Health of footy in Tasmania at grassroots

[Wilbur35]

The articles this week in The Mercury, regarding the review of junior footy and the inability of two northern clubs and one southern club to field u/19 sides once again raise questions about the development of AFL in Tasmania and participation rates.

Whilst AFL Tasmania has been reported in the past as saying participation has never been higher and that the game is healthy, there is mounting evidence to suggest that is simply not the case.

For example, I recently stumbled across an old newspaper from August 1994. It made for very, very sad reading. Being a Monday paper it was full of the footy scores from the previous Saturday. The main thing that stood out, was the large number of teams that today simply no longer exist.

I thought I would compile a list...if any one can think of any others, please feel free to add.

 

[Wilbur35]

Franklin (merged with Hoonville)
Kermandie (SFL)
Friends (OSFA)
New Town (OSFA)
Cambridge
Bridgewater
North Derwent
Lachlan
Tunbridge
Kempton
Ross
Colebrook
Bothwell
Oatlands
Sandy Bay/Southern Cats
The whole ODFA reserves competition
The whole OSFA Thirds/Fourths competition
Nubeena
Port Arthur

 

[Wilbur35]

I know I have missed some, but this to merely demonstrate an obvious point.

Now, I am a pretty simple person and I only learned my maffs in Norky, but lets say 20 clubs have disappeared....if each club fields two teams on average, 22 per team, there are 440 fewer people playing footy each weekend compared to 15 years ago.

Does that mean participation is up, and the game healthy? Go figure.

 

[advance]

Franklin (merged with Hoonville)
Kermandie (SFL)
Friends (OSFA)
New Town (OSFA)
Cambridge
Bridgewater
North Derwent
Lachlan
Tunbridge
Kempton
Ross
Colebrook
Bothwell
Oatlands
Sandy Bay/Southern Cats
The whole ODFA reserves competition
The whole OSFA Thirds/Fourths competition
Nubeena
Port Arthur

You can add Tun-wack (2001) and 'Rattah (1986) to that list

 

[Cadoras]

And of course you can add the "Danny Malone" Railway to the list!

Remember his mugshot in the papers with a clapped out bus behind him pleading for players, he even said he would pick them up from their doorstep and provide them with "liquid refreshments" on the way home.

Last I heard was that he was captain coach of HM Risdon jailbirds footy team?????

 

[Barge]

Not sure Bridgewater were still about at that stage (1994) but yeah folded around that time. 1990-92 for mine.

Also forgot Premaydena and Eaglehawk Neck from the Peninsula. The latter was a late football home of one of your old team mates, the legendary Michael Harris!

 

[Barge]

Now, I am a pretty simple person and I only learned my maffs in Norky, but lets say 20 clubs have disappeared....if each club fields two teams on average, 22 per team, there are 440 fewer people playing footy each weekend compared to 15 years ago.

Does that mean participation is up, and the game healthy? Go figure.

Private school educations are clearly money wasted!

Wouldn't 20 clubs fielding 2 teams be 40 teams with let's say 22 players be 880 players lost to the game?!

Sadly, this further illustrates your point!

Just remembered another club, from where OHA have picked up a few graduates over the years - Risdon Vale.

 

[Wilbur35]

Private school educations are clearly money wasted!

Wouldn't 20 clubs fielding 2 teams be 40 teams with let's say 22 players be 880 players lost to the game?!

Sadly, this further illustrates your point!

Just remembered another club, from where OHA have picked up a few graduates over the years - Risdon Vale.

BAHAHAHAHA Got me there....I noticed that late yesterday, but couldn't be stuffed fixing it. But that just makes it even worse.

You might be right about Bridgewater, but Mangalore was definitely around then, but I guess they really became Brighton.

 

[Menza]

For example, I recently stumbled across an old newspaper from August 1994. It made for very, very sad reading. Being a Monday paper it was full of the footy scores from the previous Saturday. The main thing that stood out, was the large number of teams that today simply no longer exist.

I thought I would compile a list...if any one can think of any others, please feel free to add.

The loss of these teams would probably coincide with the loss of High School footy and the debacle of the underage structure around the same time. (ie under 21, under 19, under 18 & under 17's).

What was wrong with the old system of you play High School footy with your mates until you left school and then entered a club system of under 17 in a Sunday league and under 19 before the reserves on the Saturday.

This would mean you played with your mates for as long as you can to keep players interested and the step in level was never going to be a huge one.

I'm sure we all know of players that were good enough to play with the school on Saturday and then backed up for their club on the Sunday in the 17's.

In the SFL our underage teams are under 17 which apparently means they are 16 years olds. Now a 16 year old then has to step up to play against men, some are more than capable but in the SFL in particular this seems a pretty big step.

Maybe I have got a bit carried away so sorry for ranting!

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

I think they were still separate in 1994, Fingal and St Marys are now "Fingal Valley" in the NTFA.
The FVDFA had disappeared by then I think.

edit: It has to be remembered though that for much of that period Tasmania was losing people, and mostly in the age group that would be the player base. And that many country areas are still losing their young adult population, participation rates may be just as high among the age group; just with less people to participate. The costs have also sky-rocketed, with insurance and the like.

 

[DOSACHOKER]

I believe if we look at the dates and the demise of many clubs we can look at otherthings such as touch footy, soccer and hockey increasing numbers in this time and having better organised club structures for young kids to get involved in. Also some clubs have been held to ransom by greedy players whom believe it it their god given right to be paid to play footy at the lowest level Subsequently some clubs have gone into financial trouble as a result after suffering this fate more than once??

