Alderman van Zetten said it was deeply concerning that something as important as the future of AFL football in the state was handled in "such an unprofessional manner."

"We believe that it is enormously simplistic to offer the bland observation that having one team in Tasmania would unify the state,” he said.

“Such an analysis defies logic. The simple fact of the matter is that Hawthorn has engaged in the community over the past 16 years as a showcase for developing new markets.

"The council is currently undertaking detailed modelling to determine what the deficit will be, should the AFL pursue a North Melbourne model into the future. We anticipate the figure will be significant and in the order of a $10 million drop in economic activity each year.”

The new AFL Tasmania CEO Robert Auld said he can uncategorically reassure stakeholders that the leak did not come from his office.

“Our communication on this has been really consistent, in that we wanted to wait until I started and my two general managers started and as soon as that transpired we indicated we would release the report on Tuesday the 5^th [of July],” he said.

“As we work through the recommendations, another area we have been consist on is that we have great certainty in regard to the current premiership points model.” 

Mr Auld said he is committed to the five year certainty of both the Kangaroos and the Hawks in the state. 

Alderman van Zetten said the council can only assume what is in the report from media coverage as he has not received a copy.

“We are under the assumption that the report on the future of AFL football in Tasmania was predicated with the end goal of Tasmania establishing its own AFL side,” he said.

“Indeed, proposing North Melbourne as the single team model in Tasmania would logically appear to work in directly opposite to this end goal objective.

"If North Melbourne plays six or eight games in Tasmania and develops Tasmania as a significant part of its membership base to ensure its viability, it is extremely difficult to see how the AFL could remove North Melbourne from this market without materially affecting the viability of the club's finances.”

The mayor questioned the selective nature of the leak to a single newspaper in the state’s south.

"If one was cynical, it could be suggested that this was part of an orchestrated campaign to promote a single, predetermined outcome in terms of AFL football in Tasmania, rather than having an honest appraisal of the best way forward, leading to the end goal of a future Tasmanian AFL side,” Alderman van Zetten said.

“The Garlick report was concluded some months ago. We were told that an executive summary of the report would be released. This has not occurred.

"What has occurred is the disingenuous exercise of selective leaking of elements of the report to a Southern newspaper, without offering the courtesy of engagement with other stakeholders who were interviewed as part of the process to provide them with a briefing of the report's findings and more importantly, the rationale and strategic merit underpinning those findings.

"This is extremely regrettable and goes to the credibility of the whole exercise in our minds.”