One of the TSL’s brightest stars is on the move interstate to pursue AFL dream

Arguably the TSL’s best player is heading interstate to chase his AFL dream due to the state’s delay at entering the VFL.

• Tigers add some bite as former Hawk Kieran Lovell returns
• New AFL Tasmania boss urges footy fans to look at results, not his age

TASMANIA’S delay in entering the VFL competition has forced star midfielder Kieran Lovell interstate, his TSL club says.

Lovell, a former Hawthorn player and runner-up in this season’s Alastair Lynch Medal as the TSL best and fairest, has signed on for SANFL club West Adelaide.

He spent the past two seasons at his original club after being cut from the Hawks.

Tigers’ president Paul Gadomski said Lovell would have stayed to pursue his dream of restarting his AFL career if the state was entering the VFL next season as was originally planned.

“When we recruited Kieran it was always only for two years,” Gadomski said.

“He made it quite clear to us from the start he wanted to try and reinvigorate his AFL career. “His medium term plan was to come back to Hobart and hopefully play in the Tasmanian VFL side when it got off the ground.

“As that hasn’t eventuated he has chosen to move back interstate.”

TSL: Glenorchy vs. Tigers, KGV: Tigers' Kieran Lovell feeds out a handball. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

He said AFL recruiters view of the TSL as below the SANFL also forced Lovell to relocate.

Gadomski said the debate over whether the state should be entering the VFL – as proposed by the Gill McLachlan led steering committee – or not – as opposed by the AFL Taskforce unless a VFL licence was part of an AFL licence – was part of a broader discussion on the future of the sport in the state.

“There’s bigger decisions to be made around the structure of football in Tasmania before we take that (VFL) step.

“To push forward with something like that in essence without a strategic long term plan, I think it would be a mistake not only for the state league but for local footy in general.

“That is where I hope (new Head of AFL Tasmania) Damian Gill will take it rather than looking at individual areas of Tassie football and trying to put in band aids or strategies to fix local problems that he actually looks at it from a strategic point of view and get a plan together that we all work towards.”

He said Lovell would obviously be a significant loss to the Tigers, but was confident the likes of Will Campbell, former Mariners captain Lachie Clifford, who missed most of 2020 through injury, and young gun Riley Ashlin could help fill the void.

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