The AFL has announced it will invest $500,000 a year into developing young footballers in Tasmania.
This comes following the announcement in May that Tasmania had been granted the 19th licence to join the AFL.
The investment will aim to identify and help the upcoming players of the game in all areas of Tasmania, enhancing the talent pathway program to have more expertise within the program with new development coaches and better training facilities.
Andrew Dillion AFL CEO said, this will be a great investment for Tasmanian's future in the league and put emphasis on the program focusing both on boys' and girls' development to enable as many players to have the opportunity to be drafted into the AFL and AFLW.
“The AFL is committed to identifying and accelerating the development of local talent in Tassie – it's vital for us and a key priority as we look ahead to Tasmania entering the competition,” Dillon said.“Part of a Tasmanian club being successful in both competitions is needing Tasmanian talent to be a cornerstone of that success.
“There is a rich history of Tasmanian players who have made it to the elite level, and we want to strengthen this even further by ensuring there's a clear, strong pathway for all young Tasmanian footballers to play our game, giving every boy and girl the opportunity to represent their region and state on the national stage.“We've taken a look at programs across Australia and the world to make sure our investment creates a best-practice model, elevating the program with dedicated coaches across both boys' and girls' programs whilst embedding quality regional development programs for the most talented 12 and 15-year-olds.“As we look towards the future of Australian football in Tassie, it's exciting to think the 12 to 15-year-old kids who join this talent program now, will be Tasmania Football Club's first intake when it joins the league, which will be a milestone moment for our game.”The investment will see a newly appointed state talent manager, regional development coaches and skill acquisition coaches in all three regions in Tasmania. The program will also work closely with local football clubs and associations. Tasmanian Minister for Sport and Recreation Nic Street said this investment is a huge win for the state of Tasmania.
“The Tasmanian Liberal Government is a huge supporter of Australian Rules Football in this State, especially when it comes to getting more young people involved for the first time and ensuring they have a pathway to take playing to the highest level," Street said. “I congratulate the AFL on their increased investment into Tasmania, especially into their talent pathway and academies.“Finally, now that Tasmania has secured its own team in the AFL, we will be able to ensure that Tasmanian talent is nurtured more than ever as our kids aspire to run onto the field in Tasmanian colours.”
The Tasmania Football Club are expected to enter the AFL as early as 2028.
