YOUR NAME ON THE MAP

What do you think the Tasmanian team should be called and why?

TODAY the AFL and the Mercury kick off a search for a single name that all Tasmanian representative footy teams will play under — from under-12s to the VFL, and beyond.

The single name was one of the suggestions made by the AFL’s steering committee, which believed it would help unify our teams — be they junior or senior, male or female.

AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan said he wanted a name that “all Tasmanians can own and be proud of”. Readers of the Mercury can, from today, suggest a name on our website or through a form on page 5. A panel will determine a shortlist, before Tasmanians will vote on our website for the winner.

IT might be a traditional name, like the Devils, or one from left field, such as the Tasmanian Pterodactyls.

Either way, the state’s representative football teams will soon be playing under the one banner.

AFL Tasmania is today launching a campaign, in partnership with the Mercury and Triple M, to find a publicly suggested and endorsed name that helps to unify the state.

AFL Tasmania chief executive Trisha Squires hopes as many Tasmanians as possible have their say on the new name.

“Whether you’re the under-12 academy boys or girls or whether you end up playing in our VFL team in 2021, we’re proud of our jumper, but we want that to be something that we own as Tasmanians,” Ms Squires said.

The under-18s program has been known as the Mariners, while Tasmania’s previous VFL club was called the Devils.

But one of the AFL steering committee’s recommendations is for all Tasmanian teams, be it junior, youth or senior, male or female, to be called the same name.

In a Talking Point in the Mercury last month, AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan said the steering committee’s vision is to “rebuild and unify Tasmanian football” over the next three years.

“We also want a name all Tasmanians can own and be proud of,” Mr McLachlan wrote.

“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.”

While 11-year-old Harry Flack has floated the Tasmanian Pterodactyls as a potential name, former Tasmanian Devils star Ian Callinan would like to see a more traditional branding.

“Obviously if you’re starting it from scratch you’ve got to start a whole new club over, whereas the Devils have already been around and you could have [access to] past players and build the club from there,” Callinan said.

“Guys can speak to the guys that have been involved with it before, and nurture the kids and all of that sort of stuff, so I wouldn’t change it for the world.”

Ms Squires is open to all suggestions.

“I don’t have a personal favourite, but I’m looking forward to hearing some of the suggestions, because I’m sure they’re going to be pretty creative,” she said.

“Let’s have some fun as well. There’s been some pretty difficult times in Tassie footy, so I think this is really important for us just to have some fun with it as well.”