Tracy Village Football Club says structural changes to the NTFL will make it harder to retain players

Major changes to the structure of the NTFL’s competitions has the “very real possibility of relegating our proud club to history”, Tracy Village Football Club says.

CHANGES to the structure of the NTFL’s competitions has the “very real possibility of relegating our proud club to history”, Tracy Village Football Club says.

In a statement to the NT News, on behalf of the club’s committee, Brett Wall said Tracy was not adequately consulted about the “arbitrary decisions” made by AFLNT which would have “significant detrimental effects” and had created “some angst”.

Under the changes rubber-stamped in June, the NTFL’s former 10-team Division 1 competition will become a nine-team Premier League Reserves comp, sending Tracy Village down a grade.

The former Division 2 will be rebranded as Division 1 with the addition of a fourth grade becoming the new Division 2.

Then, in the women’s competitions, the former Premier League Reserves will become Division 1, with an extra competition effectively becoming a new Division 2.

Games will be played on Wednesday nights.

AFLNT believes the changes will provide greater opportunities for clubs, foster growth, create better player pathways and aligned fixturing.

Tracy Village Football Club will see several of its teams relegated for the 2022-23 season. Picture: Che Chorley

However, Mr Wall said the changes would effectively relegate its former Division 1 and 2 men’s teams and its Women’s Premier League side.

“These changes have the very real possibility of relegating our proud club to history and thus negatively impacting the NTFL competition,” Mr Wall said.

He said the club’s relegation would “inevitably lead to the attrition” of players, volunteers, sponsors, juniors and supporters.

“Anecdotal evidence indicates that junior players and their parents prefer to play for clubs with a clear progression path to the higher grades of the league,” he said.

“The relegation of (our) senior men’s teams will cause greater attrition in the junior grades.”

He also said the scheduling of Division 1 and 2 games to be played mostly Sundays would also “exacerbate these losses”, and the relegation of its Women’s Premier League team to Division 1 was also “particularly damaging”.

He believed the club was not adequately consulted prior to the restructure and it would impact a planned alliance with the Tiwi Bombers.

“We are extremely disappointed we were not given the opportunity to be actively involved during the planning phase of this restructure and it would appear a decision on the restructure had been made with little or no consultation,” he said.

“With only three-and-a-half months’ notice until the competition begins and the uncertainty of the exact effects of these changes, (we) are now far behind.

“This has the potential to lessen the participation rate and result in the league effectively shrinking.”

However, a spokeswoman for AFLNT said the changes would provide more opportunities for players of various experience to “access appropriate levels of football”, while catering for large growth in women’s football.

“We have also historically seen misalignment in the competition and have identified the need to provide clearer fixturing to support our clubs,” the spokeswoman said.

“Whilst we acknowledge there may be challenges that face Tracy Village in the restructure, it is the correct move to ensure the club becomes competitive, which will assist their position in the competition moving forward.

“Like any restructure or change, some individuals have had different views, but (there was) overwhelming acknowledgment that the review was necessary.”

Gemma Cusack appointed as Banks Bulldogs’ inaugural women’s coach

AFTER badly injuring her knee for the third time at the start of last NTFL season, then PINT Premier League footballer Gemma Cusack was forced to recalibrate her football career.

Now, almost a year later, the Good Shepherd Lutheran College PE teacher has used that round two heartbreak as the catalyst for a new footballing chapter — signing on as Banks Bulldogs’ inaugural coach of its women’s team.

Approached by the club around three weeks, Cusack said with her partner Arthur Rootsey already part of the furniture as a player, and her credentials as a teacher, it felt like a good fit.

“I can’t tell you how supportive Banks have been,” Cusack told the NT News.

“The amount of messages I got from senior footballers ... retired players who have been around Banks forever.

“They were saying beautiful things like: ‘They couldn’t have picked a better person for the job’.

“I feel very lucky.”

Gemma Cusack has been named the inaugural women's coach for Banks Bulldogs. Picture: Banks Football Club.

There will be challenges aplenty for the first time footy coach in 2022-23, building a collective from the ground up with Banks’ junior development restricted by the lack of an Under 18 girls team.

