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Devils to Fold

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roorat said:
Anger rises at Devils' demise
BRETT STUBBS
August 26, 2008 12:00am
THE Devils first chairman and their favourite son have both lambasted AFL Tasmania's handling of the team that will see the side play its last game on Sunday.
Doug Davey, who was chairman from 2001 to 2003, and 102-game former champion and best and fairest winner Ben Atkin were both angry and bitterly disappointed that AFL Tasmania has let the Devils slide into oblivion in favour of a State League for next season.

Both believe the Devils have been mishandled in recent years, going from three consecutive finals series from 2003-05 -- including third in 2004 -- in front of 12,000 fans at home finals and massive public support, to possible consecutive wooden spooners and little public backing.

Davey said the decision to dump the Devils board so AFL Tasmania could run the team was instrumental in the collapse, as well as the failure to develop a club culture or base for the side.

"It was always my view and I thought the AFL's view that AFL Tasmania was responsible for all football in Tasmania, not one club," Davey said yesterday.

"But AFL Tasmania, by its own admission, said the Devils were the jewel in their crown and didn't want to let it go.

"Generally boards face up to their accountabilities -- in relation to the Devils they have failed.

"While the local football clubs have got no choice but to join in with AFL Tasmania, you would still worry about AFL Tasmania's board's commitment, its communication, its clarity, its transparency and what the future is going to hold.

"Most boards that fail their members don't stay in place."

Atkin, a three-time member of the VFL team of the year and considered the heart and soul of the Devils, is still seething about AFL Tasmania's decision to join in a partial alignment with North Melbourne in 2006.

The union only lasted two seasons and cost a lot of local talent and support.

"The worst thing they ever did was go with the North Melbourne alliance," Atkin said yesterday.

"It turned a lot of people away. It even alienated the players a bit . . . it wasn't the same any more.

"It was more of 'us against them' when we were really up and going and playing in the finals. But when we joined with North Melbourne it went downhill.

"They didn't care whether we won or lost, all they wanted to do was get themselves in the North melbourne senior side. It wasn't a team after that."

He said it was due to the alliance he retired at the end of the 2006 season, and why Ian Callinan and Nathan Grima both went to South Australia.

Atkin is upset that a concept he put so much effort and energy into is now destined for the scrap heap.

Body: "It was mini-AFL, you travelled every second week, you stayed in hotels, even playing up north was good," he said.

"Good crowds, good support, people know you. When you walked down the street people knew who you were.

"It is going to be sad to see that go."

Davey also said AFL Tasmania should be held accountable for the appointment of Daryn Cresswell as coach.

Cresswell led the Devils to their first wooden spoon last season, and walked out halfway through this season and fled the country, leaving behind financial problems.

"It is easy to be wise after the event, but any reasonable due diligence over that selection process would determine it was a poor decision," Davey said.

"I do think they are accountable for those sorts of things."

He said if the decision to dump the Devils was solely financial, he called on the AFL and the Tasmanian Government to increase funding to keep the team alive.
http://www.news.com.au/mercury/story/0,22884,24242809-13222,00.html
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Couldn't give to hoots what Davey thinks but Benny Atkin was spot on. My mail is when the North Melbourne merge happened the majority of players did not wan't it to happen. They were told it is going to happen the players had no say. Gee it would be great to see some players come out that have endured the Devils the highs and the lows and tell the followers what really has gone on. The players that have played Devils deserve more, than what has happened over the last 2 years and especially the last 2 months. My mail is Scott is expecting to be chaired off after the game.
 
