AFL’s review on Tassie footy must consult

IF the AFL is serious about ensuring that its short-term fix for footy in this state is the right one then it must be prepared to consult fully and properly with those actually on the ground here.

AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan and AFL Tasmania CEO Trish Squires. Picture: RICHARD JUPE

IF the AFL is serious about ensuring that its short-term fix for footy in this state is the right one then it must be prepared to consult fully and properly with those actually on the ground here.

The Mercury supports the AFL’s review of footy in Tasmania — the league’s response to our Save our Footy campaign. We believe AFL boss Gillon McLachlan now appears earnest enough in his commitment to the future of the code here.

He is personally sitting on the steering committee looking at the state of footy here that has a deadline of June 30 to present its plan for the future. And he took the time to visit our shores to meet with the Premier and talk about the issues with the leaders of AFL Tasmania. As Tasmanians, we have been through all this before — and on numerous occasions. But for now we really have to take Mr McLachlan at his word, at least until June 30.

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The important thing is the process is now well and truly underway. The AFL have enlisted some of our favourite sons to the steering committee — Chris Fagan (Brisbane Lions coach), Nick Riewoldt (former St Kilda captain), and Brendon Bolton (Carlton coach). Also on the committee are former AFL Tasmania chief Rob Auld (now the AFL’s head of game development) and the current AFL Tasmania boss Trisha Squires. Between them all, this is a team that should have a pretty good idea of the general footy landscape in our state.

But it is also important that this committee acknowledges the expertise of the current environment within individual clubs, and be prepared to properly listen to and take note of local advice.

Ms Squires is due to meet with the presidents of all seven of the remaining Tasmanian State League clubs next week. It is important that she goes into these meetings with the right attitude.

It is vital that Ms Squires is prepared to bring them into her confidence, and to explain what the committee’s preferred options currently are.

And it is critical that she then sits back and listens to the advice of these experts of our game, and takes those responses back to the committee.

The fact that the club presidents are publicly expressing their concerns about the direction they believe the committee is heading should be ringing alarm bells at AFL House and at the AFL’s Tasmania headquarters at Blundstone Arena. And that’s because it suggests the review committee already has put them offside.

As Glenorchy president John McCann told the Mercury yesterday, the review committee needs experienced people from the TSL clubs involved “to give a clear picture on what’s happening on the ground right now”.

The TSL clubs might well not like the final outcome of the review committee’s deliberations.

But you can be assured that whatever plan the committee does come up with, if the TSL clubs feel they have not been properly consulted and their expertise has been ignored through the process then the AFL will have a much tougher job winning their backing for the outcome.