DECISION TIME FOR DEVILS

THE ball is in Tasmania’s hands as to whether it joins the new-look VFL next season, with the Devils still holding a provisional licence for the 2021 season.

THE ball is in Tasmania’s hands as to whether it joins the new-look VFL next season.

The state was provided with a provisional VFL licence for 2021 as one of the AFL steering committee’s recommendations announced in 2018 to lift the health of the code.

Earlier this week, the AFL announced its proposed structure for the second-tier competitions, with the VFL, WAFL, SANFL, NTFL and the state’s TSL locked in for next season, but the NEAFL’s AFL reserves teams (Sydney, GWS, Brisbane Lions and Gold Coast) to join the VFL as either stand-alone teams, aligned with existing second-tier clubs or spread their players across multiple second-tier clubs.

But there was no mention of a Tasmanian VFL team.

However, an AFL spokesman told the Mercury the provisional licence was still held by AFL Tasmania and it would be the state’s decision whether to join or not.

“As a holder of a provisional VFL licence, Tasmania has been provided with the flexibility to determine the form of their involvement in secondtier football in 2021,” the spokesman said.

“We will continue discussions with Tasmania about future participation in the VFL competition but acknowledge they want to understand the impact on the broader local football landscape, particularly following COVID-19.”

It could be the first test for new head of AFL Tasmania Damian Gill, who takes up the role from November 1.

The idea of joining the VFL without an AFL licence was criticised by the Government’s AFL Taskforce in its business case released earlier this year.

“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 faced and concluded a stand-alone VFL team would be detrimental to the code.

TSL clubs also fear the drain on talent should the VFL team be reintroduced.

Premier Peter Gutwein has backed the taskforce’s recommendation against a standalone VFL team.

“I think it will be a very difficult proposition for the state to have a VFL team that wasn’t linked to a provisional licence for an AFL and AFLW team,” Gutwein said this year.

“I think having a standalone VFL team would be very difficult to be successful . . . without there being a pathway to a provisional licence.”