BY Corey Martin, The Examiner
AFL Tasmania is open to working with the NTFA and its division 2 clubs who are in a stand-off over a perceived lack of confidence in the association’s board.
Ten division 2 presidents wrote to board members and AFL Tasmania executives on Friday expressing their concerns, which stemmed from the NTFA council’s decision to admit Bridport and East Coast Swans from next year.
Existing division 2 clubs alleged there has been limited transparency throughout the process and in the board’s policy and procedures on several matters, resulting in the collective demanding a limited term for board members and a skill-set determined board.
A response within seven days, AFL Tasmania mentoring of board members and a meeting between all NTFA club presidents and board members mediated by AFL Tasmania chief executive Robert Auld and Tasmanian Football Council general Jackson Hills within two weeks have been called for.
“From our perspective, we need to be really careful in what role we play and my caution is sort of governed by a few areas. One is that we have to respect the bodies that are involved, being clubs and leagues,” Auld said on Monday.
“We don’t want to be known for, and nor do we want it to be our modus operandi, where we just come in and ride shotgun completely ignorant of process and the right governance and course of action that needs to be taken.
“We wouldn’t see ourselves as being proactively injecting ourselves in but we have been offered an invitation and we will work through it, but we will work that with all the due respect that the NTFA and clubs deserve.”
In his first year in charge, Auld said AFL Tasmania was not in a position to declare if the NTFA board lacked satisfactory policy and procedures.
“More broadly, what we can do is offer all leagues and associations assistance with continuing to refine roles and responsibilities and continuing to look at best practice when it does come to governance models,” he said.
“We can certainly help as we look into the future what is the required skill sets and the like but none of that is in any way, shape or fashion judgement of the current NTFA board.”
The NTFA board is expected to meet early this week to discuss the correspondence before addressing the matters.