In addition, the Federal Group announced that Wrest Point and the Country Club Resort have accepted the opportunity to become the sponsors of the Tasmanian State League two main sponsorship products; i.e.:
- Naming right to the competition; which will be referred to as the Wrest Point Tasmanian State League
- THE BALL sponsor; all footballs used in the Wrest Point Tasmanian State League will be branded with the Country Club logo
Dominic Baker said:
“Today’s official announcement that AFL Tasmania has established a new Tasmanian State League is enormously significant; when you consider the almost 150 year history of Australian Football in Tasmania.
For the first time ever the state of Tasmania will have a truly WHOLE OF STATE signature football competition that is independently managed and administered.
Australian Football in Tasmania has a proud and very rich history; however, since the inception and rapid growth of the national competition the quality and support for community football in Tasmania has significantly eroded.
Parochialism, negative attitudes and old fashioned competition management structures have unfortunately hindered the capacity for Tasmanian football to “progress with the times” – until now!
We now have an opportunity to support and develop Tasmanian State League Clubs to assist them to provide community leadership (not just football leadership).
The desired end result may take a decade to achieve – but – the end result will be worth the effort. Quality and professional Tasmanian State League Clubs will go a long way toward reinvigorating community pride in the quality of the Tasmanian football product.
Every level of football in Tasmania will benefit from having one quality and professional whole of state signature competition.
Since the establishment of AFL Tasmania by the AFL in December 1998, AFL Tasmania has managed and delivered game development programs throughout Tasmania; mostly in isolation to Clubs.
However, a most significant aspect of the new Tasmanian State League is that the Clubs will be required (on behalf of AFL Tasmania) to deliver AFL endorsed game development programs – this is a significant shift in the way AFL Tasmania does business.
In return, the Clubs will hand over the decision making authority for the competition to AFL Tasmania’s independent Board of Management.
In summary, Tasmanian football will do nothing other than to progress in an environment whereby the following scenario exists:
The state has one premier competition that is:
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A truly “whole of state” competition; representative of all major communities in Tasmania
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Member Clubs are committed to game development within their allocated development zone
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Member Clubs are prepared to engage with their respective communities
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The competition is independently managed and promoted by the AFL’s representatives in Tasmania (i.e. AFL Tasmania)
The state of Tasmania has aspirations to participate in the AFL national competition; the establishment and building of a quality Tasmanian State League will be a pathway to the AFL for players, coaches, umpires, sports trainers, conditioning and medical staff, administrators etc… who aspire to participate at the highest level within their own state.
A quality Tasmanian State League will be the solid foundation that Tasmania requires for the future.”
AFL Tasmania confirmed that the following ten (10) football clubs will be the inaugural member clubs of the Wrest Point Tasmanian State League:
- Burnie
- Devonport
- Launceston
- North Launceston
- South Launceston
- Glenorchy
- North Hobart
- Hobart
- Clarence
- Lauderdale
Last Modified on 09/12/2008 10:12