Deloraine coach Lochie Dornauf has penned an open letter to the NTFA community in an attempt to get the game off the ground in 2020.
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Going into detail about what football means to his local community and ever-growing club, last season's Hec Smith Medallist said the Kangaroos' 61 confirmed players had all agreed to play the season for free.
"The aim of the letter is to nullify any preconceived concerns surrounding player payments and the negative impacts that may have upon a club," he said.
"At Deloraine, we are extremely keen on playing footy in 2020 but we are also aware that it shouldn't come at a cost of clubs going into a deficit and by removing the highest annual expenditure, we hope will result in a highly competitive and enjoyable season - back to the basics of junior football."
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Returning to Deloraine last season after playing in Victoria since 2011, the 27-year-old spent several years playing in the Victorian Amateur Football Association, where no player gets paid to pay, which he believes shows the model can work.
"I found a home within the VAFA at University Black and a lot of it is, those were just there to play for their mates.
"Winter gets cold, we all know that, so it takes something pretty special to get people to come out of their homes when it's minus one, minus two degrees without financial incentive."
Upon asking his players if they were prepared to go without payment for 2020, the responses varied from, "I never played for the money, why start now?" to "my payment goes back to the club anyway, I would be happy to play for free."
Describing local football as the "lifeblood" of the Deloraine area, Dornauf acknowledges that the NTFA have many other issues to get through before his side run back onto the park but feels that player payments shouldn't hold the competition back.
"In the small country towns, people build their entire week around being free on a Saturday afternoon to watch a relative, their favourite player or just to get out of the house - it gives them an opportunity and reason to get out," he said.
Dornauf's full letter
To whom it may concern,
I write to you on behalf of the Deloraine Football Club in respect to the 2020 season.
We are the committee, coaches, players, trainers, game day managers and water boys/girls but first and foremost, we are members of our community.
Football is the lifeblood of any Tasmanian community. Ask the local news agency attendant who won on the weekend and they will be able to tell you the margin and who kicked the winning goals.
Why? Because they are invested.
Ask the ladies and gentlemen from the local bakery who their favourite player is and you do so knowing you are now locked into a 15 minute conversation listing a player in each respective position.
Why? Because they are invested.
People say that the romance of football is dead, it isn't. A community's support is constant and unwavering; win, lose or draw so it stands to reason that we as players give a bit more back.
When state restrictions are lifted, the community will look towards its local sporting clubs to provide an avenue of distraction from what will be a very difficult time both physically and mentally.
When they look for us to lead, we must be there. They are invested and we are invested in them.
Taking the afore into consideration, the players of the Deloraine Football Club have unanimously voted to forego player payment's for season 2020 in order to play.
These are a few of the responses, many from our highest paid players;
"Happy to play for free, anything to get back on the park,"
"Without a doubt I will play for free, if there is anything else we can do please sing out,"
"I never played for the money, why start now?"
"I just want to be around my mates, who cares about the money?"
"My payment goes back to the club anyway, I would be happy to play for free,"
"It's not even a question,"
If the Northern Tasmanian Football Association 2020 season is to be cancelled, we implore it to be on reasons of community safety, not due to financial constraints derived from player payments.
Best regards,
Lochie Dornauf
Deloraine Senior Football Coach
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