Coronavirus and demise of clubs means TSL is on its knees, says former league chief Scott Wade

Scott Wade helped bring the TSL back to life, but now he says its time has come — and he has some interesting views on how community footy can thrive in a post-coronavirus world.

Scott Wade.

THE creator of the TSL now believes the competition is on its last legs and it is time to revert to regional football.

Former AFL Tasmania chief executive Scott Wade, who was in charge for 17 years, including when the state league was reintroduced in 2009, said the lack of revenue due to the coronavirus shutdown means clubs can no longer pay their players and the TSL can no longer be sustained.

He also said the withdrawal of Burnie and Devonport from the TSL prior to the 2018 season has contributed to the competition’s inevitable demise.

Scott Wade.

“I passionately believe in statewide league football but only if it is a legitimate whole-of-state competition,” Wade told the Sunday Tasmanian.

“Unfortunately the current TSL is not and it is time to bite the bullet and transition to a three region model — North-West, North and South with division 1 and 2 in each region, and division 3 if club numbers permit.

“I’d then love to see all three regions get fair dinkum about a regional representative series where each region plays each other twice, home and away.

“With commitment and persistence, regional representative footy could become a quality product for Tasmania.

“It’s time to get back to kids being proud to represent their community club, then their region, and hopefully then their state.”

The seven-team TSL was unable to begin this year and has been informed the funding from the AFL has been cut off for the time being.

Many clubs rely on gate receipts and bingo for additional funding, both of which have been stopped with no certainty when mass gatherings will be allowed again.

There will be no games prior to May 31 and many believe this resumption date is unrealistically optimistic.

North Launceston celebrate winning the 2019 TSL grand final. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

Wade, who manages the Kingborough Sports Precinct and is a director of Grassroots Community Development, aimed at establishing Australia’s first sport and wellbeing community club representing Bridgewater, Gagebrook and Herdsmans Cove, said the crisis provided an opportunity to reset community football for the better and make it financially independent and stable.

“The time has come for regional and community football clubs to stop paying every player,” he said.

“Clubs can no longer afford to keep paying players and then demand the governing body and councils to subside the cost.

“This is unsustainable.

“A new funding model could incorporate rewards for the best players on match day.

“I’d like to see players paid well by the leagues for representing their region and even bigger match payments for representing their state if games can be organised.

“Clubs simply cannot afford to pay players like they have done over the past 50 years.”

Wade said the demise of the TSL does not mean the demise of Tasmanian football, but a chance to build foundations for a strong future.

“Tasmanian football clubs and regional leagues are resilient and they can survive without AFL funding,” Wade said.

“In my opinion, schools and community clubs need to become the priority in Tasmania right now, not second tier AFL managed competitions and talent programs.”

WADE ON:

TALENT PATHWAY –“Forget about a Tasmanian VFL team unless we have an AFL team of our own. I’m not even convinced the current Tassie Devils under-18 full time program is a good thing for Tassie football. Clubs are more important right now than a handful of talented young players. In terms of talent, Tasmania should be granted an AFL licence; once this happens talent will take care of itself.:

SCHOOL FOOTBALL – “A positive recovery outcome of the coronavirus could be the opportunity to reinvent school sporting competitions. The demise of school sport has done no favours for education or communities and civic/school pride has been lost in the public school system. I am not advocating to bring back the same school sporting model as existed in past decades, but children representing their school in sport has many benefits that have been overlooked and ignored for too long. Why not bring it back in a contemporary way supported by unique partnerships between state sporting organisations and local councils?”