`It's the Devils or us'
BY MARTIN AGATYN
28/08/2008
THREE proposed statewide league football clubs, including the Burnie Dockers, have threatened to walk away from the competition unless AFL Tasmania drops its Tasmanian Devils VFL program.
Burnie, which only agreed to the statewide proposal on Tuesday night, Launceston and the Northern Bombers, have urged AFL Tasmania to make a final decision on the Devils' future.
In an email sent to AFL Tasmania general manager Scott Wade yesterday, Launceston president Mark Thurlow said he had spoken to Northern Bombers and Burnie presidents and they had confirmed they would not commit to the statewide league if "a lifeline is thrown to the Devils or they simply continue to exist in 2009".
Thurlow went on to say the email was not an ultimatum or a statement of "them versus us," but what the clubs believed was in the best interests of Tasmanian football.
The future of the Hobart-based Devils has been the subject of intense speculation in recent weeks, particularly in the southern media.
Wade has maintained from the outset if AFL Tasmania could not afford to run both the Devils program and the state league, then the Devils would go.
"I've said all along the state league was our priority and we would prefer to have both, but if we can only afford one, then the Devils will go," Wade said.
Wade met with Devils players last night to inform them a final decision would not be made until the future of the state league was certain.
Thurlow's email said his club believed it was simply not financially viable to have a statewide league and field the Devils team.
"The LFC committee will not place the club into a league that is not financially viable," Thurlow said.
"AFL Tasmania cannot have its cake and eat it too," he said.
"`AFL funds need to start coming into the grass roots of football and be distributed evenly throughout the entire state of Tasmania - the proposed league does just that."
"We all believe someone at AFL Tasmania needs to urgently show some leadership and make a decision so clubs can focus on where they will be headed in 2009, whether it be a state league or in their current competitions," Thurlow said.
Burnie president Shane Walker said there had been a lot of "to and fro" with the Devils.
"What is fairly clear is that the five invited Northern clubs all believe it is not financially viable to have two structures (statewide and the Devils), in which case the Devils have to go," Walker said.
http://nwtasmania.yourguide.com.au/news/local/sport/afl/its-the-devils-or-us/1255986.aspx
 
roorat said:
`It's the Devils or us'
BY MARTIN AGATYN
28/08/2008
THREE proposed statewide league football clubs, including the Burnie Dockers, have threatened to walk away from the competition unless AFL Tasmania drops its Tasmanian Devils VFL program.
Burnie, which only agreed to the statewide proposal on Tuesday night, Launceston and the Northern Bombers, have urged AFL Tasmania to make a final decision on the Devils' future.
In an email sent to AFL Tasmania general manager Scott Wade yesterday, Launceston president Mark Thurlow said he had spoken to Northern Bombers and Burnie presidents and they had confirmed they would not commit to the statewide league if "a lifeline is thrown to the Devils or they simply continue to exist in 2009".
Thurlow went on to say the email was not an ultimatum or a statement of "them versus us," but what the clubs believed was in the best interests of Tasmanian football.
The future of the Hobart-based Devils has been the subject of intense speculation in recent weeks, particularly in the southern media.
Wade has maintained from the outset if AFL Tasmania could not afford to run both the Devils program and the state league, then the Devils would go.
"I've said all along the state league was our priority and we would prefer to have both, but if we can only afford one, then the Devils will go," Wade said.
Wade met with Devils players last night to inform them a final decision would not be made until the future of the state league was certain.
Thurlow's email said his club believed it was simply not financially viable to have a statewide league and field the Devils team.
"The LFC committee will not place the club into a league that is not financially viable," Thurlow said.
"AFL Tasmania cannot have its cake and eat it too," he said.
"`AFL funds need to start coming into the grass roots of football and be distributed evenly throughout the entire state of Tasmania - the proposed league does just that."
"We all believe someone at AFL Tasmania needs to urgently show some leadership and make a decision so clubs can focus on where they will be headed in 2009, whether it be a state league or in their current competitions," Thurlow said.
Burnie president Shane Walker said there had been a lot of "to and fro" with the Devils.
"What is fairly clear is that the five invited Northern clubs all believe it is not financially viable to have two structures (statewide and the Devils), in which case the Devils have to go," Walker said.
http://nwtasmania.yourguide.com.au/news/local/sport/afl/its-the-devils-or-us/1255986.aspx
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what an absolute joke, the state wide league will last 2 years max then what will we have???? no swl, no devils, no nothing:thumbsd:
 

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North Wester said:
My mail is Scott is expecting to be chaired off after the game.
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If you mean Scott Wade, the only chair he should be given is the electric chair.

