'Sour taste' after NTFA, AFL Tasmania meet over funding structure

While initially scheduled to determine the structure of the NTFA beneath the new premier league beginning next year, a separate concern was discussed regarding funding.

"There's $400,000 a year, I believe for the next 10 years, that will be injected into community football in each region," Meander Valley president Steve Saltmarsh said.

"Now that money is wholly and solely going to the six premier league clubs."

Saltmarsh said that when questioned why this was the case, head of AFL Tasmania Damian Gill said those clubs "will be adequately resourced to be a strong and successful competition".

Saltmarsh also claimed Gill added that the sporting body "would not be giving them a blank check, that they weren't going to make the same mistakes they did with the TSL, but they are going to be resourced".

"I don't think many clubs were that happy about that," Saltmarsh said.

Saltmarsh believed that the attitude of AFL Tasmania was one of preferential treatment towards the six premier league clubs.

"Basically, the rest of the clubs don't matter, they can keep digging along without the money but they're going to inject the money into these premier league competitions," he said.

It is a point of view which Gill vehemently disagrees with, strongly insisting that funding would not be gatekept to just the premier league.

"No, that's not correct, in line with the licence announcement last year, funding into footy in the state has increased, but a lot of that funding is focused predominantly on participation and pathways," he said.

"So the short answer is, the bulk of the funding into the sport is set up to support the entire ecosystem, the funding goes into the system that is targeted at growing the game."

He said constantly providing financial aid where potentially unnecessary was not conducive to clubs being able to run on their own.

"The pressures facing nearly every club in Tasmania is around numbers, and our investment needs to go into the game and we're confident we have a plan to do that and that's where the bulk of the investment actually lies," he said.

"The intent is not to have a situation where there actually is annual or continuous club grant funding, we want a model where clubs are sustainable and aren't reliant on handouts."

And while there will be funding directed towards the new NTFA competition, Gill explained how AFL Tasmania will be delivering it.

"Now, clearly, the premier league competition itself requires a level of funding into the competition to ensure it starts strongly and is elevated around some of the core operational elements," he said.

"But the intent is not funding into those clubs directly and it certainly is more focused on as I say, the broader ecosystem and lifting every level of footy.

"To clarify, [the funding] is not to the clubs, it's into the actual competition, so it's more in lieu of covering key operational costs and expenditure that ensures an elevated competition."

But that is not to say Gill wants to leave clubs unsupported, with the state's football boss pointing to a number of funding opportunities for clubs to benefit from.

"We've recently launched a significant dedicated grants funding program for Tasmanian facilities, to the tune of $1.5 million (over three years), we have funding available to clubs via our Telstra footy country grant program and we continue to look at other suitable grants opportunities where appropriate," he said.

"We will also consider the prospect of a strategic fund for NTFA clubs for specific grants for strategic initiatives."

With AFL Tasmania's focus targeted squarely at growing participation numbers as part of their 28,000 participants by the time the Tasmania Devils enter the AFL and AFLW competitions in 2028 goal.

"A lot of investment through the entry level of the game is key," he said.

"We've got a new program called Superkick and also how that connects to junior footy and transitioning through ... working with our clubs to ensure they can grow and they're equipped to expand its footy club, because that's the journey we're on here.

"It's incredibly exciting and the opportunity that the Tasmanian Devils opens up for the game in Tasmania is not one we've seen before.

"We're determined to seize the moment and that comes with doubling down on participation, so unashamedly that's where our focus is from a funding point of view."

And while Saltmarsh is by no means against investing in junior football, he does feel like the initial promise of millions of dollars being injected into grassroots football that came with an AFL club has been somewhat distorted.

"I certainly had plenty of people from around the club, other clubs and in football say, 'we don't need this AFL team', and I am a very passionate supporter of the Tasmanian team ... and part of my argument back to them was that you've got to think it'll be good for local footy," Saltmarsh said.

"They're saying that they're going to inject money into community football and that's going to be good for us, but that's not the case.

"It leaves a sour taste in your mouth that all the funding to community football is going to literally those three premier league competitions.

"I just look at it and think, you've got the NWFA, the DFA, the ODFA, the competition in Circular Head, all these clubs that are actually in their towns, getting support from their town and from the locals and that's grassroots football."

In terms of how the rest of the NTFA will look, Gill said the structure will be up to the association.

A decision on the number of divisions and the use of promotion/relegation is said to be announced in the coming weeks.