Tasmanians want to know what the AFL is doing to save footy in their state

WHILE Gillon McLachlan was spruiking the new AFLX competition, angry Tasmanians were wondering if the AFL boss had a clear plan to save footy in their state.

The Tasmanian football community wants to know if AFL chief Gillon McLachlan has a plan for the state.

IF the AFL has a clear plan for Tasmania, as chief executive Gillon McLachlan recently indicated, then the people who run football in the Island State want to know it.

Sooner rather than later.

These are the same people who collectively gasped in disbelief recently when McLachlan extolled the virtues of AFLX on one hand while delivering another $5 million to expansion club Gold Coast with the other.

It prompted a “What about us?” reaction from the Taswegians, who have watched Australian rules in their state wither at the highest level, including the recent withdrawal of Burnie and Devonport from the Tasmanian State League.

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The future of the State League may become clearer on Thursday when the seven remaining clubs — Clarence, Glenorchy, Hobart Demons, Lauderdale, Launceston, North Launceston and Tigers — meet with AFL Tasmania, a which recently named Trisha Squires to replace Rob Auld as chief executive.

That appointment has caused its own angst, according to long-time Hobart Mercury chief football writer Brett Stubbs, who said the position was not advertised.

“How do we know she’s the best person for the job when it didn’t go to market?” Stubbs said.

“It is a weight around her neck right from the start.

“(Tasmanian footy) is at a real crisis point. The comments from Gil that everything is going to plan left everyone in shock down here.

“The lack of funding has been diabolical when compared with other local competitions such as the NEAFL. There is a collective outrage.”

AFL great Matthew Richardson is a product of Tasmania.

Stubbs said participation rates had grown but mainly because of new female players.

“You need to look at men’s numbers,” he said.

Glenorchy president John McCann will attend Thursday’s meeting with an open, and optimistic, mind.

“We want to know how committed AFL is to having state league in Tasmania and having a talent pathway and junior development program,” McCann said.

“Two years ago we had the Garlick Report, done by Simon Garlick, and I don’t know how many KPIs from that they’ve ticked off or if they are even referring to it.”

Thayne Brady is president of North Launceston, winner of three three of the past four TSL premierships.

He does not know Squires but remains hopeful her appointment will be a positive.

“We were very surprised that Rob (Auld) was leaving and we haven’t engaged Trisha at all during her part-time service, so she is a person who is very new to us and we are still in a bit of shock over it,” Brady said.

“But, from a positive angle, this is perfect timing in that Rob has handed over and placed a wounded animal in Trisha’s lap. So, this could be the making of Trisha to see if she can repair the wounded animal by putting a Band-Aid on it, or do we take the opportunity through Trisha’s leadership and advocacy skills at the AFL to generate a better deal for us so we have the strong and sustainable competition that we are crying out for?”

AFL chief Gillon McLachlan spruiks the AFLX last week. Picture: Getty Images

Tasmanian football is a wholly owned subsidiary of the AFL, meaning it is financially reliant on big brother.

“We have always suffered from a lack of funding,” Brady said.

“With Hawthorn and North Melbourne in Tasmania a lot of the business dollars have gone.

“It’s extremely difficult to aim for a high performance from a limited budget. Community and local football are suffering from a lack of player numbers.

“TSL clubs are constantly attacked by both country clubs and mainland teams. Plus the $15,000 we used to get in player transfer fees has been removed.”

The decision by Burnie and Devonport to leave the TSL was partly because of the difficulty to keep or attract new players.

They get the same money in a regional competition without having to train three nights a week and don’t have to make regular four-hour bus trips to Hobart for games.

A TSL salary cap of only$80,000 means the competition can’t compete with the NEAFL, which is a regular raider of young Tasmanian players.

St Kilda legend Darrel Baldock.

And without Devonport and Burnie, the TSL won’t have recognition in its heartland of the North West, a region that has produced players such as Darrel Baldock, Brendon and Michael Gale, Robert Neal, Alastair Lynch, Grant Birchall, Jade and Brady Rawlings, Matthew Richardson, Russell Robertson, Chris Bond and Maverick and Lachie Weller.

Brady said the only way for the TSL to grow back was via funding and a new side based in the North West, possibly at Penguin.

He said football in the state had gone backwards under the Tasmanian Football Council, “which hasn’t kicked a goal in the four or five years it has been established”.

Tom Couch, who coached North Launceston to the TSL flag last year, believes a stand-alone AFL club could survive in Tasmania.

“The argument is the sponsorship money isn’t in the state, but what about overseas businesses?” he said.

“It doesn’t all have to come out of Tassie. From living in Launceston for a year, I met a lot of people who were Hawthorn members but not Hawthorn supporters.

“They were happy just to support footy in the state.”

Couch said the state also suffered from the lack of support for junior development.

Originally published as Tasmanians want to know what the AFL is doing to save footy in their state