Round 4 | 30 April – 1 MAy 2011

OUR GREAT GAME | Review of Football below the TSL 2010
Critical to Success
For these core recommendations to be relevant and
realistic the following need to be addressed:
• The NTFL, NTFA and SFL need to commit to
becoming legitimate regional football leaders;
their roles need to become far broader than just
competition management and administration.
The leagues need to be fully committed to
regional game development.
• As the AFL’s Tasmanian affiliates the NTFL,
NTFA and SFL will be encouraged, guided and
supported by AFL Tasmania to become regional
football leaders. This will require a financial
investment in football below the TSL, but not at
the expense of the TSL.
• AFL Tasmania will need to secure a new and
sustainable revenue stream for Tasmanian
football.
• If the NTFL, NTFA and SFL do not wish to
undertake a legitimate regional football
leadership role then their position as members of
AFL Tasmania will need to be reconsidered.
It has taken over a decade for AFL Tasmania, the
NTFL, NTFA and SFL to get to this point, i.e. where
state and regional football leaders can become
‘genuine partners’.
AFL Tasmania believes if the core recommendations
contained in this report are effectively developed
and implemented, Tasmanian football can look
forward to a future of cooperation and respect
amongst its leadership.
AFL Tasmania hopes this report will be the catalyst
for positive cultural change in Tasmanian football
administration – it won’t happen overnight but with
commitment and investment it can happen!
Tiers of Tasmanian Football
The levels of Australian football throughout the
nation, including Tasmania, are as demonstrated by
the pyramid below:
Tasmania has a plan for the top level of football, i.e.
the AFL national competition. The plan, led by the
Tasmanian Government, is that our State is ready
to support an AFL team of its own - whenever the
AFL is ready to consider Tasmania as a legitimate
market. A Tasmanian based AFL team proposal
has been presented to the AFL under the banner of
‘We’re ready whenever you’re ready’.
In 2009 AFL Tasmania also implemented a new
long term plan for State League level football
(Tier 2), i.e. the establishment of the new TSL
competition. However, no strategic or future
directions plan exists for the Tier 3 and Tier 4 levels
of competition in Tasmania.
As the governing and controlling body for
Australian football in this state, AFL Tasmania has
a responsibility to ensure that the foundations
of our game (junior and youth) and the range of
community/country/social clubs and competitions
are also provided with the opportunity to survive,
and more importantly, grow and prosper.
Full Report – is available on AFL Tasmania’s
website: www.footballtas.com.au
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