VFL clubs have been told a Tasmanian team will likely join the competition in 2021
A PLAN is finally in place to help troubled football state Tasmania. Paul Amy and Sam Landsberger reveal the changes which could eventually lead to the state having its own AFL team.
Local Sport
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TROUBLED football state Tasmania will almost certainly be reviving its representative team.
In the AFL’s first major step towards rebuilding problem-ridden Tassie football, planning is underway for a return to the VFL.
VFL clubs have been told a Tasmanian team will be joining the competition, most likely in 2021.
The development comes as momentum grows to persuade the AFL into finally delivering Tasmania its own AFL team, moving on from the fly-in, fly-out models used by Hawthorn and North Melbourne.
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There are also ongoing discussions about beefing up the under-18 program as the AFL endures heavy criticism over its management of the game on the island.
Tasmania is a chance to field an under-18 team in a chunk the TAC Cup season, possibly from next year.
The Tassie Devils kicked off in the VFL in 2001, attracting competition-best crowds at their home games.
But they were wound up after the 2008 season, when Tasmanian football bosses decided to put their focus on the state league.
By that stage the Devils had a semi-alignment with North Melbourne, with Kangaroos players including Jonathan Hay flying over for home games.
Carlton coach Brendon Bolton had a coaching stint at the Devils, taking over from Matthew Armstrong during the 2006 season.
Former Sydney Swans star Darryn Cresswell led the club in its last two years.
AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan set up a steering committee in March to try to resolve the Tasmanian football crisis.
The committee includes AFL Tasmania chief executive Trisha Squires, Bolton, former St Kilda captain Nick Riewoldt, AFL head of game development Rob Auld, AFL state league and international manager Simon Laughton and is chaired by McLachlan.
Tasmania has produced just one draftee in the past two years, with 2016 the state’s first barren year since 1986.
By comparison, at the same time TAC Cup clubs Sandringham and Eastern have combined for 32 AFL players, including nine top-15 selections.
Former Gold Coast coach Rodney Eade said the AFL neglected Tasmania by instead pouring cash into Greater Western Sydney and the Suns.
“It only takes money and resources, but they’re pouring it into Gold Coast and GWS,” Eade, from Glenorchy, said earlier this year.
“You want to go to new frontiers and markets, well that’s terrific. But get your own backyard right.
“That’s very poor. It’s probably been coming for a while, but nothing’s been done to arrest it and it seems like it’s on the slide, which is terrible.
“It needs to have better resources, better academies, better pathways, better coaching.”
Eade claimed soccer was infiltrating Tassie and said it would be better if only one AFL team played a suite of games there every season.
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