News

From The Mercury
Reported by James Bresnehan

TASMANIA is facing a sharp increase in its VFL licence fee next season whether or not the Devils are a stand-alone team.

AFL Victoria plans to hit the Devils' hip pocket by upping their licence, which is already the VFL's most expensive.

That means an increase on Tasmania's $85,000 aligned licence fee, thanks to its partnership with the Kangaroos.

Or the non-aligned licence fee of $35,000, which the Devils would revert to if the alignment ends as expected at the end of the season.

But instead of paying more, AFL Tasmania wants its slice of the VFL pie.

"Next year will be our eighth season in the competition, so I would think after such a long time we ought to get the same deal as everyone else," AFL Tasmania's general manager Scott Wade said yesterday.

Stand-alone VFL clubs Frankston and Port Melbourne get a $140,000 "incentive" grant from AFL Victoria each year.

North Ballarat, which also has a partial alignment with the Kangaroos, gets $70,000 -- half the incentive grant.

Tasmania gets nothing.

VFL chief executive officer Peter Schwab said yesterday that situation may be reconsidered.

"With all that has happened in the AFL's second tier review, there are now so many unknowns," Schwab said.

"As far as we are concerned, Tassie are going to continue to be part of the VFL, that's for sure.

"In terms of who gets grants, that's something we will consider along with all options, but other than that I really can't comment at the moment."

Tasmania has also attracted the interest of the SANFL as a potential 10th team in the Adelaide competition.

"We think we're in a very healthy position," Wade said.

"The VFL want us, the SANFL are talking about us -- they aren't saying they want us, but it's an option they will consider.

"That is evidence the Tasmanian Devils are a really positive initiative for Tasmanian football."

Tasmania's 2007 VFL licence fee of $85,000 is partially used to pay for accommodation of Victorian teams travelling to Tasmania for games.

AFL Tasmania must pay for flights and transportation for their Victorian rivals, which adds up to almost half of the club's annual travel budget of $250,000.

"They (AFL Victoria) reckon their costs have gone up, that's why they want to increase our licence," Wade said.

"Our licence is already the highest in the competition.

"If we don't stay with the Kangaroos, our licence fee will reduce to $35,000, but we won't get players for free from the Kangaroo so our player payments will go up."

It would cost an extra $25,000 in player payments per season, plus the loss of a $25,000 grant the Kangaroos give the Devils each season, if the alignment ended.
The Devils' other option -- joining the SANFL -- is potentially far more lucrative.

Each of the nine SANFL clubs received development grants of $412,000 last year.

The SANFL want a 10th team to balance out their competition.

Four times they were close to recruiting a Northern Territory team based in Darwin, but it did not pan out.

Tasmania offers an attractive alternative.

"We wouldn't even be in a position to consider joining the SANFL unless we got an enormously-attractive financial package," Wade said.

"They (the SANFL) are interested in talking to Tassie. We're both traditional footy states and they are keen to have 10 clubs.

"Tasmania has more to offer than the Northern Territory, and the SANFL want to know what they could offer Tasmanian football."