Scott Wade, General Manager of AFL Tasmania and Donald McDonald, Kangaroos General Manager Football Operations today confirmed that the two year partial VFL alignment will not continue in 2008.
The decision to end the partial VFL alignment is consistent with conclusions reached by the Board of Management of AFL Tasmania some weeks ago, and is consistent with the Kangaroos review of its own r VFL alignment structure.
Scott Wade thanked the Kangaroos for their contribution to the Tasmanian Devils over the past two years and expressed AFL Tasmania’s sincere appreciation for the professional manner in which the Kangaroos have handled every aspect of their VFL alignment with the Tasmanian Devils.
Scott Wade advised that over the past two years the players and officials of both Clubs have established a strong working relationship.
Scott Wade reinforced that over recent months the Board of Management of AFL Tasmania has and is continuing to analyse and review every aspect of the Tasmanian Devils program and through these deliberations it became obvious that a partial VFL alignment between the Tasmanian Devils and the Kangaroos could not be sustained for the following reasons:
- AFL Tasmania is committed to improving the quality of football in Tasmania and positioning the Devils as our states elite football team; providing more talented young Tasmanian players with the opportunity to play with the Devils.
- AFL Tasmania’s Board of Management will aim to raise the bar in all areas of the Tasmanian Devils program and fundamental to this will be to have the full Devils squad regularly training together at intensity.
- AFL Tasmania is committed to the development of a Strategic Alliance with the Hawthorn Football Club and therefore the VFL alignment compromises our capacity to maximize the value that Hawthorn can add to AFL Tasmania’s talent pathway programs (including the Devils).
McDonald said the Kangaroos had been very pleased with their partial VFL alignments with both the Tasmanian Devils and North Ballarat.
“It’s amicable for both parties to head in different directions in the future, but I would like to state our appreciation for the way Matthew Armstrong, Brendon Bolton and Daryn Cresswell have supported the development of the young Kangaroos players,” McDonald said.
“Over the past two seasons Kangaroos fans have been excited with the development of the likes of Hamish McIntosh, Scott McMahon, Josh Gibson, Brad Moran and Leigh Adams to name a few and the Devils played a role in their progress,” he said.
“The relationship and respect between the administrators of both the Devils and Kangaroos has been very strong and the communication between both parties over the past two years has been excellent and we wish the Devils well in the future.”
In conclusion, Scott Wade advised that at this stage the Tasmanian Devils still expect to be playing in the VFL competition in 2008.
Once the AFL’s 2nd Tier Review has been completed and the proposed composition of the VFL competition has been announced the Board of Management of AFL Tasmania will then be in a position to complete negotiations with AFL Victoria for the Tasmanian Devils to remain in the VFL.
Scott Wade advised that both the AFL and AFL Victoria are fully aware of the minimum requirements that will need to be met to enable the Tasmanian Devils to continue in the VFL.
