Former St Kilda coach Grant Thomas slams AFL’s handling of football in Tasmania

THE AFL’S treatment of one of its heartlands has been labelled a “travesty of justice” by former St Kilda coach Grant Thomas.

THE AFL’S treatment of one of its heartlands has been labelled a “travesty of justice” by former St Kilda coach Grant Thomas.

Mr Thomas, who was at the helm of the Saints between 2001 and 2006 — including the four years St Kilda was a co-tenant at UTAS Stadium with Hawthorn — has weighed into the crisis engulfing football in Tasmania.

It comes as the Mercury’s petition calling on the AFL to double funding to the TSL and develop and support a strategic plan for the code’s future in the state continues to gather momentum.

Download your poster here and use #saveourfooty on social media to spread the word

MORE: TIME TO SAVE TASSIE FOOTY

MORE: STARS, LEADERS ANSWER THE CALL

Mr Thomas, who is vocal on social media site Twitter, declared the current structure of Hawthorn and North Melbourne playing seven games in Tasmania as a “token gesture” which has hurt the push for a stand-alone team.

He also slammed the funding handed out to expansion sides Gold Coast and GWS, all while Tasmania receives a paltry $1 million per year.

“It seems to be quite illogical that probably the most per capita servant AFL football state, with such a long history and legacy in the game, is ostensibly ignored in their plans,” Mr Thomas told the Mercury.

Former St Kilda coach Grant Thomas.

“It’s a travesty of justice that the AFL hasn’t been a little bit more logical and sensible in thinking through the needs of all the states within Australia.

“That has been seriously compounded by this token gesture of having teams from Melbourne domiciling themselves there for three or four games a year.

“It is like an appetiser type of approach but what it has done is affected Tassie from having a real red hot crack at getting their own team, in my opinion, because the AFL have got themselves into a position of all care and no responsibility.

“And the most pathetic reason behind any of this, if funding is an issue, go and have a look at what they have invested into the Gold Coast Suns and the GWS Giants.

“Funding cannot be used as an issue, because tens of millions of dollars have already been invested in those.”

MORE: WE NEED TWICE THE MONEY, SAY TSL CLUBS

AFL chief Gillon McLachlan will visit the state in the coming weeks following an SOS call from new AFL Tasmania CEO Trish Squires.

MORE: AFL FINALLY RESPONDS TO STATE’S FOOTBALL CRISIS

Squires assumed the role when Rob Auld joined AFL headquarters after only 18 months in his role in Tasmania, while the TSL’s two coastal clubs Devonport and Burnie have withdrawn from the competition.

“You don’t have to be Einstein to work out that the trajectory is headed in the wrong direction, what you are after is greater participation and greater strength and financial viability of clubs, not less,” Mr Thomas said.

“Having said that, I also think it is understandable given the fact that there has been less than acceptable support for AFL down in Tasmania.”