The AFL will continue to play games in Tasmania, with or without the support of the state government, according to the Herald Sun.
Premier Peter Gutwein is unhappy with the league after the decision to postpone any call on a 19th license until the end of 2021 and early 2022.
The contracts for both Hawthorn and North Melbourne are up at the end of the season, with the Tasmanian government yet to enter negotiations about extending those deals.
However, the Herald Sun is reporting that the AFL would simply go on without their support, playing games in both Launceston and Hobart anyway.
In this scenario, they would be missing out on the $8 million currently handed out to the Hawks and Roos by the Tassie government for the games.
The AFL released a statement on Friday saying they were prepared to “deal directly with the two clubs and the implications for them in 2022, as well as for Tasmanian football”, should a new deal fall through.
Their quest for an AFL license appeared to be gathering momentum before the COVID-19 crisis, with the state government offering to underwrite the team.
The league has since turned to more pressing issues, namely getting through the 2020 and 2021 seasons in the ever-changing COVID-19 landscape.