Tasmania Devils news

EVERYONE from the chairman to the boot studder took responsibility yesterday for the Tasmanian Devils' woeful winter, but the biggest blame went to one particular bunch -- the leadership group.

Their ears were ringing after the bake Devils coach Daryn Cresswell gave them on Monday night before flogging the entire squad on the training track.

The seven senior players -- co-captains Brett Geappen and Scott Stephens (dropped last Saturday), Paul Koulouriotis, Cameron Thurley, Nathan Street (also dropped), Ken Hall and Matthew Westfield (dropped) -- took the brunt of Cresswell's frustration from a 1-5 start.

"When you become a leader, there's an expectation there that you deliver," Cresswell said. "Unfortunately, our leaders haven't done that."

When asked how firmly he spoke to the seven, Cresswell said, with furrowed brow: "I got my message across."

The leadership group is just as sorry about the Devils sitting second-last on the VFL ladder.

"They're not happy with the position we're in either," Cresswell said.

THE biggest issue facing the Devils was the gap between the level of local competitions and the standard of VFL football, AFL Tasmania general manager Scott Wade said yesterday.

Wade has called a meeting of AFL Tasmania's football department and the Devils' coaching staff tonight after the Devils' pitiful 114-point away loss to Werribee on Saturday -- their fifth loss in a row.

"Is the structure of football in Tasmania supporting the Devils?" Wade said.

"The message to the football-loving public of Tasmania is that the gap between the SFL and the NTFL and the VFL is enormous.

"We have got some players who have come back into the VFL competition after performing exceptionally well in local footy who are realising it is a big jump, but they will persevere and get there in the end."

THE unique vagaries faced in leading the Devils are having a detrimental effect on coach Daryn Cresswell's game plan.

In the wake of the Devils' horrible 114-point thrashing at the hands of Werribee on Saturday, Cresswell said the "whole state" approach was causing headaches with his run-at-all-costs blueprint.

While Cresswell's predecessor Mathew Armstrong believed in the centralised system -- getting the majority of his team based in Hobart so the players could constantly train together -- Cresswell wanted to open the Devils up to the entire state by having regional training squads in the South, North and North-West.

This brought in an influx of players from northern Tasmania, but it has not brought results, with the Devils losing their past five games and sitting above last place by percentage only.

"It is pretty hard because obviously with the three regions I am finding it pretty difficult to deal with and it makes it very hard," Cresswell said.

THE Devils wore their white away jumper for the first time yesterday, and then flew the white flag.

A pathetic, uncompetitive Devils were belted and humiliated to the tune of 114 points by Werribee, 31.14 (200) to 12.14 (86).

Werribee had never been defeated by the Devils and kicked their highest score against Tasmania -- and only 33 points less than its highest VFL score -- as it inflicted their third heaviest defeat in the Devils' history.

After winning their opening game, the Devils have now lost their past five. But yesterday's performance was clearly the worst and left new coach Daryn Cresswell struggling to find answers for the lack of fight in his listless side.

Passion and pride was for so long the trademark of this team, and factors which kept fans coming back even in defeat. But yesterday those factors were decidely absent.

When asked if the players were hurting after the game, Cresswell said: "No, I don't believe they are.

PLAYING Werribee at Bartercard Oval today represents the "Last Chance Saloon" for a number of experienced Devils and their finals chances.

Devils' coach Daryn Cresswell said yesterday if his side loses today, slipping to a 1-5 win-loss record for the season, it is time to put a line through the season and rebuild for the future.

"The guys realise how important the game is," Cresswell said.

"If we can't win this week we will just have to play more young kids and probably the older guys will get overlooked because we just have to start developing.

"If we don't win this week, our chances of making the finals are pretty slim so we will have to start looking to the future. Blokes like (Ben) Fagan, (Sam) Fielding and (James) Charlesworth will get more opportunities to play at this level."