Tasmania AFL team: Footy stalwart fears for future of the code with huge drop off in player numbers
A Tasmanian footy stalwart fears for Australian rules in the state, with a huge drop off in the number of boys playing. His plea is for a Tassie team in the AFL. >>>
AFL
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
“What more do we have to do?”
Michael McGregor has been involved with Tasmanian grassroots football for more than three decades and has seen the decline in participation and standing in the Australian rules heartland state to the point where he now fears for the code’s future.
AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan arrives in Hobart on Thursday to meet Premier Jeremy Rockliff as part of the state’s final push to land the 19th licence.
McGregor made his senior debut for the now defunct Sandy Bay in 1988, and played his last senior game in 2012. He’s coached at TSL, SFL and Old Scholars level, as well as coaching his son and daughter at junior level and works now as operations manager for TSL club Kingborough.
He is frustrated with the drop off in the code he loves in the state he loves and the cloud of negativity that surrounds the code in Tasmania – a cloud that could be lifted with the announcement of a Tasmanian AFL team.
“All we ever read about now in Tassie footy, is negativity – ‘the TSL shouldn’t be here, this comp is no good, this team is dropping out, these numbers are poor’,” McGregor said.
“We just don’t have that real positive feel about Tassie footy.
“Is North Melbourne playing at Bellerive working? Hawthorn games numbers are declining.
“It has got to the point where if we are not providing that opportunity I just don’t know, kids don’t see what the end goal is for them. It is hard.
“If we’ve learned anything this year it is if you bring a national product to the state, we’ll support it and get behind it and it’ll have some genuine excitement.”
He said Australian rules had already dodged a bullet in Tasmania when the A-League decided to expand elsewhere rather than in the state, while the JackJumpers stunning success would be felt very soon when it comes to participation.
TSL club Glenorchy – a powerhouse of Tasmanian football for generations in one of the biggest catchment areas in the state – has been unable to field a reserves side on two occasions and has no under-16s or under-18s, while clubs like Richmond in the Old Scholars, and Claremont and Sorell in the SFL have barely survived in recent years.
While girls’ numbers are booming, he said this just masks the huge drop-off in boys participation, especially in the under-14s and under-16s age group.
He said his message for Mr McLachlan is simple.
“Enough is enough,” he said.
“We’ve done more than enough for the national game over the journey and we’ve produced per capita more players than anyone else.
“What more do we need to do to prove ourselves? We’ve fronted up with the money, so that’s been put to bed.
“Player wise, everyone says we haven’t got enough talent … but every team in the AFL has got interstate players.
“The question should be why shouldn’t we be in it?
“We’ve done our time, we’ve done our waiting, and it is time for you to give us a crack at it.”
Tassie’s rep footy schedule locked in
Tasmania’s best footballers will be in action in several representative games this year where they’ll face VFL opposition and state sides. See who and when they’ll take place.
Tassie to host SANFL giants in rep trial
Tasmania will host a big mainland club in men’s and women’s trial games in March, and more local stars have signed on with the SANFL giant. Get the details here.