Time to kill Tasmania’s VFL plan and focus on community football, says TSL president

In the midst of Tasmanian footy’s shutdown, the VFL plan remains in the background, yet to be officially postponed. But one TSL president believes it needs to be ended – permanently.

IT IS time to permanently end Tasmanian’s VFL plans and instead redirect the money into grassroots and community football, according to one club president.

North Hobart president Craig Martin said the proposed VFL team – earmarked prior to the coronavirus shutdown for next year and with a budget of between $900,000 and $1.6 million – was contrary to the health of the game in Tasmania, especially in these troubled times.

“The VFL team needs to be consigned to the bin and a comprehensive program put in place using the money that was earmarked for it, to ensure the grassroots of the game – the footy competitions all over the state and programs to get kids playing the game – are properly resourced,” Martin said.

His comments come after AFL Tasmania chief executive Trisha Squires said it was hoped a decision on the resumption of the TSL and community football would be known soon after an announcement was made on the AFL’s return on May 11.

North Hobart president Craig Martin. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

A VFL team without an AFL provisional licence was also panned in the AFL Taskforce’s business case, which said it would be detrimental to the state entering the big league.

Martin said community football was in a precarious place due to the crisis but could be instrumental in helping Tasmania restart when governments and health experts give the all clear.

“The footy competitions and clubs in the state are the lifeblood of local communities and community sport will play a huge role in the Tasmanian community’s recovery from this pandemic,” he said.

“The footy competitions and clubs in Tasmania need to be in as good a position as possible so they can fire up again once it is safe to do so.”

He said a VFL team would only further weaken TSL clubs, which would be forced to attract players from underneath, having a detrimental impact on those leagues as well.

The Demons president also said undrafted talented players would spend two to three years in the under-18 program and then go straight to the VFL team, never playing for the local clubs that helped develop their talent.

The last VFL game for the Tasmanian Devils team, skipper Brett Geappen leads the team off carrying one year old daughter, Penelope.

“What’s the point of any organisation spending considerable time and resources developing their best talent if the best talent never works for the organisation?” he said.

Martin said the number of draftees each year was only one factor when it came to assessing the health of Tasmanian football.

“But getting participation rates up and having strong and healthy footy clubs, competitions and footy communities is critical and the key one for the game to thrive in Tasmania right now,” Martin said.

“If the footy ecosystem in Tasmania is healthy with high participation rates and sustainable competitions and clubs there will be larger pool of talent coming through enhancing the chances of Tasmania having increased numbers of draftees.”