Tasmania's Premier Peter Gutwein has told AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan he wants a proposed independent review into the merits of a state side completed by mid-year.
Gutwein said he shared a "productive" hour-long chat with the league boss on Friday, a week after the governing body rejected his demand for greater clarity around inclusion in the national competition.
The AFL instead promised an independent review into a Tasmanian club to be completed, at the earliest, in late 2021.
Gutwein told McLachlan he wants the review finished by the middle of the year and undertaken by a major independent firm.
"I would have concerns if it were someone who was hand-picked, who has had a long association with the AFL," he said.
"Both for the AFL's comfort and for the Tasmanian government's comfort a truly independent report would be the best way forward."
Gutwein said he will have further conversations with McLachlan across the weekend and would hopefully be in a position to announce more on Monday.
"It would be fair to say both of us are very clear on each other's view," he said.
"My sense is that Gill ... is very well in tune with what Tasmania is looking to achieve. I don't believe he is giving me lip service in the conversations we have had."
The Tasmanian government has halted contract negotiations with North Melbourne and Hawthorn to play games in the state post-2021 until the AFL provides a clear picture.
Gutwein said earlier this week he was unable to meet the Hawks' desire for negotiations to be sorted by June or July.
McLachlan has previously said the decision to not provide a timeline was because the league needs a clearer picture about the financial impact of COVID-19.
An independent report backed by the Tasmanian government found a five-year plan culminating in a side entering the AFL in 2025 stacked up financially.
Australian Associated Press
