Is the AFL fit for purpose?
TASSIE TEAM IN BIG LEAGUE
THE AFL’s official purpose, as stated on their website, is “to progress the game so everyone can enjoy its heritage and possibilities”. Granting Tasmania its own AFL side would be a good way to help show that this simple, but eloquent, AFL mission statement is truly real, rather than just online pleasantries. Perhaps Premier Gutwein might care to remind the AFL of this point when lobbying and pushing publicly for this worthy goal?
Ben Walker West Hobart
FORWARD TO THE PAST
HOPEFULLY Andy Bennett will remember his playing days in TFL football, when the stands were full, as they were in the NTFA and the NWFU, and see his new role in Tasmanian football administration as the beginning of what we had, being returned, which in turn will see the fans return. Forget an AFL team, it ain’t gonna happen.
John Hunt Warrane
GIVE MFL THE FLICK
ENOUGH is enough. It is quite apparent Mr McLachlan and the AFL do not want Tasmania to have its own team in the league. If the AFL did want a Tasmanian team, we would have been ahead of Fremantle, Port Adelaide, Gold Coast and GWS.
The money the government spends on Hawthorn and North Melbourne should go to our grassroots Aussie Rules footy and other sports.
Let’s give AFL (or should we call it the MFL for Mainland Football League) the flick and support local clubs.
Annie Beha Oakdowns
ADMIRABLE GOAL
PREMIER Peter Gutwein’s hard-line stance with the CEO of the AFL demanding a response as to whether we will see a home-grown “Tasmanian thylacine or swift parrot” AFL team with map proudly emblazoned on the jumper being included in the AFL in the foreseeable future is admirable.
With our Premier taking what I believe a continued similar stance to date aligned with the COVID-19 outbreak such as closing our borders, applying hard and tough rules, sanitation rising to new unprecedented strict levels, social distancing and quarantining all our interstate travellers has resulted in our state losing only 13 lives (95 per cent of which can be directly linked to the Ruby Princess) is also highly commendable, despite the sharp rise in unemployment, low morale through the hospitality and tourism industries, general small businesses suffering hardship never seen previously, and the economy taking a massive downturn.
The bottom line is our economy is still in dire straits and must recover quickly. Any unnecessary spending appears to be an underlining factor our Premier has in mind with these AFL dealings this time.
Without an immediate return that benefits the unemployment rate, tourism industry and small business, despite North Melbourne and Hawthorn playing eight games out of Tasmania benefiting some, the overriding factor is Tasmania’s young footy talent is diminishing rapidly with other options opening up in 2022 (Tasmanian Jack Jumpers).
Their pathway to the highest level while plying their craft in Tasmania has been impacted year in, year out since 2004, because from then the state has lost over 14 country, inner-city and amateur Australian Rules football teams. When will it end?
Just view the numbers leaving our state after under-18 level. Rhys Mansell is an excellent example of leaving the state playing in the SANFL and being picked up by Richmond only last week.
Maybe the answer is an affirmative response from Mr McLachlan when he announces we will have a home-grown AFL team by 2025 because only then our emerging footy talent from ages 12 and up will have something to aspire to — to one day represent their state in the greatest multiskilled game on Earth.
Chris Garity Howrah