The head of AFL has swooped into Tasmania in a bid to save the state’s grassroots footy competitions.
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Tasmanian football has been unwell for sometime, but in the past 12 months it has taken a turn for the worse.
The state’s major competition, the State League, is on life support. Burnie and Devonport have announced they won’t be lacing up their boots for the 2018 season.
Without a North-West influence, it’s barely a state league at all. It’s like an Australian Football League without a Tasmanian team – oh, wait.
When Gillon McLachlan announced he would meet Premier Will Hodgman and AFL Tasmania CEO Trisha Squires on Wednesday, many were sceptical that it would be nothing more than a PR exercise.
McLachlan announced a steering committee that will take well-known football names and task them with investigating the code in Tasmania, from the top down.
While for some this was a welcome step in the right direction, there are those that no doubt see it as just another tokenistic shuffle. Many still have questions about the recommendations of the Garlick report.
It is clear that McLachlan needs to fully commit to all corners of the state. That means getting on the road and visiting clubs and stakeholders in the North and North-West, not just Hobart.
He may face opposition, even hostility, in the North. He’s made it clear that he believes a one-club AFL model is best for Tasmania.
That one club would be North Melbourne, something invested Northern Hawks supporters aren’t too chuffed about.
From a numbers point of view, the Roos as Tassie’s sole AFL team would provide a funding boost to the club that’s now ranked at the bottom of the financial ladder.
It’s not a ranking dissimilar to what Hawthorn had before it made a nest in Tasmania 17-odd years ago.
But to take the national league out of the equation, McLachlan’s visit is hopefully the first of many. He extended the proverbial olive branch, in a move to stymie the death rattle.
All eyes will be on his next play. Some State League teams say a $400,000 annual investment, per club, is what’s needed to save the competition.
For others, money is nothing without support. Tasmania has a proud history of producing talented footballers, and passionate fans. It would be beyond sad to see that talent and passion left to squander.
