The NTFA division one finals kick-off this weekend and there's a significant carrot on offer for all teams involved.
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There's the opportunity to play in a grand final at UTAS Stadium with both the premier and division one men's and women's deciders to be played there.
"Last year, we came back after 10 years of not being on UTAS," NTFA president Scott Rigby said.
"Last year, we negotiated and we got our premier division (men's) grand final on UTAS with the idea of moving both the div one and premier division grand finals there this year."
The 2021 division one men's grand final was played at Windsor Park.
There was only one women's division last year and they also played their decider at Windsor Park.
Rigby explained the motive behind getting all the grand finals played at UTAS.
"It's about getting them on the best surface," he said.
"Because I'm very much of the belief our players deserve to play on the best surface and we finally got it back.
"We're a big community organisation so it's great we're able to utilise it and get back on the ground where the community can come and watch the players play their very best on the best surface.
"The Launceston City Council and the ground management have been very supportive of getting us back onto the ground which we thank them very much for."
The division one men's and women's grand finals will be played on September 3.
Then premier division with the under 18s, women's and men's senior and reserves will be on September 10.
"There'll be four games that day," Rigby said.
The division one men's finals start this week while the women's doesn't start until next week.
But the women's will catch up to the men's by September 3 due to there only being four women's sides in the finals.
Rigby also explained how clubs were being awarded finals hosting duties in the lead-up to the grand final.
Lilydale and East Coast are hosting the division one men's qualifying and elimination finals on Saturday.
It's Lilydale versus Old Scotch and East Coast against Old Launcestonians in the seniors.
"Over the last few years, we've worked hard to recognise communities and clubs," he said.
"So at the end of the day, there's decisions made about ground availability and being able to host a final.
"Because this week we've just got the (men's) reserves and seniors playing.
"It was a great opportunity for us to be able to take the finals to Lilydale and East Coast because they're a big part of our community and we recognise that.
"Not all grounds can actually host finals and that's the big thing.
"In particular, when you have the women's and facilities, you've got to take a lot into account and particularly coming towards winter months and ground availability.
"There's so many factors we have to take into account.
"But overwhelmingly from an NTFA perspective it's about taking the finals to the community when we can."
While Lilydale and East Coast have home-ground advantage, Rigby confirmed top-team St Pats wouldn't host a semi-final next week at their home turf, John Cunningham Oval.
"Unfortunately, it's about that ground suitability and being able to host a final ground -wise," he said.
"We're talking ground-wise and unfortunately some clubs can't host that final because their ground and facilities are not up to that (finals standard)."
How will next week's finals be allocated?
"Decisions are made and we actually put out to the clubs a few weeks ago about whether they wanted to host finals and if they wanted to be part of the final calculation of being able to host finals," he said.
"So we put it out and then the clubs come back to us with their expression of interest to do that."
He said the association then worked with a list.
"We go through that list and it's about that ground availability and our grand final venue is sown up so we don't have to worry about that but every other game and ground we'll take into consideration each week," he said.
"Because the unknown factor is the weather, last week we had a couple of grounds closed.
"We've also got junior finals happening at the moment as well so there's a lot of ground usage and factors we have to take into account."
Rigby said the NTFA tried where possible to give higher-placed finals teams home-ground advantage.
"It's great recognition of those clubs that do and if we can and if it's suitable, we will," he said.
"And they're the factors we've got to take into account."
Rigby also clarified why both this weekend's division one men's finals are on Saturday.
Normally the elimination final would be on Sunday.
He said the fact that only the division one men's finals are on this weekend came into the thinking.
"Then we took into account travel as well, we're going down the East Coast and Lilydale," he said.
"We had the opportunity where it was far enough apart.
"If we had two grounds in Launceston for instance, we probably would have gone on the Saturday and Sunday.
"But we do have the games spread far enough apart that we made the consideration it might be easier for everyone on a Saturday."
The NTFA will lock-in the venues for next weekend's finals on Monday.
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