Do you want to join the Board of Football Tasmania? Here is how

Governance is often dismissed as boring. Paperwork. Process. People in rooms talking in circles.
And sometimes, honestly, it is.

But governance is also where decisions are made, power is exercised and priorities are set. If you care about football, eventually you run into governance whether you want to or not. Understanding it is not about enjoying it. It is about knowing how the system you are part of actually works.

Who this is for

This post is for anyone who has ever said they are unhappy with the way football is governed in Tasmania and wondered what, realistically, they could do about it.

One option, often spoken about but rarely explained, is joining the Board.

So here is how that actually works.

Not in theory.
Not in whispers.
In practice.

Who actually elects the Board

The Board of Football Tasmania is not elected by the football public. There is no popular vote. Parents, players, coaches and volunteers do not vote directly for Board members.

The Board is elected by members.

A member is not an individual. A member is a recognised body, usually a club, a regional association or a formally recognised committee, acting through an authorised representative. That representative votes on behalf of their organisation.

Most individuals involved in football are not members in a governance sense. Their club or association is the member and it votes through a delegate.

This matters, because it means being well known or well liked is not enough. Support has to be built at an organisational level.

Getting nominated

If you want to be elected, you must first be nominated.

Nominations must be made formally. They require proposers and a seconder who are themselves members or directors. They must be submitted by a specified date and include statutory declarations about conflicts of interest and suitability.

This is not casual. It is designed to be deliberate.

How voting actually works, Borda Count explained

If more people nominate than there are positions available, an election is held at the AGM. Voting is done using a preferential system known as the Borda Count.

If that sounds abstract, it is actually quite familiar.

Most football clubs already use a version of this every week. After a match, coaches or designated club people award three votes, then two, then one, for best on ground. Those votes accumulate across the season and at the end, the player with the strongest overall contribution is recognised.

The Borda Count works the same way.

Members rank candidates in order of preference. First preference carries the most weight, then second, then third. Those preferences are converted into points and added up across all ballots. The candidate with the highest total is elected.

It rewards broad respect rather than narrow support. A candidate who is consistently rated second or third by many voters can outperform someone who is first for a few and last for many.

Who is eligible and who is not

Eligibility is where many people come unstuck.

The constitution excludes people who hold certain operational roles within football. This is not personal. It is structural. The intention is to separate governance from day-to-day administration.

In a small state, that exclusion matters. Many of the most experienced people in football hold multiple roles. To stand for the Board, choices have to be made. Some roles must be relinquished.

That is uncomfortable but it is also honest.

The narrow exception for the President

There is a narrow exception relating to the President role.

In simple terms, it allows someone who has already served on the Board but not yet as President, to extend their service for continuity. It does not override conflict rules or eligibility requirements.

It exists to avoid constant churn at the top, not to create a loophole.

Elected directors and appointed directors are not the same thing

It is important to understand that not all Board positions are elected.

The constitution allows the Board to appoint a limited number of directors. These are not community elections. They are internal appointments, usually justified on skills or experience grounds.

This pathway exists, but it is controlled by the Board and should not be confused with an election by members.

How many directors are elected, and how many are appointed

The constitution sets a clear limit on this and it is worth spelling out.

The Board of Football Tasmania can have a maximum of eight directors.

Of those, six must be elected by the members. That includes the President and five other directors.

Only two directors can be appointed by the Board.

This matters, because it means appointed directors can never form a majority. Appointment is designed to supplement the Board, not control it. Elections remain the primary source of authority and legitimacy.

In other words, on paper at least, the system prioritises member choice. If governance feels distant or unresponsive, that is not because the constitution removes power from members. It is because the member bodies who hold that power are not always engaged, informed, or active in using it.

A personal example, and why structure matters

I hold more than one role in Tasmanian football or at least I did.

At different times, I have been President of a club and President of a regional association. On paper, that can look like influence. In practice, governance does not work that way.

Votes at an AGM do not belong to people. They belong to organisations.

CRJFA has one vote.
South Hobart Football Club has one vote.

Each vote must be exercised by an authorised delegate. Even if one person holds multiple roles, they do not get multiple votes in the room. One person, one vote, even when wearing more than one hat.

That distinction matters.

It reinforces that governance power sits with structures, not personalities. It also explains why transparency around delegates, declarations and representation is important. The system is designed to prevent influence accumulating simply because someone is willing, or able, to hold multiple positions.

In a small football community, many of us do hold multiple roles. That makes clarity even more important, not less.

The responsibility of being on a Board

Before anyone puts their hand up, there is a harder question to ask.

Why do you want to join the Board?

Being on a Board is not just turning up to a two-hour meeting once a month. It carries legal, financial and ethical responsibility. Directors are responsible for the health of the organisation, not a single program, club or constituency.

It involves reading papers, understanding risk, making decisions with imperfect information and sometimes supporting outcomes you personally disagree with because they are in the organisation’s best interests.

Boards move slowly by design. Change through governance is incremental, procedural and often frustrating. It requires patience, judgement and the ability to see beyond immediate pressure.

Stepping into responsibility

There is a truth we rarely say out loud.

If you want change in football governance, responsibility does not sit with “them”. It sits with the member bodies who vote. If those bodies do not engage, do not ask questions or do not challenge constructively, the system simply reproduces itself.

I have written before about Football Tasmania Annual General Meetings that pass quietly. Reports are tabled. Motions are carried. No questions are asked. Everyone goes home.

Those moments matter more than we like to admit.

Silence at AGMs is not neutrality. It is consent. Governance does not drift by accident. It drifts because participation stops at attendance rather than engagement.

Understanding how to get elected is not about ambition.
It is about accountability.

If you are unhappy with governance in Tasmania, this is one of the legitimate ways to step into responsibility rather than stand outside it.

It is not easy.
It is not fast.
But it is how the system is designed to work.

Novice questions answered

Am I a member?
Usually no. In governance terms, your club or association is the member, not you as an individual.

Who actually votes?
Your club or association appoints a delegate. That delegate votes on its behalf.

When do elections happen?
Elections occur at the Annual General Meeting, when Board terms expire or vacancies arise.

What is the first step if I am interested?
Talk with your club or association about whether they understand and are prepared to engage in, governance.

Can I just nominate myself?
No. Nominations must be proposed and seconded and must meet eligibility and conflict requirements.