Tasmanian premier Will Hodgman wants to persuade the AFL from a proposal to force the state’s best female footballers to play for Greater Western Sydney Giants.
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The move would be at the expense of Tasmania hosting a side in next year’s women’s national competition.
Under an AFL proposal being floated, the Giants would have zone access to Tasmania to block its players entering a draft to join other clubs around Australia.
The AFL has issued an edict that only AFL clubs can bid for a women’s team, ruling out Tasmania’s eligibility of holding a licence outright.
The premier has expressed his views to the AFL after the Tasmanian Greens pushed for a women’s AFL team.
"We are committed to working with the AFL to increase women's participation in football and ultimately to have our own Tasmanian AFL women's team," he told Fairfax Media.
"Given North Melbourne's interest in a national women's league licence, we believe that it would be a sensible next step for Tasmania to align with the Kangaroos”.
The AFL plans did not surprise state women’s under-18 coach Andrew Philpott.
“We were originally told Sydney (Swans) were getting the New South Wales licence, but our girls at this stage are aligned with a NSW-based team,” Philpott said.
“I’d rather see them in Melbourne teams, but on the other hand they have do that to get numbers to Sydney.”
Rising sports talent Emma Manix-Geeves could choose cricket for Tasmania and WBBL club Hobart Hurricanes before football in Sydney over clashing seasons.
The 15-year-old said the proposition for Tasmanian teammates to move to Sydney had been “in the back of our minds” at last week’s national championships.
“I think most of them have the attitude if they have to do that, they will,” she said.
“It would be better to have a team in Tassie, obviously.”
Wynyard’s Emma Humphries was drafted to the Western Bulldogs at last year’s AFL women’s game against Melbourne and is expected to arouse interest from clubs for next year.
Humphries said she is willing to play for the Giants to return to help develop the women’s game in the state.
“Tasmania is a little bit behind the eight-ball, given that our state league has only been going five or six years compared to the Victoria VWFL,” she said.
“It would be tough to have our own team, but I definitely think in the future there is an option or a Tasmania side.”