdown on runners, with a decision to be announced in the next week.

The league spoke to the coaches about its plans for a mid-season trade period, which would have identical rules to the post-season trade period.

The AFL also continues to investigate whether it can mandate a set period of down time in the calendar where the league, clubs and officials all shut down to avoid burnout.

Hocking’s main agenda item was streamlining the AFL’s various consultative groups and working groups into one panel.

Tasmania chief executive Trisha Squires. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

That panel, filled with industry figures, would have significant clout as the league considered rule changes and laws governing the game.

The AFL will invite two figures onto the panel, presumably senior premiership coaches like Hawthorn’s Alastair Clarkson and Sydney’s John Longmire.

Sitting on that panel would also hand clubs a competitive advantage given how influential those figures would be about steering the game’s direction.

Club officials wonder how a mid-season draft would work given many clubs have full salary caps and could not absorb another wage mid-season.

But the AFL is firmly of the belief every other major code in world sport has a mid-season player movement mechanism.

Meanwhile, Eddie Betts, Mike Fitzpatrick, Rex Hunt, Steve Johnson, Jordan Lewis, Michael Long, Andrew Mackie, Kade Simpson and umpires Chris Donlon and Shaun Ryan were made AFL life members.

Originally published as Gillon McLachlan vows AFL won’t ‘abandon’ Tasmania in speech to club chiefs