GILLON’S FULL SPEECH
Gillon McLachlan sends a message to Tasmanian football followers
SINCE the announcement of our steering committee in March, and our work with stakeholders across the state, it is clearly evident there is extraordinary passion for football in Tasmania.
Footy is a vital part of the community. More than 115 clubs, 16 leagues, 41,667 participants and in excess of 27,000 boys and girls play the game in some form in the state.
However, it is also clear there are some challenges.
For footy to prosper in one of our founding footy states, we need the help from the Tasmania football community to help create the solutions.
This needs to be a team effort. I would like to acknowledge the members of the steering committee who have dedicated themselves to ensuring they have been equipped with the right information to deliver these solutions, including AFL Tasmania CEO Trish Squires, Carlton coach Brendon Bolton, Brisbane coach Chris Fagan and former St Kilda captain Nick Riewoldt.
Additionally, it is important to recognise the many who were part of the process, including Tasmanian Premier Will Hodgman, Tasmanian Football Council chairman Paul Reynolds, the seven TSL presidents and representatives from Burnie and Devonport, and many others.
The steering committee had a clear vision: TASMANIAN talent competing at every level. MORE CHILDREN — girls and boys, playing our game. A ROBUST, sustainable community football that Tasmanians can support in their towns and regions.
Throughout the process we identified some significant pressure points that need to be corrected: THE NEED to increase funding on talent development, participation and junior football. A FRACTURED talent pathway for boys and girls. COMMUNITY FOOTBALL is under resourced and fragmented, affecting the ability to grow participation.
These are challenges that need to be addressed now, and in the long term, for the betterment of footy at all levels in the state.
Over the next three years, our vision is to rebuild and unify Tasmanian football.
The AFL will deliver an additional investment of $1.4 million into Tasmanian football in 2019, with incremental funding to be committed in 2020 and beyond.
The changes must start at a community level, the foundations that grow the number of Tasmanians participating in our game.
We will: CREATE three Football Administration Hubs in the South, North and North-West of the state. THESE HUBS will be the administration base for local leagues and clubs, reducing the burden on community volunteers. THE COMPETITION MANAGERS in these regions will be responsible for the day to day running of the competitions, including fixturing and tribunal, along with managing the policy and education programs. ESTABLISH regional advisory commissions working with local leagues and communities dealing with local issues. ESTABLISH affiliation agreements with community football leagues and associations to enable a consistent and integrated approach to governance, support and AFL funding across the state. BY BEING AFFILIATED with AFL Tasmania it delivers the clubs — Sports TG support, JLT Insurance coverage, and giving players an opportunity to be selected in the AFL talent programs. THE TASMANIAN STATE LEAGUE will remain the premier competition in the state and will continue to receive AFL funding. The clubs have committed to working with community football within their zones.
We will also revitalise our talent pathways to ensure all Tasmanians participating in the game have the best possible chance to be drafted into the AFL and AFLW. EXTEND the Tasmanian youth talent pathway from under-12 through to under-18, provide more opportunities for involvement in intrastate competitions and state selection, and remove player
Over the next three years, our vision is to rebuild and unify Tasmanian football
levies to ensure broad access and affordability.
ESTABLISH a statewide representative team to compete in the TAC Cup in 2019, supported by a full-time coach and regional coaching groups, allowing young Tasmanian talent to develop
from all regions to compete at the highest level across a full season.
GRANT a provisional licence for a stand-alone statewide representative team to compete in the VFL in 2021, to enable senior talent from across the state to compete in a high-quality and sustainable state league program.
INCREASE our investment in female talent, including a new full-time resource dedicated to the female talent pathways and the establishment of a TAC Cup Girls program for 2020.
We will bring all of this together through an advisory board, representing all regions of the Tasmanian football community, to work with the AFL to develop the TAC Cup and VFL operating models.
We also want a name all Tasmanians can own and be proud of.
All Tasmanian representative teams, from junior participation and talent pathways through to the selected TAC Cup and VFL programs, will sit under the one TEAM TASMANIA banner. The team name is to be decided by the Tasmanian public.
A team that all Tasmanians can rally behind.
Today is a step in the right direction, a clear plan that speaks to all levels of Tasmanian football with unprecedented funding.
The passion needs to be harnessed and the time is now.
This is an opportunity for Tasmania to unite.
To ensure Tasmanians, men, women, boys and girls, have every opportunity to play footy all levels. Gillon McLachlan is chief executive of the Australian Football League.