2024 TSL season

2024 TSL season
Date	29 March − 21 September 2024
Teams	7
Premiers	North Launceston 8th premiership
Minor premiers	North Launceston
Alistair Lynch Medallist	Brad Cox-Goodyer (North Launceston − 28 votes)
Peter Hudson Medallist	Harvey Griffiths (North Launceston − 53 goals)
←  2023

The 2024 TSL season was the 132nd and final season of the Tasmanian State League (TSL), the highest-level senior Australian rules football competition in Tasmania. ^{[1] [2]} The season began on 29 March and concluded on 21 September, comprising an 18-match home-and-away season over 21 rounds, followed by a three-week finals series. ^{[3] [4]}

North Launceston won the TSL premiership for the eighth time, defeating Lauderdale by 20 points in the 2024 TSL Grand Final. The premiership completed a perfect season for North Launceston, which won all of its matches in 2024. ^[5]

Following the conclusion of the season, the TSL disbanded in preparation for the Tasmania Football Club to enter the Victorian Football League (VFL) in 2026. ^{[6] [7]} TSL clubs are set to join the Northern Tasmanian Football Association (NTFA) or the Southern Football League (SFL) for the 2025 season. ^{[8] [9]}

Background

Tasmanian AFL club and TSL disbandment

See also: History of the Tasmanian AFL bid

On 2 May 2023, the Tasmania Football Club secured a licence to enter the Australian Football League (AFL) following a unanimous vote of AFL club presidents. ^[10] The club is expected to enter the AFL for the 2028 season, but it is first scheduled to compete in the Victorian Football League (VFL), starting in 2026. ^{[11] [12]}

Following the announcement of a licence for the club, AFL Tasmania announced on 5 May 2023 that TSL license agreements will not be extended beyond the end of the 2024 season. ^{[13] [14]} This meant that the statewide league would disband at the conclusion of the 2024 season. ^{[15] [16]}

A similar arrangement occurred between 2001 and 2008, when the statewide league was disbanded following the 2000 season and the Tasmanian Devils competed in the VFL. ^{[17] [18]}

Premier Leagues formation

On 22 March 2024, the Northern Tasmanian Football Association (NTFA) announced that Launceston and North Launceston would join the NTFA Premier League in 2025. ^{[19] [20]} Despite this, the two clubs released a joint statement in April 2024, describing the establishment of an NTFA Premier League as an "ill-considered move" which "lack[ed] consultation and communication", with The Examiner reporting they were looking to establish a new northern-based breakaway league. ^{[21] [22]}

In November 2024, the Southern Football League (SFL) executive formally accepted Clarence, Glenorchy, Kingborough, Lauderdale and North Hobart into the competition for the re-established SFL Premier League. ^{[23] [24]}

Ladder

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	D	PF	PA	PP	Pts	Qualification
1	North Launceston (P)	18	18	0	0	1863	849	219.4	72	Finals series
2	Clarence	18	14	4	0	1574	938	167.8	56
3	Lauderdale	18	10	7	1	1414	1060	133.4	42
4	Kingborough	18	10	7	1	1406	1160	121.2	42
5	Glenorchy	18	4	14	0	929	1591	58.4	16
6	Launceston	18	3	15	0	880	1617	54.4	12
7	North Hobart	18	3	15	0	814	1665	48.9	12

Source: ^{[25] [26]}
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) percentage; 3) number of points for.
(P) Premiers

Finals

Qualifying and elimination finals

	Qualifying final
Saturday, 7 September (2:00 pm)	Lauderdale 8.14 (62)	def.	Kingborough 8.7 (55)	Lauderdale Oval	[27]

	Elimination final
Saturday, 8 September (1:00 pm)	North Launceston 13.10 (88)	def.	Clarence 6.5 (41)	UTAS Stadium	[28]

Preliminary final

	Preliminary final
Saturday, 14 September (1:30 pm)	Clarence 11.11 (77)	def. by	Lauderdale 11.12 (78)	Blundstone Arena	[29]

Grand Final

	2024 TSL Grand Final
Saturday, 21 September (2:30 pm)	North Launceston	def.	Lauderdale	UTAS Stadium	[30] [31]
	5.3 (33) 8.5 (53) 14.8 (92) 16.9 (105)	Q1 Q2 Q3 Final	4.3 (27) 6.7 (43) 7.9 (51) 12.13 (85)
Leary 7, Manshanden 2, Avent, Cox-Goodyer, Griffiths, Mitchell, Simpson, Sulzberger, Young		Goals	Blackburn 3, Christensen 2, Lane 2, Poland 2, Walsh 2, Bellchambers
Leary, Manshanden, Bennett, Avent, Elmer, Lee		Best	Phillips, Franklin, Martin, Sutton, Christensen, Lane

Notable events

• Glenorchy defeated North Hobart by 10 points in round 2 to claim their first senior victory since round 13 of the 2021 season (1,015 days prior), following winless seasons in 2022 and 2023. ^{[32] [33] [34]}

Awards

• Brad Cox-Goodyer (North Launceston) won the Alistair Lynch Medal as the TSL's best and fairest player, finishing with 28 votes. ^[35]
• Harvey Griffiths (North Launceston) won the Peter Hudson Medal as the leading goalkicker, finishing the season with 53 goals. ^[36]
• Brad Cox-Goodyer (North Launceston) won a vote from TSL fans to be named as the greatest TSL player of all time, claiming 56% of public support in the final round of voting against Glenorchy player Jaye Bowden. ^[37]

References

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35. Partridge, Josh (21 September 2024). "Cox-Goodyer becomes TSL's undisputed GOAT with third Lynch Medal win". The Examiner. Archived from the original on 9 October 2024. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
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