TSL coaches to decide an increase to a 23-man bench for compacted State League season

First it was 16-minute quarters – now the make-up of TSL teams could also be in for a shake-up for State League kick-off next month.

North Hobart NAB league players, Hamish Allan, Jye Menzie Patrick Walker, Sam Collins and Jake Steele. Picture: Zak Simmonds

TSL clubs have been given the option of increasing their interchange benches to 23 for the coronavirus-shortened season starting on July 11 and one coach says he would “love” the move.

With the arrival of the revised TSL roster imminent, North Hobart coach Richard Robinson welcomed a proposed move to 23-man teams, with the extra player preferably aged under-19.

AFL Tasmania has already revealed game times will be cut by 20 per cent, in line with 16-minute quarters in the AFL, for the 2020 season, which sees Lauderdale playing Clarence at Lauderdale, Glenorchy hosting Launceston at KGV, North Hobart facing a road trip to play North Launceston at UTas Stadium, and Tigers the bye, in the opening round of the draft roster.

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Football. Tasmanian State League. North Hobart V Clarence. Nathan McCulloch North Hobart handballs the ball away from Hugh NJ Williams North Hobart and Clint Riley Clarence. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

Robinson said a five-man interchange would give teenage players from all seven State League clubs a shot at senior football they might have to wait longer to achieve.

“I would love the opportunity to give a younger guy the exposure of playing TSL senior football,” Robinson said.

“It gives them a look at the level and if you can play 23 rather than 22 it would be great for the competition to have someone else having that exposure, particularly with the Devils under-18s program not going ahead in the short term.

“You’ve got an extra 22 players from the Devils, who aren’t playing state footy, to give more of an opportunity to in playing senior football at their respective clubs.”

The 23-man proposal is being discussed by the clubs and will only proceed by unanimous agreement.

“Some other coaches might not like it, but we love to rotate so we would like it to happen,” Robinson said.