There is no more prudent investment than spending money on junior sporting facilities.

The University of Tasmania (Thomas, Cruickshank, and Patterson) longitudinal study of Tasmanian primary schools from 2009 to 2019 found that, “…regardless of size, there was a direct correlation between a school’s relative educational advantage and its success in running carnivals. The richer they were, the faster they ran.”

So, forget about a floating AFL monstrosity with ferries providing access via the Derwent River. Forget about watching the North Melbourne Tassie Kangaroos versus the Gold Coast Suns at a stadium that will quickly become as renowned for facilitating rubbish fixtures as much as the state-of-the-art facility is known for destroying the fragile ecosystem of a tidal estuary. And forget about duplication.

Instead, think about facilities desperately in need of a female change room so young women and girls don’t have to pile on each other and get changed for games in toilet cubicles. Think about netball and tennis courts and club houses that desperately need refurbishment and upgrade.

Think about local club grounds where divots and potholes and sprinkler heads and rippled artificial turf make playing sports such as soccer difficult because a pass along the ground hits young players in the knee.

Think about the home of soccer, the largest junior participation sport in Tasmania, KGV in Hobart. Think about the state of the amenities particularly when our politicians are being encouraged to spend billions on a stadium. Think about outgoing AFL CEO, Gillon McLachlan, who has never wanted Tasmania to have a team of its own, making decisions dependent on the delivery of extravagant infrastructure.

More than likely we’ll have to wait for the Coronation of King Charles, following the reign of Elizabeth II, to secure funding for the Prince of Wales’ Great Grandfather, King Georges V’s dilapidated legacy in Hobart, Tasmania.

And like Prince Charles, Tasmania remains the longest in line with no genuine prospect of becoming the AFL's 19th team.

But we must also acknowledge that improvements have been made to sporting precincts across Tasmania. Football and soccer and rowing and hockey and basketball and a range of refurbished facilities that have added to our emotional, social, and physical well-being.

The improvements through investment at Churchill Park, in a previous life the home of the Launceston tip, before rising into a place that brings all together rather than spreading games and travel requirements across the North of the State. The centralised model has also provided centralised spending to the benefit of all participants.

York Park, the Windsor Precinct, and the new playing grounds for soccer and touch football at Prospect are first class. It makes a difference, improving skills and encouraging young people to join in because it looks good, feels good, smells good and, ultimately, allows children to improve their levels of confidence, participation, and resilience.

The challenge is to continue this improvement. Investing in junior sporting facilities by local, state, and federal governments is smart leadership and provides opportunities for physical and mental wellbeing through preventative health.

Last week, I had the pleasure of attending a major sporting tournament on the mainland. Superbly organised, facilitated without a hitch, with plenty of game time, and fantastic camaraderie amongst intense competition, were all positives of the experience.

However, the playing grounds and the junior facilities were rubbish compared to those we have back home.

Bumpy and uneven playing surfaces, ground markings burnt into the grass year after year ensuring that they acted more like ten-pin bowling lane gutters instead of an indication to pause play, a variety of different sports’ markings on the same field making it difficult for players to choose the right one for their game, and inadequate changing facilities for young families, those with a disability, or youngsters craving privacy.

I don’t blame organisers because they were awesome. But I do blame the elected leaders who have made the decision to inadequately fund the regular topdressing and resowing of grounds that support thousands of juniors every weekend.

Of course, playing surfaces are only the beginning of great opportunities with quality club cultures essential. However, the impetus provided from investment leads to focus and belief and passion and commitment and energy and strategy and participation.

Think about our next project and think about where it should be. Affluent students and schools do well in sporting carnivals. It’s not just because of their catchment areas, it is because the families have access to clubs and coaches and facilities and food and security and…money.

Think about it in a different way. The football club at Rocherlea should have the best clubrooms in the State. Brooks High School and its feeder primary schools should have the best sporting facilities of all schools in Northern Tasmania. Throw in an over quota supply of Physical Education teachers to lower student/teacher ratios and we are beginning to think about this challenge in a new way. Just as importantly, think about the need for more Child and Family Centres and engaging with families before they start school and the importance of Kindergarten Development Checks.

And pause to think: The poorer they were, the faster they ran!