What a disgusting, gutless piece of sneaky underhanded conduct by him and also those squibs from Launceston, Nth Launceston and Burnie that gave the ultimatum on the Devils. Jealous, small town little men. :thumbsd::mad:
 
WOW....what a balls up this whole Devil / State Wide League is. As an interested football follower, (without any real club allegiance), apart from just loving to watch all things footy, I can't believe what is happening. I have two comments, one on the demise of the Devils and the introduction of a SWL.

Living in Launceston, I used to love watching the Devils in their early years...Friday or Saturday night footy at Aurora was fantastic....but then they decided to base themselves in Hobart and the only time we see them in Launceston is @ 10am on Sunday's as AFL curtain raisers. I do feel sorry for the players / volunteers who have committed to the Devils over the years, it is not their fault.
I hear S Wade on the news tonight and he says that the demise is not based on $ solely but on what AFLTAS is about....apparantly the whole state! Yet where have the Devils been for the past few years!

Growing up with the State Wide League, I used to enjoy the matches of a high calibre, and went to Hobart often to watch finals and Grand Finals. I am looking forward to a new SWL and what it will bring. Having a lot to do with 14-18 year olds as a teacher, they too are excited by it. AND this is who this SWL is about....the future! Not the 40-60 year blokes who say..." Oh but it failed last time", it is about the kids, who like me will grow up with the prospect of playing against the best from the whole State.

Lets all hope that things work out one way or another for the kids of Tassie who love playing footy. Not going around hoping that all things fail just because of AFLTAS.

And...as for Madbomber
"What a disgusting, gutless piece of sneaky underhanded conduct by him and also those squibs from Launceston, Nth Launceston and Burnie that gave the ultimatum on the Devils. Jealous, small town little men."
I think this is a bit harsh! These club Presidents are doing what they should do and are protecting their clubs futures....Why should they committ to a SWL if the Devils program will take the $$$ and the quality players, and make them move to Hobart. The two can't co-exist and the Presidents know that.
Just remember that AFL TAS... Scott Wade included are only doing what the BIG Andy in Melbourne is telling them to do, they are the ones with the $$$$, and as we know money talks!


 
MadBomberfan said:
If you mean Scott Wade, the only chair he should be given is the electric chair.

What a disgusting, gutless piece of sneaky underhanded conduct by him and also those squibs from Launceston, Nth Launceston and Burnie that gave the ultimatum on the Devils. Jealous, small town little men. :thumbsd::mad:
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Fair call. I reckon they could have the TFL and the Devils.

I think the problem lies in the fact they have picked the wrong model for the statewide league.

They should keep the Devils. If the State Gov is pushing for an AFL licence, it stands to reason they will need a reserves side. They should be holding onto the Devils VFL licence and keep them going.

Picking one over the other is a bad move.

If they could demonstrate they could run a VFL club, a state league and turn the north/south rivalry into a positive for football, now that would be something.
 
somersetboy no1 said:
and how many would make it if there were no pathway??? the answer is even less. nice use of pretty colours though well done. what do u sujest they do to increase the tassie players chances to get draughted then marvel????
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OK Fool, have a good read.

AFLTAS, who used to be called FOOTBALL TASMANIA, and before that, TASMANIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE, stuff up everything they touch.

1. 1st Statewide League didn't work and destroyed clubs. The money that clubs had to fork out wasn't there.

2. The Mariners. They're STILL a very bad joke. Very poorly run. Kicked out of the TAC.

3. Devils. Same as Mariners as in very poorly run.

4. Queensland, NSW, ACT and The Northern Territory have a better pathway than we have here in Tasmania. Their State Teams start of in The National Primary Schools Carnival. AFLTAS has never helped out in that level because they're not interested.

