Clubs back breakaway league over AFL Tasmania's 'dictated' proposal

Spurning the NTFA Premier Division proposed by AFL Tasmania, the TSL powerhouses would prefer to team up with the North-West's major clubs in a return to an NTFL-style league.

The cross-town rivals say their preference would be a continuation of the State League but believe a North/North-West competition is a viable alternative.

They hope to work with clubs including Burnie and Devonport to create the strongest possible league.

In the wake of both clubs ignoring the March launch of a regional league incorporating rural clubs Scottsdale, Deloraine and Longford, their presidents said they felt compelled to take control of their destinies.

Blues president Scott Stephens said both AFL Tasmania and the NTFA have been informed and were disappointed by the clubs' approach.

"I am bemused that this wasn't an option on the table from the get-go," he said.

"It's like we are being dictated to and they've said 'this is what's happening, let's sit down at the table and have a collaborative approach and make it work'. There's nothing collaborative about it if that's what we have to do."

The clubs plan to approach the NWFL - which runs a senior competition with Burnie, Devonport, Circular Head, Latrobe, Penguin, Ulverstone and Wynyard - and believe the concept is "the best option for Northern Tasmania".

"We want to explore a complete restructure of footy in Northern Tasmania, getting the best of the best against the best and then filtering down below," Stephens said.

"Obviously there's a lot of water to go under the bridge - speaking with the stakeholders down [the North-West Coast], the clubs and the board or committee of the NWFL - but that's something that we would love to sit around the table and discuss.

"We'd love to include a club like South Launceston because they are probably Launceston's biggest club with their junior pathways - they've got the right structure in place to get themselves up to speed.

"Underneath that, it's about getting everyone in their right weight category. We just don't see it as a viable option for your Scottsdales, your Deloraines, to be fighting it out against the city clubs. It's the same up the Coast, it's not really fair on your Smithtons to be going up against Burnie and Devonport who have won every premiership down there since they rejoined that competition."

Following strong indications that Tasmania's return to the VFL is unlikely to happen as planned in 2025, the clubs hope to start the league next season to avoid a significant drop-off in standard following the end of the TSL.

They stressed the move was not a criticism of the NTFA which they saw playing a key role in maintaining the standard of women's footy.

"There's absolutely no issues with the NTFA and with those clubs," Stephens added. "We are just of the firm belief that people play in the NTFA for a reason and it's community footy. It 100 per cent holds its place within the community and it's fantastic and you can see that from the support that it's had over the last couple of years but that's not where we want to be and that's not where our aspiring kids should be playing.

"I've fielded calls from NTFA clubs about the disruption it can cause to the women's program. The women's program can effectively get turned upside down because what they are proposing is the female teams will align with the male teams. The strongest female teams at the moment - Old Scotch, Bridgenorth, OLs - that will place them down in the bottom division, which they do not want to be in."

North Launceston president Thane Brady has been particularly outspoken about the proposed NTFA Premier Division, calling it "a joke throughout our community".

He said the Bombers' preferred option was maintaining the existing State League with an increase in funding to allow under-18s and women back into statewide competition until at least 2028 to underpin Tasmanian AFL/W teams.

Alternatively, Brady supported the two major Launceston clubs joining the SFL for a minimum of three seasons "to allow adequate consideration time for future structure and to not adversely affect the NTFA".

"This creates a halfway house where AFL Tas get their kill but we maintain a competition above the alternative," he added.

The NTFL ran for eight years, after the State League was disbanded in 2000 for financial reasons until 2009 when North Launceston, South Launceston, Launceston, Devonport and Burnie rejoined a relaunched 10-team TSL. The Bulldogs, Magpies and Dockers have since left.

"I think everyone will agree that the NTFL was a really strong competition in Northern Tasmania and actually improved the VFL," Stephens added.