But it's actually nothing new - for it's been happening for well over a century since sporting rosters became such an integral part of Tasmanian culture.

When industry and agriculture were far more labour-intensive and transport options more limited, Tasmanians lived in numbers throughout the state.

Sporting competitions flourished in all regions - perhaps most notably on the west coast.

A search of the internet will provide some idea of the sporting leagues and teams that have come and gone.

More intensive research will reveal how many highly popular events came, succeeded in a big way and then departed.

Demographic change has always been the major driver and still is.

But it's not the only factor.

It's way too simplistic, as some in the halls of politics and media have been inclined to do, to lay the blame at sporting administrators' feet.

Merge the comments made by several correspondents in letters to this newspaper's editor and it's clear there is an alignment of the planets that has made it difficult for sport in Tasmania to continue in the style it has become accustomed, both at elite and participatory levels.

The most recent contribution is a poignant observation.

With more and more late-teen and 20-something Tasmanians working in casualised employment or as contractors, there is a massive risk associated with participation in sport - particularly those involving contact or significant exertion.

When most were employed, sick leave was an option for sporting injury but if you are not in a permanent role or work for yourself, lost work days through sporting injury mean lost income or opportunity and perhaps even a lost job.

Recent internal surveys within sport have found this to be a very real reason for both males and females not renewing their involvement for another season.

Then there is simply the matter of changed values in our society - most notably in gender equity. Instead of an afternoon on the footy or cricket field followed by an evening in the bar for many blokes there's now Saturday time with the kids, building their own homes or visits to the hardware store and the like.

But there's more.

For country towns it's about the closure of post offices, police stations, banks, schools and stock and station agencies.

Their loss means less community leaders to serve on club committees or players on teams.

Then into play is a particularly Tasmanian problem caused by the move of so many university courses from Launceston to Hobart.

Not only does this have a significant effect on Hobart's housing crisis but it creates a massive disincentive for re-located students to play for northern or north-west teams.

It's a very big reason why elite level teams in AFL and netball are no longer based on the North-West Coast

And that plain old factor of demographic change is still relevant.

Folk of sporting club age don't live in the north-east, the central or far north-west in the numbers that they used to.

Country schools don't have the populations they once did.

For far too long older players kept going for one more year to keep a reserves team alive. It reached a point when that wasn't possible any more.

But the number one causal factor without question is the demise of physical education and sport in Tasmanian schools.

We have now had a generation or more pass through our education system, both public and private without the acquisition of the skills or passion to engage in sport and recreation.

Sporting bodies are hopelessly under-resourced to pick up the slack but even worse, they have lost the eager breed of sport-hungry kids engaged by healthy and encouraging school programs.

Sport has long been the life blood and engagement mechanism of many communities but even more importantly it has kept Australians healthy.

There's no need for another health study or internal sport review to detect the problems.

Some factors can't be controlled, but a K-12 education system without a serious commitment to physical activity and skill acquisition can be redressed by willing governments, bureaucrats and principals.