You're talking pathway? It starts in Tasmania in the u/16 State Carnival, then U/18 State Carnival. 4 YEARS AFTER THE RUGBY STATES!!!!

The u/16 State Carnival and U/18 State Carnival is where anyone from Tasmania will be noticed (like the rest of Australia). NOT FROM THE MARINERS OR DEVILS!

Here's a few names of some kids that played in the National Primary Schools Carnival over the years:

MICHAEL VOSS (QLD)
BRETT VOSS (QLD)
JASON AKERMANIS (QLD)
DARRYL WHITE (N.T)
CLINT BIZZEL (QLD)
BRETT BACKWELL (QLD)
CLARK KEATING (QLD)
Fabian Francis (QLD)
Che Cockatoo Collins (QLD)
Hamish Simpson (QLD)
Shannon Motlop (N.T)

RECOGNIZE ANY NAMES SOMERSETBOY???????
 
Jerome said:
Fair call. I reckon they could have the TFL and the Devils.
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No chance. Financially, it co0uldn't be done. The Devils alone wee drawing too large a slice of the very small financial pie to be allowed to continue.
And they were destroying the standard of football within the state. The north west only got one game a year above bush league quality; if a Victorin club sold there home game to the Devils.
It would also be impossible for the northern clubs to compete in a state league if the Devils continued to be stuck in the south and sucking all the players down there.
The Devils should never have been formed, and scrapping them is long overdue.

Jerome said:
I think the problem lies in the fact they have picked the wrong model for the statewide league.
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Here, I agree.
Far too many teams. Six (3 Hobart, 1 Lonny, 2 North West)would be ideal from the point of view of keeping the standard up. Eight (4 Hobart, 2 Lonny, 2 North West) is probably the better fit with demographics.
The other, very big, problem is that the salary cap being talked about simply won't entice the best players into the top league. This was a problem with the old state league, especially on the north-west, where the NTFL deliberately undermined everything the TFL did.
The splitting up of the NTFL is potentially an issue in the north, but with few north eastern clubs remaining in the NTFL probably necessary - even with an 8 team SWL.
But 10, growing to 12, spread the available sponsorship, media and playing stocks far too thin. Especially given one of the arguments for the SWL is that SA only has 9 top tier clubs for over twice the population.

Jerome said:
They should keep the Devils. If the State Gov is pushing for an AFL licence, it stands to reason they will need a reserves side. They should be holding onto the Devils VFL licence and keep them going.

Picking one over the other is a bad move.

If they could demonstrate they could run a VFL club, a state league and turn the north/south rivalry into a positive for football, now that would be something.
Click to expand...
The AFL team won't happen in any forseeable time frame. Even the state govt has admitted they are now in it to position themselves for the next expansion. (And I do love how Mars waited until there was official abandonment of a team innthe short term before making the sponsorship announcement. Big publisity for the price of a phone call and apress release. Big bonuses for their PR people this year.)
To keep the Devils operating because of some (in my view, forlorn) hope that an AFL side will eventually be based in the state is a complete waste of resources. Devils or no Devils, there would need to be some restructure if there was an AFL side to cater for their reserves; so keeping them doesn't even mean things are set up for that (unlikely) eventuality. Ideally any AFL club reserves would be farmed out to SWL clubs, a la the SANFL and WAFL; and bolstering the SWL (though, again the centralisation thing wuld be a problem); rather than playing a reserves side in the VFL.
 
Although I agree AFL Tas is a basketcase and the administrative side of Tasmanian football is a rabble, the Devils themselves aren't without blame.
If they were a successful side and were not headed for 2 successful wooden spoons, they wouldnt be getting a chop, so they must take some responsibility.

