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AFL CEO sets record straight on Devils
AFL CEO sets record straight on Devils

Perth Now

time17 hours ago

  • Business
  • Perth Now

AFL CEO sets record straight on Devils

AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon has doubled down on the importance of Tasmania meeting its licence agreement before entering the competition in 2028. Tasmania was alongside the other 18 clubs for an AFL summit at Marvel Stadium on Tuesday morning. The Devils, however, are facing a nervous wait after the slated cost of their roofed stadium blew out $100m more than the original estimate. Dillon said he was 'really confident' Tasmania would join the AFL as planned in 2028 but reinforced its contractual conditions of entry. 'Having someone of Brendon Gale's calibre put his hand up to lead an expansion team is super important for the industry,' he said. 'It's great to see the Tassie Devils there alongside our other 18 clubs … I am really confident the Tassie Devils will get going in 2028. 'There's complexity but there's always complexity when you're bringing in a new franchise, a new licence or a new club. 'But I am really confident we'll get there and we'll work with the Tasmanian government to make sure all the conditions of the licence are met, which includes there is a stadium with a capacity of 23,000, with a roof at Macquarie Point … as long as all those points are ticked, the licence becomes unconditional and then we start at 2028.' The proposed Macquarie Point multipurpose stadium where the Devils will play. Mac Point Development Corporation Credit: News Corp Australia The AFL summit kicks off discussions between the clubs on how to grow the competition. Dillon has a vision of 10 million attendees, two million members and one million participants across both AFL and AFLW competitions. But he said the discussion of an in-season tournament would not be included and instead be presented to the competition committee. 'What we're talking about for the next couple of days is really focusing in on fan first, we're not really getting into the heavy football stuff,' he said. 'We talked a little bit about that with the CEOs and that will be something we'll take back to the competition committee. 'I think what we want to make sure is that our game is as attractive as it has been. We had records crowds last year, an average of 37,600 people came to our games. 'We're on track to exceed that this year, but we don't want to stop at that, we want to have average crowds of 40,000. 'We just want to make sure our game remains accessible, affordable and as popular as it has been.' Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff at Macquarie Point with aspiring Devils, Daisy Hollick, 7, Toby Hollick, 5, Lakeyn Millhouse, 5, Billy Millhouse 9, and Parker Millhouse, 3. Linda Higginson Credit: News Corp Australia The fixture has come under fire in recent weeks, with the injury-ravaged Essendon and flailing Carlton owning major prime-time slots. Dillon defended the floating fixture and particularly the Thursday night slots that have recently netted smaller crowds in Melbourne. 'The Thursday nights this year, I talk about season averages for crowds and Thursday nights have been above the average – that's a tick,' he said. 'Thursday nights have rated extremely well, but I think what's important is we do have a spread of teams who play through those different slots. 'We have evolved the fixture over the last couple of years, which is not as popular with all of our fans, but we think it's one important part. 'Maybe this year is a bit of an outlier in terms of the teams that were selected earlier on were teams in pretty solid form at the time the floating fixture was put in. 'The games are still rating pretty well, they're still pretty well attended, but we'll take on-board the feedback from fans, broadcasters and clubs as we look to the 2026 fixture.'

Comparing Rangers, Devils, Islanders Starting Goalies
Comparing Rangers, Devils, Islanders Starting Goalies

Yahoo

time21-07-2025

  • Sport
  • Yahoo

Comparing Rangers, Devils, Islanders Starting Goalies

You'll have to agree – but you don't have to if you don't really want to – that goaltending will go a long way toward determining whether the Rangers, Islanders and Devils make the playoffs. (Don't ask me to pick a winner now; it's still July.) This past year only the Devils gained the postseason while both the Isles and Blueshirts missed. Next fall all three of the clubs will retain their top goalkeepers Jacob Markstrom in Newark, Igor Shesterkin in Manhattan and Ilya Sorokin on the Island. To understate the issue, they bear watching. Markstrom, obtained from Calgary, did what he was supposed to do; he gave the Devils just enough de luxe stopping to get them into the real season, alias the playoffs. Shesterkin disappointed. Period: Sorokin was overworked and too often injured to be a positive factor. A Few Things You Should Know About Rangers And Other NHL Friends THE GERARD GALLANT MYSTERY: The Maven is not sure about You, but I still can't figure out why Chris Drury ever fired Gerard Gallant. I liked the guy as player, as coach and as an individual. I bring him up now because Double G has signed on in the KHL – believe it or not – with the Kunlun team in China which plays in the K. (Thank You, Jim Cerny of Forever Blueshirts.) What can we expect going forward? For the answer to that The Maven imported my Vice President In Charge Of Goalie Knowledge, the eminent Mel Melzer. Take it away, Mel: "All three Met goalies are in remarkably similar situations," Melzer says. "We're talking about elite talents, but who have yet to truly cement their legacies in the postseason. Shesterkin already claimed a Vezina Trophy which meant that for one year at least he was the league's best. Ditto for Markstrom. But that's ancient history. "Even though Sorokin has no Vezina to brag about ,he has been consistently elite. He was hobbled by a team weakened by injuries all season. Still, his performances have shown that he's on the Markstrom-Shesterkin level." What's missing in each case? Melzer: "What ties them together is not just raw ability but the need to evolve from being 'great goalies' into the guy who wins when it matters most. Playoff greatness still eludes them. It's not a matter of skill, it's a mindset shift that's necessary. "Until that shift happens, we're left with tantalizing potential that hasn't translated into springtime success." Because of the natural New York-New York rivalry between the Rangers and Islanders, "Who's Better?" debates rage on between the respective fan bases. With that in mind, The Maven asked Mel to pick a winner. "Stylistically, Shesterkin and Sorokin mirror one another. Each is instinctive, agile and technically sound; not to mention emotionally composed. Watching Igor or Ilya in peak form is like a master class in modern goaltending." (Hmmm. No winner here.) What about Markstrom? Is he better than the two Russians? "The Swede brings a different flavor," Mel explains. "He has that towering frame and an authoritative presence. When he's on, he can look utterly unbeatable." The issue here is that he has not been "on" enough. "Let's face it," Mel concludes, "potential only gets you so far. It didn't the Rangers into the playoffs nor the Islanders and the Devils were gone faster than you can say 'Stop the puckl, Jake!'" Then, a pause: "The pressure on all three is mounting. The 2025-26 season – especially the playoffs – will be a defining chapter for all three!"

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