Tigers coach Trent Baumeler wants more games, bigger benches for TSL season
He took the Tigers to their first finals series last season and TSL coach Trent Baumeler has big ideas for the re-shaped post-coronavirus State League.
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SHORTER quarters, bigger benches and up to three games a week – that’s the vision of Tigers coach Trent Baumeler for the start of the TSL season after the coronavirus crisis has passed.
Baumeler warned the welfare of players must be taken into consideration when AFL Tasmania frames the postponed season.
The TSL home-and-away series was due to kick off last weekend but is on hold with all other State Leagues until at least May 31.
“It’s a good opportunity for our league because we are better-positioned – if things go well – to get away before some other State Leagues,” Baumeler said.
“We need to look at the fixture and what that looks like. We haven’t got a time-line because the tricky thing is the virus sets the timeline.
“As long as we keep doing the right thing as a society we will get back sooner rather than later.”
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A key part of the start-up would be the number of games per week.
“We need to look at whether we are playing two or three games a week, or is it going to be one game a week? It will depend on when we get away,” Baumeler said.
“If we’ve got a compressed season and we are playing multiple times a week, we need to look at the length of quarters and how many players we have on the interchange bench.
“It becomes a player-management issue because it’s a pretty tough ask to play those games but I don’t think you’re going to get any argument from the boys.
“They are going to want to play.”
Baumeler prefers an increase from four to six players on the bench, and 25 minute quarters with no time-on.
“In the bigger picture moving forward, five players on the bench is an ideal number,” he said.
“The VFL has five, and that allows you to rotate in all positions, cover injuries and allows you to keep exposing younger players to senior footy.”
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