Competition’s survival vital, say TSL coaches

NO state league competition will be devastating to football in Tasmania according to TSL coaches.

With Burnie and Devonport out of the TSL, the league is now a seven-team competition and all five coaches from the southern clubs agree that the competition needs to stay. Clarence coach Jeromey Webberley acknowledges that without the TSL he would never have been drafted to Richmond in 2009.

“It’s a great environment for talent and players to get drafted and for players who don’t quite make the draft and want to play at the top level,” Webberley said.

North Hobart coach Richard Robinson and Tigers coach Trent Baumeler echoed Webberley’s thoughts.

“I think going forward the state has to commit to playing statewide league football to give every player the opportunity to playing at the highest level they can,” Robinson said.

Baumeler pointed out the success the TSL has had with getting Tigers Mackenzie Willis, Kieran Lovell and Hugh Dixon drafted to the AFL.

Glenorchy’s new coach Paul Kennedy believes there is still a future for teams on the North-West Coast and they should look at what happened with Frankston in the VFL for inspiration.

“My old club Frankston lost their licence last year,” Kennedy said.

“The community rallied and they went from 100 members to over 1200 members and now it’s a really profitable venture.”