Bosses come and go, but Tasmanian footy going nowhere fast
The ‘Bloody Monday’ AFL restructure has seen another boss come and go, but where does that leave Tasmania? The Mercury sports editor Brett Stubbs takes a look at Trisha Squires’ tenure. FULL ANALYSIS + ROLE HISTORY >>
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AFL Tasmania’s revolving door has swung again, with another chief executive leaving the state.
This time it is Trisha Squires leaving after two-and-a-half years as the CEO.
It was a tumultuous time from day one for Squires – the first women to be a chief executive of a state AFL branch.
She was given the role when Rob Auld, who himself had only been in the position for 18 months, was promoted to head office in the middle of a crisis.
Devonport had joined Burnie in pulling out of the TSL, leaving only seven teams in the competition and no representation on the North-West Coast, while the state’s draftees had virtually dried up.
At first, the AFL denied any crisis in the state, before Squires wrote to AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan “demanding” the league look into the health of Tasmanian football – a move many believe was an orchestrated media stunt organised out of Melbourne, an allegation Squires has denied.
The Tasmanian football steering committee, chaired by McLachlan and containing Squires, made a number of recommendations, some worthy, like the reintroduction of the Devils under-18 program full time to the NAB League, others less so, like returning to the VFL.
Like those before her — and as new head of AFL Tasmania Damian Gill is about to find out — the job comes with more critics than supporters.
She was appointed from within rather than the position being opened to the market – an issue that continued to irk her when raised publicly, and a criticism that Gill, 29, will also face.
Being the first female to hold the job in such a male orientated industry was always going to be tough, but arguably her biggest critic was “football’s first lady” Caroline Wilson who used her “Caro’s Arrow” segment on Channel 9’s Footy Classified to question Squires appointment and her suitability for the position.
Squires struggled as a media performer and local clubs found her aloof and hard to approach.
She gradually withdrew publicly, hardly being seen in the media in the past six months as AFL Tasmania’s staffing levels were cut massively as the COVID crisis set in and Gill became the face of the organisation.
There were positives – fighting successfully to get some funding from the AFL to get the TSL up and running this year was a big achievement when the odds seemed entirely against any games being played in 2020.
But the biggest criticism was that as AFL Tasmania CEO she was much more “AFL” than “Tasmania” – a stigma she could not shake.
Now is the time for stability in the code, once by far the king of Tasmanian sport, but now that crown is worn by Cricket Tasmania.
Just like Squires, Gill will face challenges from day one.
What is the future of the TSL? Can you have a state league without the North-West Coast? Will the AFL continue to adequately fund the state league and the code at all levels given cut backs the league is facing? Can AFL Tasmania keep kids picking up a Sherrin to ensure community clubs stay healthy and vibrant?
Over to you Gill.
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