David Harding
Gippy
Kristy lee
Cain LynchFight for team drags on
June 2nd 2010 15:06
Sourced:The Mercury - The Voice of Tasmania
I have posted my thoughts on why Tasmania hasn't got an AFL side right here I will post a reply to Robert Shaw's comments on this article that was posted in the Mercury yesterday, Robert Shaw is saying what most Tasmanian's already think we know we are not going to get the next team, and most of us believe we are not going to get a team anyway.
Wouldn't it be nice? To actually believe that we're the next in line to be brought into the AFL as a football side, a bunch of young Tasmanians living out their dream in their own state? I am sure there are going to be a few Tasmanians come the end of the season that are going to live out their AFL playing dream, but they will find their way all over the country, and a lot of the others will be playing State League football in different parts of the country as well,
It would be good to have some of these players who are later delisted from their AFL club to come back to Tasmania, the State League would be the better for this, since the death of the Devils we do have some former AFL listed players playing in Tasmania, Luke Shackleton at Burnie, Cameron Thurley at Clarence, Ken Hall at North Hobart, and Jesse Wells at North Hobart all had time at AFL clubs, Wells was drafted to the Western Bulldogs, Ken Hall to the Bombers, Thurley played at both Geelong and North Melbourne, and Luke Shackleton played for Collingwood.
There is talk that Russell Robertson may come back to Tasmania and play for a Tasmanian State League side, I believe that if he does it will probably be for his former side Burnie.
THE AFL's apathy towards Tasmania is nothing new to parochial Tasmanian Robert Shaw.
And it cuts particularly deep for Shaw as the AFL pushes into the Gold Coast and Western Sydney.
After yesterday's announcement that Tasmania's 1990 win over Victoria at North Hobart was the sixth memorable game inducted into the AFL Tasmanian Hall of Fame, Shaw said the state had been waiting for its own team since he coached that young side to just its second victory against the Big V.
While Victoria was far from full strength, it was coached by David Parkin and managed by "Mr Football" Ted Whitten.
It was a vital win for Tasmania, which only two years earlier had been excluded from section one of the bicentennial interstate carnival in Adelaide allegedly because it was believed at the time NSW boasted a superior squad.
"We had a real vibrancy of youth. There was method in my madness. We were hopeful the side, being so young, would impress the decision makers not only with our performance but with the group we had built and in their wisdom they [the league] would decide Tasmania would deserve a licence," Shaw said.
"We presented them with the future of Tasmanian football.
"There was nothing in writing but we were given an indication by the likes of the late Alan Schwab that these people were looking at us, but we were basically p...ing into the wind.
"I don't think anything has changed. There was a political agenda back then, and very much a focus on the northern states.
"The eyes of the AFL look north and have always disregarded the south."
Shaw said the players 20 years ago believed they were playing for the future of the game in the state.
"I was at a meeting where they were asked to put up their hand, if we got a team in who would be interested in playing in it, who would come home?" he said.
"There was a big queue outside the door. We had to give an indication during that week of whether we would be prepared to consider coming home to form Tasmania's team."
Although Tasmania now appears next in line to be granted an AFL licence, Shaw is not holding his breath.
"They have 18 now and they are not going to have Tassie at 19. They are going to wait until they get another side from somewhere like Maatsuyker Island before they consider us," he said.
"I know we are in the queue, but we have been in the queue since the 1947 carnival.
"You can't have a national competition without one of the founding states, it's just silly. But that's emotive and traditional and historical and sometimes doesn't stand up economically.
"They have to attack rugby...to get a foothold in the Gold Coast and Western Sydney."
And it cuts particularly deep for Shaw as the AFL pushes into the Gold Coast and Western Sydney.
After yesterday's announcement that Tasmania's 1990 win over Victoria at North Hobart was the sixth memorable game inducted into the AFL Tasmanian Hall of Fame, Shaw said the state had been waiting for its own team since he coached that young side to just its second victory against the Big V.
While Victoria was far from full strength, it was coached by David Parkin and managed by "Mr Football" Ted Whitten.
It was a vital win for Tasmania, which only two years earlier had been excluded from section one of the bicentennial interstate carnival in Adelaide allegedly because it was believed at the time NSW boasted a superior squad.
"We had a real vibrancy of youth. There was method in my madness. We were hopeful the side, being so young, would impress the decision makers not only with our performance but with the group we had built and in their wisdom they [the league] would decide Tasmania would deserve a licence," Shaw said.
"We presented them with the future of Tasmanian football.
"There was nothing in writing but we were given an indication by the likes of the late Alan Schwab that these people were looking at us, but we were basically p...ing into the wind.
"I don't think anything has changed. There was a political agenda back then, and very much a focus on the northern states.
"The eyes of the AFL look north and have always disregarded the south."
Shaw said the players 20 years ago believed they were playing for the future of the game in the state.
"I was at a meeting where they were asked to put up their hand, if we got a team in who would be interested in playing in it, who would come home?" he said.
"There was a big queue outside the door. We had to give an indication during that week of whether we would be prepared to consider coming home to form Tasmania's team."
Although Tasmania now appears next in line to be granted an AFL licence, Shaw is not holding his breath.
"They have 18 now and they are not going to have Tassie at 19. They are going to wait until they get another side from somewhere like Maatsuyker Island before they consider us," he said.
"I know we are in the queue, but we have been in the queue since the 1947 carnival.
"You can't have a national competition without one of the founding states, it's just silly. But that's emotive and traditional and historical and sometimes doesn't stand up economically.
"They have to attack rugby...to get a foothold in the Gold Coast and Western Sydney."
I have posted my thoughts on why Tasmania hasn't got an AFL side right here I will post a reply to Robert Shaw's comments on this article that was posted in the Mercury yesterday, Robert Shaw is saying what most Tasmanian's already think we know we are not going to get the next team, and most of us believe we are not going to get a team anyway.
Wouldn't it be nice? To actually believe that we're the next in line to be brought into the AFL as a football side, a bunch of young Tasmanians living out their dream in their own state? I am sure there are going to be a few Tasmanians come the end of the season that are going to live out their AFL playing dream, but they will find their way all over the country, and a lot of the others will be playing State League football in different parts of the country as well,
It would be good to have some of these players who are later delisted from their AFL club to come back to Tasmania, the State League would be the better for this, since the death of the Devils we do have some former AFL listed players playing in Tasmania, Luke Shackleton at Burnie, Cameron Thurley at Clarence, Ken Hall at North Hobart, and Jesse Wells at North Hobart all had time at AFL clubs, Wells was drafted to the Western Bulldogs, Ken Hall to the Bombers, Thurley played at both Geelong and North Melbourne, and Luke Shackleton played for Collingwood.
There is talk that Russell Robertson may come back to Tasmania and play for a Tasmanian State League side, I believe that if he does it will probably be for his former side Burnie.
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