If money is the issue, either better performances and hence better crowds would have brought more money, OR better still, if they had not lost most of their supporters many years ago, they would be a more fiscally successful club.
Not only did the NM alliance turn many people off, but most people know about their old (and current?) off-field behaviour, right from the top level in the club. They believed they own hype and 'success' while forgetting they were playing in a reserves grade competition. I know this topic is often shot down for being 'irrelevant' but for the ones that arent 1000% footy-purists and consider both on and off field elements, its a huge factor.
The indiscretions were at all levels, and its not that well known but people very significant at the club were dangerously close to being tried for crimes, we all know for what type of crimes

These factors turned the fans away and although alot of it is due to admin, the players and club themselves cannot act like innocent victims.

Glad to see them go.
 
saints_ said:
Although I agree AFL Tas is a basketcase and the administrative side of Tasmanian football is a rabble, the Devils themselves aren't without blame.
If they were a successful side and were not headed for 2 successful wooden spoons, they wouldnt be getting a chop, so they must take some responsibility.

If money is the issue, either better performances and hence better crowds would have brought more money, OR better still, if they had not lost most of their supporters many years ago, they would be a more fiscally successful club.
Not only did the NM alliance turn many people off, but most people know about their old (and current?) off-field behaviour, right from the top level in the club. They believed they own hype and 'success' while forgetting they were playing in a reserves grade competition. I know this topic is often shot down for being 'irrelevant' but for the ones that arent 1000% footy-purists and consider both on and off field elements, its a huge factor.
The indiscretions were at all levels, and its not that well known but people very significant at the club were dangerously close to being tried for crimes, we all know for what type of crimes

These factors turned the fans away and although alot of it is due to admin, the players and club themselves cannot act like innocent victims.

Glad to see them go.
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get your facts straight saints
devils as society are not immune to the evils of the world

you sound like a grandma
go cook something you old bat
 
The devils have been great in terms of providing opportunities for young people of this state. Something for young people to aim for and test themselves against bigger, faster, stronger opponents.

Good luck today, lads. Take the points and enjoy yourselves.
 
Igor the Great said:
get your facts straight saints
devils as society are not immune to the evils of the world
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The problems the devils had/have goes further than what you find in 'normal society', you sound like you have a vested interest in the club and i'm sure you don't want me to elaborate on a public forum.

and if you had any idea who i am you would know that the source of my facts are direct and reliable, from a different perspective than whatever your biased one is.

Regardless, even people that do not know the full details have still gone off the Devils and it cannot be said that the club and their on and off field performances arent partly to blame for them being axed.
If it wasnt the case, we would have seen alot more support for them when it looked like they wouldn't be around next year - there was no public support or any type of encouragement for them to stay around. Even if it weren't for the SWL i'm sure they would have folded in a few years anyway for lack of interest
 

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saints_ said:
The problems the devils had/have goes further than what you find in 'normal society', you sound like you have a vested interest in the club and i'm sure you don't want me to elaborate on a public forum.

and if you had any idea who i am you would know that the source of my facts are direct and reliable, from a different perspective than whatever your biased one is.

Regardless, even people that do not know the full details have still gone off the Devils and it cannot be said that the club and their on and off field performances arent partly to blame for them being axed.
If it wasnt the case, we would have seen alot more support for them when it looked like they wouldn't be around next year - there was no public support or any type of encouragement for them to stay around. Even if it weren't for the SWL i'm sure they would have folded in a few years anyway for lack of interest
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i disagree
 
saints_ said:
Although I agree AFL Tas is a basketcase and the administrative side of Tasmanian football is a rabble, the Devils themselves aren't without blame.
If they were a successful side and were not headed for 2 successful wooden spoons, they wouldnt be getting a chop, so they must take some responsibility.

If money is the issue, either better performances and hence better crowds would have brought more money, OR better still, if they had not lost most of their supporters many years ago, they would be a more fiscally successful club.
Not only did the NM alliance turn many people off, but most people know about their old (and current?) off-field behaviour, right from the top level in the club. They believed they own hype and 'success' while forgetting they were playing in a reserves grade competition. I know this topic is often shot down for being 'irrelevant' but for the ones that arent 1000% footy-purists and consider both on and off field elements, its a huge factor.
The indiscretions were at all levels, and its not that well known but people very significant at the club were dangerously close to being tried for crimes, we all know for what type of crimes

These factors turned the fans away and although alot of it is due to admin, the players and club themselves cannot act like innocent victims.