So high on the priority list will be keeping young girls in the game who can be traditionally lost during their “fragile teenage years”.

Witnessing first-hand how some have quit footy due to boundary line abuse or in-club pressure to perform, she is committed to building an inclusive, “open and honest” culture, with 15 “definites” on the list already.

It’s been a rapid rise for the country Victorian, who moved to the Territory in 2017 with only Auskick experience behind her.

Fortunately, she received elite tutelage from the likes of Colleen Gwynne at Waratah, and Ricky Nolan at PINT, winning three Premier League premierships along the way as a player.

“I couldn’t tell you how much I learned,” Cusack told the NT News of her years at Gardens Oval.

“(Colleen) has been so influential. She definitely started that fire in my belly.

“I’ve definitely learned from the best. Hopefully I can do them proud as well.”

Cusack is also keen to transfer some of the PINT culture to the Bulldogs, where she says “absolute legend” Nolan was renowned for having an all encompassing view of the club.

He would always thank the behind-the-scenes operators after games, win, lose or draw.

Cusack played in PINT’s Women’s Premier League premiership in 2021. Picture: Che Chorley

“When I did get the offer I called him for advice, he told me to take the opportunity with both hands,” she said.

Cusack, who will begin plotting training plans soon – which should see “crossover” sessions at Gardens Oval where the men and women mix midweek – is keen to channel the pain of a season-ending injury into something positive.

“It was pretty devastating, it was my good knee,” she said of the round two setback.

“With all the Covid stuff I still haven’t been able to get in for surgery.”

She is adamant her playing days are over and her main goal is to inspire the next generation.

“I’m trying to stay retired, but it’s one of the harder things when you’re involved in sport,” she said.

“I just couldn’t forgive myself if I went back out there and did it again.

“It probably takes an injury to reflect ... when Banks were interviewing me, it was one of those moments where you go: ‘Wow, I have achieved a lot and I should be really proud’.”

Club president Nick Horsley said it was a “logical step” to appoint Cusack who had been a “great ambassador” for women’s footy in the NTFL.

“We couldn’t be more excited for Gemma to join us ... to have somebody of her calibre,” Horsley said.

“Having somebody of her standard is going to hopefully get some girls joining our team and our club.”

Banks Bulldogs appoint three-time premiership winner Gemma Cusack as inaugural women’s coach

INAUGURAL coach of Banks Bulldogs Football Club’s women’s team, Gemma Cusack, will bring “great credentials” to the club ahead of their debut season in division two in 2022-23, its president says.

Nick Horsley said the appointment of three-time premiership winner, at PINT and Waratah, and school teacher Cusack hoped it would inspire more girls to join the club and eventually help it reach Premier League level.

He said hiring Cusack, who has also represented NT Thunder in the VFL, was part of the NTFL team who played Glenelg and was also selected in the 2020 NAB AFLW All-Stars game, was a “logical step” for the Bulldogs.

“This is an important step for our club,” Horsley said.

“We’re really excited for that expansion opportunity that this will provide our club and our members.

“I’m really excited for it to be happening.

“We’re a growing club and this is the first step of hopefully a progression to the next grade up or even Premier League in the future.”

Gemma Cusack has been named the inaugural women's coach for Banks Bulldogs.

He also said Cusack had been a “great ambassador” for women’s footy in the NTFL during her career so far.

“We couldn’t be more excited for Gemma to join us ... to have somebody of her calibre,” he said.

“Having somebody of her standard is going to hopefully get some girls joining our team and our club.”

He described her as a “Banks girl” with her partner also playing at the club: “And she’s a really good person too.”

Meanwhile, Horsley said Banks was not in a position just yet to follow in the footsteps of PINT and join the Men’s Premier League.

“It’s definitely on the radar,” he said.

“We’re working through it, I wouldn’t rule it out but we haven’t made those decisions yet.”

Players interested in joining Banks’ women’s team are asked to contact the club, with pre-season training set to start on August 3 at Gardens Oval.

Originally published as Tracy Village Football Club says structural changes to the NTFL will make it harder to retain players