Devils ask for feedback

AFL Tasmania has sent a survey to all Devils players and parents as the under-18 program sets up its search for a new coach.

The survey will ask for feedback on the coaching, time and school commitments, communication, challenges and areas of improvement following the season that finished with eight straight losses and inaugural coach Adrian Fletcher returning to Queensland after some parents raised concerns over his coaching style.

Devils football manager Craig Notman said the survey was not introduced due to Fletcher’s departure and said his phone had been running hot with people inquiring about the position since Fletcher announced his resignation.

“The role moving forward there needs to be real emphasis on the development of the players individually,” Notman said. “The NAB League is a development league and that role needs to be heavily focused on individual development of the players and not just the under-18s but filtered all the way through the development pathway so setting up a really strong program.

“Adrian departing it gives us a good opportunity to reset and boost what we are doing in the younger age groups.

“When you are trying to get results in the draft over one or two years, you need to be able to expand that out.

“It is really important kids are exposed to what we need them to do over a five, six-year period to get the outcomes we want to achieve.”

Notman will be part of a three-man coaching selection panel alongside the AFL’s national talent competition manager Marcus Ashcroft and the AFL’s coaching, innovation and education manager David Rath, who was a key part of Hawthorn’s coaching panel during the Hawk’s premiership three peat.

The Devils position will be advertised by the end of the week, and Notman said it was hoped the position would be filled by the start of November at the latest given the Devils pre-season training starts on November 19.

Notman said the new coach would get a talented group with many younger players blooded this year and ready to excel in 2020.

“There are exciting times coming up,” he said.