2024 TSL season to kick off on Good Friday

The fixture for the final year of the 2024 TSL season has been released. See the main games here.

Kingborough will head in 2024 as the defending TSL premiers. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

The fixture for the final year of the Tasmanian State League has been released with Good Friday football to kick off season 2024.

With the competition set to end at the conclusion of the season, just 21 rounds and three weeks of finals remain for a statewide football league that only made its return in 2009.

Jack Tomkinson (Tigers) and Jack Avent (North Launceston) will meet again in round 6 after a heated grand final last season. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Reigning premiers Kingborough will kick off its premiership defence against North Hobart before hosting North Launceston in a 2023 grand final rematch at the Twin Ovals in round six.

For the Bombers, their season will start against cross-town rivals Launceston with both sides set to field much younger outfits in 2024.

Last season’s grand finalists already put one of the TSL’s youngest teams on the park in 2023 but their depth will be tested this season following the losses of Heath Ollington (Williamstown), Connor Leeflang (Airport West) and Oscar Van Dam (Casey) to Victoria.

Launceston will also head in with a relatively inexperienced list compared to their three-peat run between 2020 and 2022 but skipper Brodie Palfreyman will be back.

Despite being handed a three-match ban late last season, Palfreyman will be free to suit up in the Blues opening game should his recovery from a fractured leg suffered in the same game allow for it.

Traditional rivals Clarence and Lauderdale will also meet in round one with the Bombers set to head in as the Tigers main challenges to the 2024 premiership following a host of big-name inclusions over the off-season.

Both Andrew Phillips and Mitch Robinson will suit up in 2024 while Thor Boscott has also returned to SkyBus Oval.

The Roos will also have former three-time AFL premiership player Jack Riewoldt at their disposal for one-game but no decision has been made on which round Riewoldt will return.

Former AFL star Jack Riewoldt will pull the boots on for his old club Clarence in the TSL in 2024. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Glenorchy will start the year off with a round one bye but has put together a strong off-season and is intent on fielding both a senior and Development League side in 2024, after fielding one team last year.

Key talls Harrison Gunther and Daniel Joseph have returned to KGV and will be major additions to the Magpies, while North Hobart have also announced the return of Callum Kilpatrick.

Competition byes will be held between Rounds 12 and 13, and between Rounds 15 and 16 with Tasmania’s representative side set to play games on those weekends.

The TSL season kicks off on March 29 with the 2024 grand final to be played on Saturday September 21.