Chapter 154 : A Tassie team in the AFL

It is really easy for to say we need a Tassie team in the AFL.           

I want my grandkids to grow up to be fit and healthy. Physically, emotionally and socially healthy.

Are these two thoughts connected?  Will the health of my grandkids in the future be related to Tasmania having a football or a soccer team in a national league?

Any ex-player or coach or commentator hops off the plane and, in the airport, says, “Tassie should have their own team in the AFL.” 

My aim is for my grandkids to grow up fit and healthy. To be physically, mentally, emotionally and socially healthy.  This will involve developing lifelong habits. Habits involving physical exercise, diet and drug use.

Their physical health will depend on the amount of physical activity they do. This activity will be either organised competitive sport or non-competitive activities. If they turn out to have talent they may find themselves in a local AFL squad.  In a squad their physical health will improve in the short term but their long term health depends on learning lifelong habits not learning how to listen to a coach. If they are members of an AFL squad, I can’t imagine any advantage of having that squad in Tassie. I imagine at that age they would love the idea of going to a big city. It would be hard to keep them.

Their long term health will also depend on their nutritional habits. What they eat. Hopefully I will be able to influence them. In the long term their diet will depend on learning and developing good habits. They will have to learn how to make choices. How to go somewhere were a lot of bad unhealthy food is sold and make good choices. Choices that result in them eating healthy food. Hopefully there will be some way a Tassie AFL team will help them learn about a good healthy diet. Watching very fit athletic sportsmen will hopefully inspire them to eat healthy foods.

Their long term health will also depend on their attitude to drugs. At present they are surrounded by non-smokers so I don’t see them becoming smokers. They are surrounded by people who drink socially. Somehow they have to learn to use alcohol in a positive way. To experience the positive benefits and avoid the negative effects. Will a Tassie AFL team will affect them. Maybe watching them will change their alcohol consumption.

They also need to avoid other drugs with negative side-effects. Either prescribed or illegal. I will try and show them the benefits of a life without drugs. I will try and show them you can have a good time and enjoy themselves without drugs. Will watching elite sportsmen encourage my grandkids not to relying on drugs. To see that drugs belong to the weak, cowardice. Not to the tough or courageous or clever. 

I also want my grandkids to be healthy mentally and socially. This is where a Tassie team may help.  Watching a local team will have social benefits. Sitting in the stand, eating a pie and cheering with the crowd will benefit them socially.

If they aren’t incredibly talented or their local environment leads them to different sports does it matter if Tassie has an AFL team? They may go and watch the team. They may sit in the stand drink beer and eat bought food.  They will barrack for Tasmania. I don’t think they will be passionate about Tasmania beating the other states. I don’t think they will grow up with a feeling that we Tasmanians are poorly treated and we can prove how good we really are on the football field. Because of the internet they are having a more global attitude. Less provincial and local. I am not expecting them to have chips on their shoulders.

I grew up in an area of Melbourne which had its own team in the VFL. We religiously watched the scraggers. We got to know all the people who stood with us near the horse.  The fact that our community had a team in the VFL was of little relevance. The only time the local community benefited was in 2016 when we won. Other years the local team was not a great source of pride. It was always the omnipresent goliath which dominated local football and all other local sport.

I want to grow up in a state full of fit, healthy people of all ages of both sexes and of all abilities.  If a Tassie team in the AFL will help achieve this then I welcome it.