Tasmania’s push for a stand-alone team in the state has taken another step forward with Colin Carter appointed to review the business case for the team with the former Cats president and AFL commissioner to complete his report within the next few months.

Tasmanian premier Peter Gutwein, Hawthorn’s Jeff Kennett and North Melbourne’s Ben Buckley agreed to the AFL’s recommendation that Carter conduct the critical review which will determine whether the business case for a 19th team in Tasmania stacks up.

The decision comes after Gutwein said the state would not renegotiate agreements with the Hawks or the Kangaroos to play home games in Tasmania beyond 2021 unless the state was given a clear timeline towards a licence being granted for a Tasmanian team.

His decision prompted Kennett to entertain the idea of Hawthorn relocating to Tasmania, an option North Melbourne ruled out.

Both clubs are contracted to play four games in Tasmania each season.

The review will be completed mid-year with club presidents to then assess its recommendations post-season and the viability of a new team entering the competition.

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Gutwein said he was confident the case would stand up and he was optimistic there could be a team playing out of Tasmania in 2026.

Carter finished up as Cats’ president at the end of last year after 35 years involved in the game as a consultant, AFL commissioner and Geelong board member, with the highly respected administrator referred to as the “father of the modern game” because of his role in transforming the game during the late ’80s.

The AFL said in a statement that their strategy team, “led by executive general manager Walter Lee, would also provide support to Carter as he looked into the requirements and pre-conditions for a successful and sustainable team and the impact on the competition of a Tasmanian team, if a licence was granted”.