Could a switch to a summer league be the TSL’s future?

The coronavirus crisis can give the TSL the opportunity to switch from a winter to a summer competition permanently, believes the league’s longest-serving coach.

Lauderdale Coach Darren Winter geeing up his team. Picture: MATT THOMPSON

SUNSCREEN could be as much as a requirement as mouthguards and footy boots for TSL players under a recommendation from the league’s most experienced coach.

Lauderdale coach Darren Winter believes the coronavirus crisis can give the TSL the opportunity to switch from a winter to a summer competition permanently.

Winter said this season would finish much later than the usual September finale, and this should become a permanent conclusion to the state league.

Lauderdale coach Darren Winter. Picture: CHRIS KIDD

He also said Lauderdale’s players would play without remuneration but “for the love for the game” upon resumption to get the season started earlier without crowds.

The advantages of a later finish post 2020 would be better weather attracting bigger crowds and not clashing directly with televised AFL games each time.

“We could certainly play into December and have a December grand final,” Winter said of a plan for the league going forward beyond this season.

“Certainly in Tassie, you get those bitter days through August and September and it is hard to do with the cricket but I reckon in Tasmania we should be playing in the summer.”

TSL crowds were demonstrably better for Good Friday games when the weather was usually better earlier in the season and prior to the AFL scheduling matches on that public holiday as well

Clashing with cricket could be an issue, but Winter said this was not such a big problem to overcome at TSL level.

“There are only two clubs in the state league that are impacted by cricket and that is Clarence (at Blundstone Arena) and Glenorchy (KGV Oval),” he said.

“So we’ve got a clear path to finish the season off whenever we get the chance.”

Winter said the feeling among TSL clubs had changed recently from not if but when the competition would start again.

Lauderdale players and coaches have already addressed the issue of a return most likely in front of no crowds.

“Ghost games” as they are known means no gate receipts and kiosk or bar takings so no revenue for TSL clubs to pay players and staff.

“The boys are pretty keen just to get out and play and if they are not going to get paid they are OK with that as well,” Winter said.

“We’ve asked them if we haven’t got crowds and the money is not there would they play for free and that wasn’t an issue for them either.”

Just like the later finish for the TSL, he believes the current crisis could provide a reset for Tasmanian community football as well.

“From what I’ve heard a lot of the country clubs are really struggling with paying match payments,” he said.

“This could be a good opportunity for everybody to reset and revalue where they are at and maybe the money side of it is not that important anymore.”