Footy is the only sport I know of where players that are average at best get paid to play, you can play hockey for example and unless you play for Australia you basically play for the love of the game and even then the money really only covers costs to travel in grant form. I believe money is one problem in footy, too much goes out of the clubs and down the urinal

 

[Todman]

Rip

Zeehan
Eagleneck
Hagley
Brooklyn
Cressy
Westbury
Perth

 

[Wilbur35]

I believe if we look at the dates and the demise of many clubs we can look at otherthings such as touch footy, soccer and hockey increasing numbers in this time and having better organised club structures for young kids to get involved in. Also some clubs have been held to ransom by greedy players whom believe it it their god given right to be paid to play footy at the lowest level Subsequently some clubs have gone into financial trouble as a result after suffering this fate more than once??

Footy is the only sport I know of where players that are average at best get paid to play, you can play hockey for example and unless you play for Australia you basically play for the love of the game and even then the money really only covers costs to travel in grant form. I believe money is one problem in footy, too much goes out of the clubs and down the urinal

You raise a very good point. Unfortunately some clubs have created this monster by throwing money around just to get players to come to their club, regardless of ability. Since Richmond entered the OSFA, it has crept in there too. I have heard of some pretty average players there getting paid to play over the years.

 

[Wilbur35]

The loss of these teams would probably coincide with the loss of High School footy and the debacle of the underage structure around the same time. (ie under 21, under 19, under 18 & under 17's).

What was wrong with the old system of you play High School footy with your mates until you left school and then entered a club system of under 17 in a Sunday league and under 19 before the reserves on the Saturday.

This would mean you played with your mates for as long as you can to keep players interested and the step in level was never going to be a huge one.

I'm sure we all know of players that were good enough to play with the school on Saturday and then backed up for their club on the Sunday in the 17's.

In the SFL our underage teams are under 17 which apparently means they are 16 years olds. Now a 16 year old then has to step up to play against men, some are more than capable but in the SFL in particular this seems a pretty big step.

Maybe I have got a bit carried away so sorry for ranting!

We're allowed to rant Menz. I think we qualify as grump old men now....back in my day....

You're spot on.

 

[moocher82]

Re: Rip

Zeehan
Eagleneck
Hagley
Brooklyn
Cressy
Westbury
Perth

Myalla mid season from the Darwin up here a couple of years ago, Yeoman sharing facilities with South Burnie currently

 

[roorat]

Just from the Deloraine area we had
Red hills
Chudleigh
Meander
Elizabeth Town
All gone now but along with the football club go the volunteers as well. When these clubs folded there weren't many who moved on to help out at another club. A lot of bigger clubs pay gate keepers etc on game day but struggling smaller clubs just don't have the funds to do that and with the volunteer base getting older and smaller will be just a matter of time til more clubs fold.
Unfortunately Footypedia isn't online at the moment but it would be interesting to get a timeline on when a lot of clubs folded and look at the reasons i.e seven day trading, insurance costs rising, etc

 

[BigBadCam]

Just blame Scott Wade and the waste of money that was the Devils and /endthread.

 

[Duff TV]

But hang on junior participation is at an all time high.

What a load of B................t.

 

[roorat]

But hang on junior participation is at an all time high.

What a load of B................t.

Don't know what it's like down South but our Northern Juniors have very high participation. What needs to be looked at is the participation rate past under 13's. This is when our club finds we struggle for numbers especially in the Under 16's. Something needs to be done to keep the boys interested past this age group but I think its just a general trend for that age group and any strategys from club or association level are a waste of time. Maybe the boys have got sick of the early starts and training they have experienced from under 9's up(maybe the parents have too), are we starting them full on too early? Footy in Tas hasn't improved from these intense competitions it was going better when we just had school comps and mini leagues at half time in the seniors. Are we pushing them too hard and too young???

 

[BigBadCam]

Don't know what it's like down South but our Northern Juniors have very high participation. What needs to be looked at is the participation rate past under 13's. This is when our club finds we struggle for numbers especially in the Under 16's. Something needs to be done to keep the boys interested past this age group but I think its just a general trend for that age group and any strategys from club or association level are a waste of time. Maybe the boys have got sick of the early starts and training they have experienced from under 9's up(maybe the parents have too), are we starting them full on too early? Footy in Tas hasn't improved from these intense competitions it was going better when we just had school comps and mini leagues at half time in the seniors. Are we pushing them too hard and too young???

I can tell you what it is. The SFL and NTFL were both nothing leagues where guys busted their arses training as hard as a lot of VFL players only to play in nothing games in front of crowds of 40 people. Most boys want not so much fortune, but at least a bit of fame from playing footy at the top level in their region. You got more fame in recent years playing for a country town than playing in these leagues. Most kids know by the age of 14 or 15 whether or not they have a realistic chance of playing at the top level, and once this realisation is reached, most lose their dreams and give it away. All the hard work and injuries seems pointless to a lot of them. The Devils concept was alright at first, but after Wade made the descision to merge with the Roos and sold out the young Tasmanians who were getting a chance, the passion fell away again, which was mirrored by the crowds. Add to that, the success of soccer in converting a lot of youngsters with Australia starting to push it's weight around on the international stage, and of course we'll struggle to keep them playing footy. A lot is currently riding on the success of the current state league format.