With more participants than any other code and after experiencing record growth over the past five years, Football Tasmania is currently undertaking a comprehensive review of competition structures in order to continue to provide the best opportunities for every footballer in Tasmania to enjoy the state’s favourite game.
The competition review was announced to clubs at the beginning of May and aims to reach a model which meets the needs of players at all levels and provides the best possible pathways for player development.
A Working Group representative of key stakeholders from across the state has been formed to oversee the process which will be led by an independent consultant.
A comprehensive report is expected to be delivered by the middle of July 2019, allowing recommendations to be considered and acted upon prior to commencement of the 2020 season.
Football Tasmania CEO Matt Bulkeley said a review was necessary in order to accommodate the continued growth of Tasmania’s biggest sport.
“With over 17,000 regular registered players football is the largest team sport by participation in Tasmania and we continue to experience growth, even as numbers in other sporting codes decline,” Mr Bulkeley said.
“This growth has been across a number of different areas in our game and has contributed to a shift in the makeup of our participation base.
“We need to make sure our competitions keep pace with the changing face of football in Tasmania. Not only will our review look at that, it will also ensure we have the best possible talent pathways in place now and into the future.
“The review will also help support the continued growth of football in the north and north-west.
“With Devonport and Ulverstone leading the way in the NPL and WSL respectively last year, top-level football is alive and well in the north of the state and we want to see this continue.
“We are committed to ensuring players at all levels in these regions have the same opportunities to enjoy our game as players in the south.”
Objectives of the review process include:
1. Maximising male and female participation in all parts of the state;
2. Providing all participants with the best possible football experience;
3. Providing competition structures which are best suited to the Tasmanian context;
4. Ensuring clubs have access to pathways and structures that best suit the needs and aspirations of their players and enable them to grow and remain sustainable into the future, and;
5. Identifying clear principles for the formulation of fixtures each year and ensuring the processes underpinning this are best practice.
Mr Bulkeley said the review would include recommendations regarding the size of the men’s National Premier League (NPL) and Women’s Super League (WSL) competitions and would also investigate the viability of promotion and relegation for these leagues.
If you want to complete the Survey and add your voice to the future of competition structures, then you can follow the link provided to the Stakeholder Survey: http://bit.ly/FT-Comp-Review