Glad to see them go.
Click to expand...


tried for crimes??? can you elaborate on that?????? mate the you cant blame the players, they are their having a crack. i guess unless yourself has played afl then you cant bag them out as they are better then yourself
 
bink-bink said:
The devils have been great in terms of providing opportunities for young people of this state. Something for young people to aim for and test themselves against bigger, faster, stronger opponents.

Good luck today, lads. Take the points and enjoy yourselves.
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Tipping they (AFL TAS) will get Statewide up and running, hopefully it will pump and then they will lobby to resurrect the Devils in a few years.

Interesting times.
 
The same people that murdered the Devils are in charge of the new to be statewide League.

Most of us (well greater than 50%) are now are on board and see the benefits of statewide yet are we really going to blind and lose sight of the fact that the current administration have not been transperant, are not really all that socially smart and therefore really shouldn't be running a comp that at the end of the day is grass roots footy.

Part of the reason the Devils died is because they never ran it as a club. I personally made numerous suggestions such as getting Primary school kids to make banners for home games or having a Devils float on the Christmas Pagents. I even had my football show idea!

But these ideas were just looked at with glazzed eyes as though it was just all too much and straight fowrard and perhaps not cool enough.

So I throw out the challenge again to the people who have far greater influence than myself, do something about whos running the show and don't let little Hitler whack it over us any more, ask the tough questions, tell him what we want (like finals and lights at Nth Hobart Oval) and stop mucking around.

So what's the deal with AFL TAS and the TCA for instance? Are they bound to a deal and therefore have to play Statewide games at Bellerive apart from Clarence home games? Now that AFL TAS will represent 8-10 clubs well why do they need to play "important" games at a venue that is not the preferred option for the punter.

They want people back through the gate yet don't want to listen to logic.
 
I pose the question that had the current scenario been the case say 3-4 years ago when New Norfolk won the flag ('05) and Kingborough were up and about would those two clubs have been left out of a State League?

Surely not.
 

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Barge said:
I pose the question that had the current scenario been the case say 3-4 years ago when New Norfolk won the flag ('05) and Kingborough were up and about would those two clubs have been left out of a State League?

Surely not.
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Launceston were the reigning premiers in 1985, and were left out of the 1986 SW League. Scottsdale and Longford had decent sides, and knew they had no chance of being considered. New Norfolk and the TFL had a relationship as strong as the Road Runner and Wyle.E.Coyote at the end of SW, and the coyote finally won in the last year or two. Wouldn't have made any difference - NN would not have been asked even if they had a record like Geelong's. And I dare say, that if the original SWL wasn't considered an "expanded TANFL" back then giving all 6 southern sides guaranteed survival despite promises to the north, they wouldn't have been asked then, either...
 
Duff TV said:
Most of us (well greater than 50%) are now are on board and see the benefits of statewide...
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Shame on anyone who's been swayed then, because they've been lured by shallow rhetoric.

Anyone who was against the idea has seen the presentations made by AFL Tas and the documents. There is inconsistency right throughout the entire process, rejection by key players, false logic, and a clear selling out involved here, and I dare anyone to tell me how Tasmanian footy in the big picture is going to benefit from this. So far, some loose assertions that the "standard will rise"...and that's about it...the finances don't add up, the processes don't add up...the rationale has changed 180 degrees and AFL Tas doesn't even blink about this as they prepare to send off the Devils today...even the draw has a "huh" factor to it when they start talking about neutral games...

Anyone who was against it, and is now a convert - why? Could you please point me in the direction of the game breaking argument, because it's gone right over my head!
 
Thanks for that sportstalk .Would be nice to see a big crowd there today . Why cant they throw the gates open and get a few there to thank the players for thier efforts .
 

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