GIL’S JUST TOO BUSY

AFL boss won’t join Tassie rescue full time

AFL boss Gillon McLachlan will not be a permanent member of the official working committee being established to fix footy in Tasmania, the Mercury can reveal.

Despite AFL Tasmania’s demand that Mr McLachlan be on the working group, it is under- stood the plan is now that Mr McLachlan will only attend its first meeting. The Mercury understands his busy schedule will be used as the excuse.

AFL Tasmania CEO Trisha Squires said she did not know what Mr McLachlan’s involvement would be.

Ms Squires said “That [Mr McLachlan’s ongoing involvement] will be discussed at that first meeting that Gil will attend. I would suggest he won’t be here next week and that it would be after the election.

“All I know about his trip is that I will be having a meeting with Gil and the strategy rep- resentation from AFL House, who offered to assist me as the convenor of the group.”

Ms Squires wrote a letter of demand to Mr McLachlan on Sunday to seek help reviewing the TSL and its structure.

“We’ve had a really positive response that there is an agreeance about the Working Group and that Gil will travel to Tasmania and he will also bring a representation from the strategy team to start talking about what it will look like, and what will be the mandate of the group,” she said. “We are going to look at their progress and review the recommendations.”

The Mercury asked the AFL for comment, but did not receive a response.

AFL Tasmania’s meeting with the seven TSL clubs at Campbell Town yesterday decided to investigate a replacement team on the North-West Coast, a third team in Launceston, the viability of the league and a report into club operations and costs.