With revelations of catastrophic levels of child sexual abuse across Northern Tasmanian clubs, the NTFA seems to have missed the opportunity to improve young player safeguarding. It risks joining the ‘second wave of institutional betrayal’ after the Commission of Inquiry.

The Weiss Inquiry into now deceased ex-NTFA President, Police Officer Senior Sgt Paul Reynolds, concluded that he had targeted at least 52 boys over his almost 40 year career with Tasmania Police, most of whom were accessed through northern AFL clubs. The details are in the Coroner’s Report including a note that some of his victims were young Basketballers!

The Weiss Report also alluded to unnamed (presumably past) NTFA Board Members who failed to act on complaints made against Reynolds at the time, therefore enabling his abuse. Tasmania Police has declined to investigate these NTFA Board members for committing the crime of ‘failing to protect a child”!

Now, almost 12 months after the Weiss Inquiry Report, LOUDfence Tasmania calls on the current NTFA Board to act on the following recommendations:

1. That the NTFA makes a public apology and acknowledges systemic and longstanding shortcomings in young player safeguarding over decades, across the Northern leagues.
2. That the NTFA invites all victims of child sexual abuse due to their AFL involvement to contact the NTFA to ensure that such victims are aware of the support services available.
3. That the NTFA publicises the National Redress Scheme, given that coverage is being extended to those suffering abuse while engaging in sports.
4. That the NTFA fully cooperates with any Tasmania Police investigation into the ‘cover-ups’ alluded to in the Weiss Report.
5. That the NTFA makes it policy that all clubs participating in their competition confirm compliance with the CYSOF safeguarding standards, and that all player-facing officials such as coaches, masseuses, etc. maintain their Working With Vulnerable People (WWVP) clearance.
6. That the NTFA, as a respondent entity, maintains its own in-house compliance with the CYSOF standards legislation.
7. That NTFA cooperates with Municipal Councils as they erect child safe signage on sports grounds to meet their obligations under the Commonwealth Royal Commission ( Recommendation 6.11)

Without the implementation of these recommendations, AFL will continue to be an inherently unsafe sporting code for children and young people in Northern Tasmania, and parents will be reminded of this at forthcoming NTFA fixtures.

Parents should reasonably expect that when they drop their child off for AFL training or a game, that they will be safeguarded by officials with a WWVP Card as an absolute minimum requirement.

LOUDfence would like the NTFA to see this as an opportunity to make AFL one of the safest codes for young players, and serve as an exemplar to other forms of sports. If not, then the NTFA will be joining what ex-COI Commissioner Bromfield refers to as the ‘second wave of institutional betrayal’.