Phillips had been in negotiations with Suncorp Super Netball club Collingwood for months, but was only able to confirm the deal to play in the Australian Netball League after the new year.

“That’s now all approved,” Phillips said. “The name has all been agreed upon – the Tasmanian Magpies.

“The partnership with Collingwood around the ANL team is most exciting thing to Tasmanian netball in years.

“It’s giving us a new high-performance pathway we haven’t had previously.”

The arrangement allows the five best Tasmanian positional netballers to join on court Collingwood’s own supplementary playing list that are assured of a game.

But two Tasmanians will miss selection every week in a mutually agreed “half-and-half” split between both parties.

Phillips said the move will strengthen Netball Tasmania’s presence far beyond its past Tassie Spirit ANL entry that had dissolved in 2015 in favour of a high-performance academy model last year.

“Netball Tasmania in the past had struggled to even select an ANL team to find enough athletes of that sufficient standard,” she said.

“Even when picking our best in the state, we’d never make it to the finals.

“So this is not only a return to the ANL, but hopefully a return with an extremely competitive team.”

The new endeavour opens up training opportunities for Tasmania’s netballers and coaches at Collingwood’s high-performance centre.

“It’s just extraordinary for our people,” Phillips added.

“To play a team sport it is so important to have the quality people around you.”

Coach Jon Fletcher returns to head Tasmanian netball to be joined by assistant Aaron Pidgeon, Phillips ranking the men as the preeminent coaches in the state.

Outgoing Kingston boss Erin Baker will sit on the panel as “apprentice” coach.

Collingwood Magpies coach Kristy Keppich-Birrell plans to consult over team selection, game-playing style and tactics.

Tasmanian-based netballers have been training over recent weeks in Hobart, but will join Collingwood players in Melbourne next month.

“We would've liked it to happen in January, but the Australian Open doesn’t help with venue and accommodation,” Phillips said.

The seven Tasmanians are ineligible to be promoted to Collingwood's Suncorp Super netball side, but Phillips is hopeful that will change.

“That’s not the intention in 2017 only because the Magpies haven’t seen those girls play under their program,” Phillips said.