Tasmania Devils news

THE SANFL will not explore a suggestion to bring in a Northern Territory-based team until a prior commitment with the Tassie Devils has been fully explored.

The NTFL sent the SANFL and WA Football Commission an "information" document last month saying it wanted to field a NT representative team in the Adelaide or Perth-based state leagues.

However, AFL-Tasmania, the AFL and the SANFL are in discussions aimed at the Tassie Devils joining the SANFL in 2009 if it feels disadvantaged by the outcome of the AFL's review into football in Victoria.

SANFL chief executive Leigh Whicker said the league would not consider two proposals at once.

"We owe it to Tasmania. We've made a commitment to Tasmania and the AFL to look at the possibility of a Tasmanian team joining our competition," said Whicker, who has "kept the AFL fully briefed". "We respect the AFL-NT's initiative but you can't go down the track with another proposal until you've exhausted all options on the first one."

Cresswell would not come out and say directly whether the alignment should be terminated, but he left little to the imagination with his answers.

"It is not my decision to make," Cresswell said yesterday.

"It is very difficult when you haven't got the players in your backyard to work with. You would probably be able to assess an answer from that."

When asked if the alignment was affecting morale, Cresswell replied: "Tasmania's most successful year was when they were stand-alone, and they developed that spirit and that want to play for the jumper.

"I have mentioned Kenny Hall and Brett Geappen already (in the press conference). We need more players who wear the jumper with the same passion those two guys do.

"I will give a recommendation (to the board), there is no doubt about that.

"The board has been terrific in their support, and I think they know which direction we need to go in."

AFL Tasmania general manager Scott Wade said no new decision had yet been made on the alignment.

The home side's experience and skill level shone in the greasy conditions, running away with the game in the second half to record a 72-point win, 14.14 (98) to 3.8 (26).

The score was Tasmania's second lowest ever in the VFL, bettering only the 2.4 (16) it kicked against Werribee in 2004.

At the main break the Devils trailed by 21 points, and through full-forward Adam Derbyshire kicked the first goal of the second half.

But the big turning point came immediately after the goal when the Devils were given a free kick in the middle before the ball was re-bounced.

Youngster Aaron Joseph swooped on a loose ball in the forward 50 from the resulting kick, only to miss a shot at goal on the run from 30m.

Geelong has kicked 123 more points than any other side this season and currently sits second on the ladder with a 6-3 record.

And if you take into account that in the past three weeks the Cats have scored 9.22 and 12.20, the points-for column could be far greater.

The Cats belted the Devils to the tune of 67 points earlier in the season at Bellerive and, with AFL-listed stars such as Henry Playfair, Tom Hawkins, Charlie Gardiner and Nathan Djerrkura in the forward 50, there are plenty of avenues to goal.

Throw in Tasmanian Todd Grima, who has kicked 23 goals and missed last weekend through suspension, and Cats coach Leigh Tudor has a plethora of options at his disposal.

"We missed Todd last week. He has been outstanding and it really hurt us not having him," Tudor said.

"Definitely, we are looking forward to him coming back.

"We have missed a few goals in the past three weeks, which has hurt us and while we have a few other things to be working on, goal kicking is one of those issues."

Devils assistant coach Andrew Mellor, standing in for coach Daryn Cresswell who was attending a family funeral, said young Launceston ruckman Nathan O'Donoghue would make his Devils debut against Geelong on Sunday as speculation continues to mount the "semi-marriage" will finish at the end of this season.

"I think it is the first time this year we will have someone starting in the ruck who is not a Kangaroo-listed player because we have used (Brad) Moran, (Todd) Goldstein and (David) Hale," Mellor said.

"To have a Tasmanian carrying the No.1 ruck duties is a real plus because the future is unknown.

"He was outstanding last week in the state game. He is very fit, he's tall and can jump and Geelong has got a few players like that so he'll be a real plus for us. "

Mellor said fellow big men, Northern Bombers' Tom Bellchambers and Launceston's Tim Mohr, could also be in the running for promotion to gain experience for next season.

It will be Lonergan's comeback match after life-saving surgery last year to remove a kidney destroyed in a courageous marking attempt against Melbourne in round 21.

Now the Devils coach, Cresswell, a former assistant coach at Geelong, was mentor to Lonergan when he arrived at the "Cattery".

Lonergan, a 23-year-old forward who has played just seven senior games, will wear a custom-made back guard to protect his remaining kidney.

"It will give me the confidence to back into the packs," Lonergan said yesterday.

"It's pretty thick and hard, so I don't think the same thing will be able to happen."

The Cat should expect no favours from the hard-hitting Tasmanians, renowned for their hard tackling.

THE Tassie Devils would take a couple of years to be fully competitive if it joined the SANFL in 2009, AFL-Tasmania general manager Scott Wade said.

AFL-Tasmania - which lost to developing Aussie Rules state Queensland by 11 points on Saturday - is investigating its long-term future which might lead to becoming the 10th SANFL club.

Tasmania had 16 Devils players in the team that lost to Queensland but no AFL-listed players.

Seated among the top-five VFL clubs in 2004-05, the Devils have one win and sit bottom of the VFL ladder this year.

Aligned with the AFL Kangaroos, the Devils are obliged to play over-flow Roos players and have not recruited star players from outside Tasmania in the past few seasons.

Tasmania upset the SANFL by 15 points in 1995. West Adelaide, bottom in the SANFL, lost by seven points to Tasmania in a trail in March.

While the seniors sit top of the ladder and are firming for AFL flag favouritism, the Cats' VFL affiliate is travelling just as smoothly.

After nine rounds. Geelong sits second behind powerhouse Sandringham, although the Cats are coming off a loss last weekend to Werribee.

The Devils' Origin defeat at the hands of Queensland will no doubt further erode confidence in Daryn Cresswell's men, who will need to be on song to return to the winners' list.

In their favour is a decent record at Skilled Stadium, where the Devils won in 2005 and went down by a kick last season.

A former assistant coach at Geelong, Cresswell will be passing on vital inside information as his players prepare to tackle a side which last week contained 20 AFL listed players.

"We just need to come up with tactics in terms of playing against AFL-listed players," Cresswell said.

"We have to pick a side able to run, the ground is similar to Aurora Stadium and we will go into the game with a side we think can cover the ground and play good hard competitive footy."