AFL Tasmania and TSL clubs close to deal for new-look 2020 season

Fill the waterbottles, cut the grass and mark out the centre square, the Tasmanian State League is about to kick into action. Find out all the details>>

Tasmanian State League is set to start up – in a matter of weeks. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

STATE  League clubs are a heartbeat away from approval to start their season on July 17 in a compressed 12-match roster series that includes Wednesday night games, limited spectators initially and a two-week sudden-death finals series.

AFL Tasmania had a secret meeting with the seven TSL presidents on Wednesday and sent them away with new agreements to sign, confirming their approval of the altered conditions of the 2020 season, and to be returned by today to get the ball rolling.

The clubs were said to be comfortable with negotiations and terms of the deal.

AFL Tasmania CEO Trish Squires could reveal the details of its reimagined season early as Friday.

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The start-up is dependent on easing of Public Health restrictions and State Government approval.

“The meeting was conducted in good spirits and all presidents are happy with the arrangements that are being put in place,” said one TSL president.

“We have put a competition together in the time available and I think people will be excited by what we’ve come up with.

“We are just looking forward to getting out there and playing again.”

While the dates for games have been set out in the deal, clubs and coaches next week will work through the details of who plays whom over the 12 rounds.

Critical to the agreement was that the TSL season must finish a week before the AFL grand final _ a proviso believed to have come from AFL House.

TSL players must brace themselves to play two games a week, three times, in the revised roster, as well as some Friday night and Sunday games.

The top four teams will contest knockout finals, with one versus four, and two versus three, in week one, and the two winners advancing to the grand final.

The TSL clubs were put on a pay freeze when the coronavirus clamp-down hit in March.

To that stage, they had received 30 per cent of their annual $100,000 grants.

AFL Tasmania would provide more funding but clubs will not get the full amount.

“There’s more money on the way but I don’t know how much,” one president said.

AFL Tasmania included councils and umpires in talks.