TSL: Launceston pair knock back 'significant' NTFA offers

A rollercoaster season finished on a huge high for Leedham, who was dropped after round one despite impressing in what was his 100^th senior game.

Taking out the Eade Medal for development league best and fairest, the 24-year-old capped off a dream week by winning the best-on-ground medal in Launceston's second development league flag in three years.

He was courted by TSL, NTFA and NWFL clubs before re-committing to the club he co-captained in 2018.

"I'm 25 next year - I thought if I do go back for whatever reason and I don't like it or whatever, I felt it was going to be very hard to go back to that lifestyle so that was part of the reason," he said.

"But the main reason was the people involved.

"I've been at Launceston seven or eight years now so I've become close not only with the players, but the administrative staff, all the trainers, people on the board ... and it'd be very hard to leave a club that's just won four flags.

"It's obviously got a very good culture and the people around the club are a big part of that - they want to see the club do well."

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Leedham said a desire to continue challenging himself against the state's best ruckmen had also played a part in the decision.

"To be playing against your Alex Lees, your Haydn Smiths - you never know what you're going to get so it's always good to have that challenge throughout the year as well," Leedham said.

"Especially being as young as I am, if I do decide to go down the path of playing NTFA there's still plenty of years to be able to do that.

"Even when it's time for me to leave - whenever that may be - I reckon it's going to be very hard to finally do that."

A competitive half-forward and former state under-16 captain, Donnellan has played more than 80 senior games since debuting in 2014.

The 22-year-old was the first emergency for this year's senior grand final and was one of the Blues' best in the three-point development league grand final win over North Launceston.

Blues coach Mitch Thorp said the pair had both fielded significant offers from other clubs in the past month.

"Both boys have received a fair bit of attention from NTFA clubs and Hamish has received a fair bit of attention from the Southern TSL clubs as well," Thorp said.

"We had all our exit meetings last week with players and the boys had the weekend to weigh up their options and we're really pleased they've decided to play at Launceston.

"Both those boys were obviously were disappointed to miss out on the senior premiership - both young men know the areas of their game they need to improve on and they're really motivated to do that."

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Thorp said Leedham would push Tim Auckland and Joe Groenewegen for spots next season.

"I encouraged him to explore the options out there - some of the financial offers he was receiving from the NTFA clubs were pretty significant and he would have to have considered them because of the magnitude of what was being offered his way," Thorp said.

"But he's only enhanced his reputation within the football club - one, for being a great clubman but two, for being a quality young man and they were the attributes that saw him be a captain only three years ago.

"He wants to work hard and prove to himself that he is a number one ruck in a strong side and I think it's healthy to have players who have missed out on grand finals really motivated."