AFL club hub still a possibility despite the coronavirus outbreak in Tasmania’s North-West

The coronavirus outbreak in the state’s North-West shouldn’t affect the chances of the rest of the state hosting an AFL club hub, the Premier says.

The Premier is hopeful the coronavirus outbreak in the state’s North-West won;t harm nay plans to set up an AFL hub in the state’s other regions. Picture: AAP

BURNIE’S coronavirus outbreak should not affect Tasmania’s chances of hosting an AFL hub with Premier Peter Gutwein highlighting the state’s “low case numbers” in Hobart and Launceston as reasons it still could get the green light.

Put on hold after crowd-less round one games, the AFL on Monday next week will announce plans to restart the season.

League boss Gill McLachlan is confident the remaining 144 home-and-away games would be played this year and without the need to shut it down again should a player test positive to coronavirus.

Among the reboot options are locating clubs into hubs area to get games under way.

Collingwood president Eddie McGuire revealed last week the AFL was considering the placement of six teams in each of Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia.

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The outbreak of coronavirus in the state’s North-West almost doubled Tasmania’s virus numbers while the rest of the state has been less affected.

In his daily address, Mr Gutwein said low case numbers in Tasmania’s South and North could signal a lifting of restrictions on a regional basis and that measures were working in Hobart and Launceston.

“If we do the right thing in the North-West, if we get on top of this outbreak, and if we, importantly, increase our testing and do our contact tracing and crush this outbreak, by the end of the coming four-week period I would hope we would have the North-West under control as well,” he said.

“In terms of any discussion about sport and any discussions about resuming a normal life, what I want to do is take this one week at a time and I would encourage Tasmanians and especially North-West coasters, to take this a day at a time. We need to step through this.”