AFL TAS

With the 2010 football season under way, I thought I would recap on the happenings at the top-level in Tasmanian footy.

Tasmania AFL bid

Andrew Demetriou talks about the future of the AFL and the outlook past the Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney and that future expansion is almost a certainty.

He stated:

You could be talking about Tasmania being entrenched in the competition and another team in Western Australia. I just know that it (the AFL) won’t look like it does today.

This statement was in relation to the AFL circa 2030. Read the article – Further expansion potential ‘limitless’: Demetriou

Hawks in Tasmania

Hawk’s great Robert DiPierdomenico has called on the Hawthorn football club to extend its deal with the Tasmanian government saying it’s a win/win for both the state and club.

He also stated that the AFL is keeping a close eye on how state football was working.  Read the Article – Hawks great wants Tassie deal to continue

The Hawks might have to look out as Essendon’s chief executive officer and managing director and also Tasmanian born Ian Robson has stated that Essendon would welcome an opportunity to play games in Tasmania.  Robson who was with Hawthorn last year and has seen the opportunities in the Tasmanian market.  Read article – Essendon sees state as lucrative football market

The Wizz and Wacko Jacko

A  faction from the Kermandie football club recruited ex-AFL players Mark “Wacko Jacko” Jackson and Warwick Capper in effort to save the club from the wilderness and make sure the clubs 127 year history continues.

Even with the two high-profile signing the club was still not able to draw enough players to training to field two team in the upcoming 2010 season.  Martin Flanagan wrote an article for the Sydney Morning Herald

TSL Board -V- Clubs

The 10 Tasmanian Statewide Clubs were not represented on the AFL Tasmania board, so to get some representation at the top-level, they have empowered ex Tasmanian premier Paul Lennon to represent them at the board level.

This came about by the board wanting to scrap the reserves competition from the state-wide format and have the clubs run that competition themselves.  Having no representation at the top-level meant that decisions were being made without input from the clubs, who were being effected directly.

In conclusion a lot has happened in the months leading up to this years season, probably more so than any other year.  Stepping stone, pathways and clubs need to be preserved in our state.  Players need to develop but it seems if you are not in elite company when you are a 15-17 year old then you might find it hard to find a  way to progress.

Clarence Statewide Premiers

Results from the various finals are:

Saturday 19th September

Wrest Point Tasmanian State League – Bellerive Oval

Seniors
Clarence def Glenorchy
15.11-101 – 14.11-95
Reserves
Launceston def Glenorchy
12.12-84 – 4.13-37
Under 19′s
Lauderdale def Clarence
10.11-71 – 4.3-27

Northern Tasmanian Football Association Div 1 – Aurora Stadium

Seniors
George Town def Rocherlea
16.13-109 – 15.17-107
Reserves
Rocherlea def Longford
10.8-68 – 8.6-54
Under 19′s
Scottsdale -V- Longford
12.12-84 – 11.4-70

Old Scholars Football Association – North Hobart Oval

Seniors
Richmond def St Virgils
15.15-105 – 9.9-63
Reserves
Hutchins def DOSA
13.16-94 – 9.3-57

Sunday 20th September

Southern Football League – North Hobart Oval

Seniors
New Norfolk def Lindisfarne
15.11-101 – 10.9-69
Reserves
New Norfolk def Kingborough
16.22-118 – 2.4-16
Colts
Brighton def New Norfolk
13.9-87 – 6.3-39

Wrest Point Tasmanian State League – Bellerive Oval

Seniors
Clarence -V- Glenorchy
Reserves
Launceston -V- Glenorchy
Under 19′s
Lauderdale -V- Clarence

Northern Tasmanian Football Association Div 1 – Aurora Stadium

Seniors
Rocherlea -V- George Town
Reserves
Longford -V- Rocherlea
Under 19′s
Scottsdale -V- Longford

Old Scholars Football Association – North Hobart Oval

Seniors
St Virgils -V- Richmond
Reserves
Hutchins vs DOSA

Sunday 20th September

Southern Football League – North Hobart Oval

Seniors
Lindisfarne -V- New Norfolk
Reserves
Kingborough -V- New Norfolk
Colts
Brighton -V- New Norfolk

Lindisfarne will play in the Southern Football League Grand Final

Southern Football League

SFL Senior Finals 2009

SFL Reserves Finals 2009

SFL Colts Finals 2009

New Norfolk

Tote Tasmania and the New Norfolk football club have done a deal where the club receives a cash payment for naming rights and on top of this the football club will receive a payment for every member who signs up to Betasport as well as a percentage of every dollar spent by its members with the sports betting business.

The reaction from Greens MHA Tim Morris was:

“The clear message from Tote through this sponsorship that will not doubt be put out to the members is `gamble all your money away and make the club rich’, Tote is going to be the big winner in this, the club’s just going to get a little on the side at the expense of their own club members.”

Tote chief executive Chris Coleman said the amounts received by the club will be capped, it will be a modest amount and attractive to a small organisation.

Could this kick-start a push for the state wide league next year for the New Norfolk juggernaut?

The article states:

• The new president, Paul Harris MLC sees his role as more of a facilitator than anything else. – Will be interesting to see if this eventuates, will the clubs be given assistance in everyday running of a football club. i.e. financially,  junior development.
• Paul Harris states: “There is no doubt the league is in a strong position, not only financially but supporter wise.” – well how about sharing this strength with all the clubs in the respective leagues by delegating money for the running of these clubs (budgeted evenly and distributed from the association).  Ultimately it is the players and the people behind the scene’s at these clubs, who do the hard work every Saturday. 
• “It is fundamental the league can provide whatever support and assistance it can,” Harriss said. “If there is the need for administrative or financial support, AFL Tasmania has got to work with the SFL to acknowledge the challenges clubs face”. – It seems to me that AFL Tasmania’s main focus is on the Devils and not on grass roots football.  Can not have one without the other. 
• Paul Harris states: “Any of us who have been involved in footy, whether an old TFL, Huon or Tasman club, we all know that a club playing football is good for a town or region.” – Yes but we’ve seen a lot of these town/region clubs disappear.  Maybe if AFL Tasmania  spent some of their wealth on local footy instead of the Devils and themselves we would still have these associations and clubs that are now extinct.  A Young country footballers dream of one day playing AFL will never be realised, because they have no where to play.

The future of the Devils lies in grass roots footy clubs, and not in the recruitment of interstate players.  This would drive membership and crowd attendances.  A culture has to be created were every young footballer wants to play for the Devils.