AFL news: Tasmania Devils AFLW entry set to be delayed, Brendon Gale says
The Tasmania Devils had hoped to enter the AFLW competition in 2027 but there are now doubts about whether it could happen. THE LATEST >>>
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The Tasmania Devils’ plan to debut its women’s team before the men is in doubt with the club’s AFLW team now likely to join the competition in August 2028 — six months after the men play their first AFL game.
Devils boss Brendon Gale said debuting the women in the AFLW in 2027 was aspirational, never confirmed.
Gale reiterated the Tasmanian Football Club does not officially have an AFL licence, which is condition on a 23,000-seat roofed stadium being built at Macquarie Point under the AFL’s mantra ‘no stadium, no team”
The club is working hard to get its AFLW team off the ground ahead of the men.
“We haven’t received confirmation either way – that’s the truth of it,” Gale said.
“The men will start round 1, 2028, but because of the seasonal nature of the women, which is August, we are investigating the possibility that the women would start in August 2027.
“But all things considered, that is probably looking less likely.”
The 2027 start date for the Devils women was aspirational.
“The focus was on the men starting in 2028, but given the 2027 women’s season started in August, we believed that would be a great opportunity to lead off with the women,” Gale said.
“We’re a new club so we can do things differently, and we could lead with our women first. With where the women’s competition is at, I don’t think it is as clear for expansion just yet.
“So it’s looking less likely, but not confirmed either way.
“It was never confirmed for 2027, which was our aspiration, but it hasn’t been ruled out either just looking less likely.”
Gale said there would be no men’s or women’s teams without ticking off on the conditions of Tasmania’s AFL Licence Agreement.
“We don’t have a licence, that’s the first thing, and the licence could be shelved,” Gale said
“We’ve got a bit of work to do there, it’s obviously about a stadium, and that’s when we get issued a licence to play in the competition.
“It depends on a whole range of factors.
“It’s the same with the VFL.
“It’s our hope and intention to be playing VFL next year but there is a lot to work out.”
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