Tasmania Devils news

Ex-trainer threatens Devils

By Robbo August 17, 2007
From The Mercury
Reported by Adam Smith

AS if the Tassie Devils' lack of success on the field wasn't bad enough, a former fitness trainer is now considering legal action after claiming he is owed about $10,000 by the club.

Russell Kapper had been employed by the VFL side since last season, but had a falling out with coach Daryn Cresswell in April.

During an away game against North Ballarat, Kapper had been out late and was locked out of his hotel room after forgetting his key.

After waking some of the players in an effort to get back in, it was decided the following Monday at a meeting his role with the side would be reduced as punishment.

AFL Tasmania general manager Scott Wade refused to comment directly on the issue, but was disappointed with the handling of the matter.

"It is disappointing that Russell has chosen to air his dirty linen through the media," Wade said.

Stick with VFL

By Robbo August 15, 2007
From The Mercury
Reported by Brett Stubbs

AS AFL Tasmania deliberates whether to send the Devils off to play in the SANFL next season, the vast majority of southern footballers are adamant that the state should stick with the VFL.

And they are even more strongly in favour of calling an end to the Devils' partial alignment with AFL club the Kangaroos.

A Mercury exclusive poll of 65 Southern Premier League players shows 80 per cent want the Devils to stay in the VFL.

More than 90 per cent believe AFL Tasmania should cut all ties with the Devils' AFL affiliate and revert to a stand-alone club -- just as Tasmania was in its first five years, during which it made the finals three times in a row.

But the good news for AFL Tasmania is that despite the Devils' disastrous past two seasons and their Kangaroos partial alignment, there is still plenty of support for AFL Tasmania's flagship team.

Young Devils show some bite

By Robbo August 12, 2007
From Sunday Tasmanian
Reported by Brett Stubbs

IN a VFL season as bleak as this one for Tasmania, even the slightest hint of light warms the Devils' hearts.

In what has become an audition for the Devils' "generation next", the likes of Aaron Joseph, Alex Grima, Tom Bellchambers, Jaye Bowden, Tim Mohr and Kieran McShane gave glimpses of promise before eventually being swamped by their bigger, stronger, more experienced Casey Scorpion opponents at Bellerive yesterday.

Halfway through the final quarter the sixth-placed Scorpions led by just 26 points -- almost a "victory" for the bottom-dwelling Devils, with a side made up of 68 per cent of players under 20 years of age.

Eventually, like so many matches before, the longer the game went the worse the Devils became, with Casey kicking the final six goals of the match to win comfortably by 61 points, 16.18 (114) to 8.5 (53).

It was the Devils' 14th loss in 16 games this season.

The home side actually won the first and third quarters, but in between were kept goalless when kicking towards the Church St or members' end, and were even scoreless at that end in the second term.

Grima was assured and creative in the backline, Joseph competitive around the ball, while big Bellchambers took a strong contested mark and kicked a goal with his first VFL kick.

Teens set for tough debut

By Robbo August 10, 2007
From The Mercury
Reported by Adam Smith

LAUNCESTON teenagers Kieran McShane and Tom Bellchambers become the latest Devils debutants tomorrow and face the Casey Scorpions at Bellerive.

The pair -- who both played at the national under-18 carnival last month -- are yet another example of Daryn Cresswell's desire to get games into his Mariners players.

And in further evidence, Cresswell has his sights set firmly on next season. He is looking to give them plenty of time on the ground to learn the ropes at VFL level.

Bellchambers, who has been named to start in the ruck, is a mobile big man who can also be thrown forward and McShane can rotate through the midfield and will no doubt benefit from playing alongside the likes of Ken Hall.

It brings the number of players to have made their Devils debut this season to 25 and a total of 53 different players have been used.

This could also increase further if Brennan Savage and Leigh Brown line up tomorrow for their first games of the year.

Moles won't jeopardise draft

By Robbo August 08, 2007
From The Mercury
Reported by Brett Stubbs

PROMISING Tassie Devils forward Brodie Moles will undergo surgery and miss the rest of the VFL season so as not to jeopardise his chances in the AFL draft.

Moles, 21, has been one of the few shining lights this season playing across half-forward as the Devils head towards their first wooden spoon.

But Devils coach Daryn Cresswell said yesterday Moles would join Paul Koulouriotis (hamstring) and Cameron Thurley (hip) on the sidelines for the rest of the year.

Moles has kicked 20 goals from 13 games in his debut VFL season, but will have a cartilage clean-up on his knee as soon as possible.

Cresswell said he believed Moles would be invited to the October 2-5 AFL draft camp at the AIS in Canberra.

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