A comment was made on the Ecuador game topic that its not worth putting a team in Tasmania because the AFL don't think it's viable.

I would suggest that type of thinking is one of the reasons the A League hasn't flourished like it could have over the past 10 or so years. We have done things like the AFL/NRL, and not embraced our differences to them. We are different! We live and breathe an international game with all the nuances and flavours that brings, some good and not so good.

It's great that South Hobart have put in an EIO for the National Second Tier. If their proposal stacks up, they should be in the NST, even if their are some better credentialled teams from Sydney or Melbourne. We need to embrace our geographical spread. And allow teams to sink, so that if South Hobart don't perform on the pitch, they are relegated.

On promotion and relegation, I believe that the first 2 years of the NST for the purposes of relegation points should be accumulated and the bottom 2 clubs over the 2 years be relegated. There would still be a champion duly lauded for winning each year, but the onerous relegation could be deferred and based on the 2 years. If deemed appropriate, the NPL champions and runners up could be added in year 2 to the NST to increase the amount of teams if less than 16 are initially chosen. Having been promoted, they would not be relegated after their first year.

Each new entrant into the NST would be required to pay the $500,000 or whatever the amount is licence fee to be part of the NST, and relegated teams would be refunded their fee.