Don’t get too excited

Is the VFL a viable future for Tassie? Time to reserve judgment

PREPARE yourselves, Tasmanians. It’s comin’.

The onslaught of social media-like hunting, by way of those Tasmanians whose desperate cries for state-based sporting love are sent in the direction of New South Wales or Queensland and their NRL State of Origin rivalry. It is upon us. “Nah,” says Jimmy, who has been questioned by his mates on Facebook for his once-yearly display of love and knowledge of the NRL, the state of Queensland and its oversized banana. “Me dad’s aunt moved to Eromanga in 1985 and we visited her in 1987 when I was three. Been a Maroon me whole life!” And so the story goes. As the bad taste in your mouth hits you and your bros.

Because here comes King Gillon McLachlan, passing his way this week through (insert your own rhyming town of the North-West here — I suggest Melrose).

Did you know that the AFL’s bold long-term plan is to have each of its league teams represented by its own reserves side? The travelling Hawks reserves would play the Port Adelaide ressies in a curtain-raiser at UTas Stadium this weekend.

And to be fair, it is an absolute no-brainer. It would provide the cleanest and most efficient talent pathway for those aspirational chaps who are climbing for AFL glory.

From all reports, the only tick box required for the AFL to make this happen is for the clubs in Western Australia (West Coast and Fremantle) to agree to the model.

These two clubs are faced with continued issues around their alignment to the WAFL — East Perth (West Coast aligned) and Peel Thunder (Fremantle) — and how unfair it is on the other seven non-AFL-aligned clubs that don’t receive a weekly injection of AFL-ready talent from the non-selected-A F L-contracted-players list—which sounds a lot like the CTPL.

Let’s say that the best-case scenario in King Gillon’s visit to the North-West is that Tasmanians no longer have to cling to a great aunt’s connection to Queensland for its state-based sporting love, and the steering committee decides to give the TSL presidents what they want: more cash for the TSL, the Mariners AND the Devils to make a return to the VFL or join the NEAFL.

Let me ask you this. Based on what I’ve just told you, does that “best case” scenario cement our spot in the national football landscape as any safer, prosperous or development-orientated than our current predicament?

What becomes of the VFL, SANFL or the NEAFL when the AFL reserves takes the nation’s mantle as tier-B football? Gone are the cream of non-AFL-contracted players who seek the aforementioned career climb of AFL glory. Gone too are the promising youngsters.

Say 15 players (minimum) into an extended training squad for each AFL team, and you’ve removed 270 of the best tier-B players in the country to fill out the AFL spots.

In terms of career opportunities for those chasing the chance to shine, it’s a remarkable thing and great for the game. But how does that impact the standard of the VFL, WAFL, SANFL and the NEAFL (which already has four AFL reserves teams — Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sydney and GWS)?

It means they wallow in the irrelevance that Tasmanian football now basks in.

Don’t be blinded by what AFL Tas, the TSL clubs, Madeleine Ogilvy or the Tasmanian Football Council believe to be a “best case scenario” for the growth of the game in our state.

Tasmania. Not sponsored by Tasmania, not partnering battling Victorian teams to hold up our own winter economy, not being led into the planned irrelevance of the VFL or the NEAFL.

Tasmania and the Tasmanian reserves — the green jumper, edged with maroon trims and that yellow map proudly taking centre stage of the AFL.