The AFL club is exploring all possible options, resigned to the fact it will not be able to afford a standalone team in the VFL from 2021 after a swathe of cuts as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The positions of VFL coach and its general manager have both been made redundant.

David Loader had coached the Kangaroos since their first year playing reserves in 2018 following alignments dating back to 2000 with the Ovens and Murray Football League as Murray Kangaroos, Port Melbourne, Tasmania, North Ballarat and Werribee.

From 2006 until two years later, North Melbourne had a partial alignment with half of its VFL players eligible to play under the Tasmania Devils banner and the other half for North Ballarat.

The deal was scrapped at the end of the 2008 season in favour of Werribee, which did allow AFL Tasmania to focus its efforts on reviving the Tasmanian State League the following year.

The Tasmanians initially played five seasons in their own right on the back of reaching the VFL finals over 2003-2005, but the decision to share resources with the Roos proved unpopular after the TSL was dumped in 2000.

More than a decade later, AFL Tasmania were given out a provisional VFL licence.

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But growing uncertainty from coronavirus is set to put VFL plans on hold over reshaping of competitions that may affect Tasmanian entry.

Initially, the VFL outlined that Tasmania were to join in time for the 2021 season.

But a report last year from the Tasmanian taskforce recommended to AFL Tasmania that its scheduled VFL start date be pushed back at least a further year until a fresh submission was made for a hopeful early AFL entry.

That sort of delay could have dire ramifications on Tasmania, leaving the state's hopes again back in the cold.

The AFL is already looking to bring in the reserves of Sydney, Brisbane, the GWS Giants and Gold Coast to join Victorian sides in a new league while abandoning its support of the NEAFL after this year's forecast for heavy financial losses in lockdown.

The AFL would force the standalone VFL sides without affiliation to AFL clubs to play in their own VFL that would resemble the former VFA, possibly placing Tasmania's spot in jeopardy without a role with North Melbourne.

The commitment to the Next Generation Academy that tied the selection of Tarryn Thomas to the Kangaroos from North Launceston would fit in with the club's reserves model in the wake of cancelling the VFL season.

An an AFL Tasmania spokesperson said: "The VFL provisional licence continues to be an agenda item and will be worked through with AFL house at the appropriate time."

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