MIXED MESSAGES

Report urges no VFL without AFL licence

TASMANIA should baulk at re-entering the VFL without a provisional AFL licence, the Taskforce business case recommends.

It also questions the future of the TSL and found the football community does not believe AFL Tasmania works in the state’s best interest. The Devils returning to the Victorian state league was one of the key recommendations from the 2018 AFL steering committee — chaired by AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan — as part of the state’s talent pathway and as part of Tasmania’s push to one day join the AFL.

However, in the AFL Licence Taskforce Business Plan 2019, the Taskforce says a VFL team without a provisional AFL licence will have the exact opposite effect, taking Tasmania further away from its big league dream. The Taskforce business case takes in the costs for a VFL team, but only as part of an AFL set up — not as a standalone team.

“Should no commitment be forthcoming for a Tasmanian AFL club, our recommendation is that the state declines to fund the VFL program,” the report says.

The report raises questions as to why Tasmania is asked to jump hurdles other teams have not been faced with. “Is a successful VFL team one of the keys to an AFL licence and if so what does success look like? More relevantly, why was this not a requirement for any other expansion team?”

The report quoted Devonport Football Club president Gerard Ennis as encapsulating the view of the football community.

“A VFL team for Tassie will be doomed to fail if they judge it on attendance,” Ennis said.

“Essentially it is an AFL reserves competition.

“People will watch once or twice and then won’t bother … (and) we will struggle to attract players to commit to all the travel.

“An AFL team is our priority. Any VFL entry must be linked to an AFL entry or not at all.”

The report also looked at the health of the seven-club TSL, which “the Taskforce would observe remains tenuous at best”, and the football communities view of AFL Tasmania.

“There is a general but tangible mistrust of AFL Tasmania and the belief that no one fights for the state at a national level,” it says.

“This is coupled with a belief that the AFL is not interested in grassroots football nor growing the game in Tasmania.”

AFL Tasmania was asked for comment but a spokesman said it was still working through the 268-page report and would respond at a later date.

THERE IS A GENERAL BUT TANGIBLE MISTRUST OF AFL TASMANIA AND THE BELIEF THAT NO ONE FIGHTS FOR THE STATE AT A NATIONAL LEVEL