Statewide Football in Tasmania
Encyclopedia
Statewide Australian Rules football
competition has been played in Tasmania
, Australia
under the umbrella of the Tasmanian Football League from 1986–1998, Football Tasmania
from 1999-2000 until the competition was disbanded in December 2000 and AFL Tasmania
from 2009 when a brand new ten club competition, this time known as the Tasmanian State League, was formed.
into a statewide competition in an effort to improve playing strength and improve the ability to lure drawcard players to the state after Tasmania's dismal displays at the 1969 and 1972 Australian Football Carnivals had caused the State's football reputation enormous harm.
With crowds continuing to fall since 1968 across the three major regional leagues - TANFL
, NTFA
and NWFU
- and Tasmania's continuously disappointing performances at representative level, a prototype Statewide competition was organised by the TANFL in 1980.
The Winfield Statewide Cup
involved all twenty-one clubs from the three major leagues across Tasmania and was sponsored by tobacco giant Winfield to the tune of $37,500.
The tournament ran in a five round roster with finals between 29 March and 17 May 1980, it was won by the Hobart Football Club
, wooden spooners of the previous two seasons in the TANFL and despite some good football displayed, the football public failed to warm to the concept, the series ran at a financial loss as attendances were disappointing with 75,516 people attending the 58 matches.
The TANFL expressed plans to hold another Winfield Statewide Cup competition in 1981 with prizemoney extended to $50,000 with a view to holding a full TFL Statewide League roster comprising six TANFL clubs and six clubs from the North and North West from the start of the 1982 season.
However, at a meeting of the three main bodies in Launceston on 21 August 1980, the NTFA and NWFU voted against the proposal believing it not to be in the best interests of football in the North.
As a result, the Northern & Coastal clubs banded together in protest and formed the Greater Northern Football League
(GNFL) in 1981 in order to disassociate themselves with the TANFL.
After its formation, GNFL president Brendon Lyons launched a scathing attack on TANFL president John Bennett, accusing him of hatching plans aimed at denigrating Northern football by attempting to take six clubs to the statewide competition and seeking to demote the remaining uninvited clubs to junior status.
The TANFL, as the sport's governing body in Tasmania responded by introducing new qualification entries for players named for state duties, ruling that all players must play in the TANFL to be included in the squad, effectively banning all players from northern leagues from participating in the Tasmanian representative teams, the TANFL had previously stripped both the NTFA and NWFU of its senior status briefly in 1957 after both leagues had banded together to block voting for TANFL initiatives to improve the sport within the State.
With Tasmania continuing to underperform at representative level and crowds continuing to fall across the state and a dearth of star players, the TANFL launched an investigation into the decaying state of Tasmanian football.
The income derived from gate revenue was estimated to total approximately $600,000 and this sum was also supplemented by approximately $100,000 provided by four major sponsors and a lesser figure from the Tasmanian state government.
At this time, salaries paid to players and coaches ranged from $10,000 to as high as $100,000 per year.
The TANFL were highly concerned that this state of affairs was totally unsustainable and commissioned a consultant - Mr Nick Evers
- to make recommendations for the future of the sport.
Evers had found that a strong decline in attendances in the South and the North (where crowds had fallen to critical levels) was continuing unchecked, only the NWFU had experienced a small gain in attendances, yet more than half the crowds attending matches in the NWFU were composed of pensioners, children and those who snuck into grounds without paying.
Some of Evers findings included:
In his strongly worded report, Evers concluded that 'unless change took place, Tasmanian football was condemned to another generation of mediocrity'.
The change recommended was to set up a statewide competition, which had been debated as far back as 1972.
The catalyst for the TANFL to commission Evers to report on the dismal state of the sport in Tasmania came when Tasmania suffered a crushing 96-point defeat to Queensland at Windsor Park in Brisbane on 30 June 1985.
The argument in favour of implementing a statewide competition was that it would raise the profile, and consequently the standard, of football within Tasmania.
Evers recommended a league comprising five Southern clubs and five from the North and North-West, however the application of this would have necessitated the omission of one TANFL club (widely tipped to be either New Norfolk
or Hobart
) or a merger.
The clubs resisted this move but embraced the concept of a statewide competition.
replaced it as the sport's governing body.
The TFL initiated the new competition as the TFL Statewide League
with all six former TANFL clubs involved, North Launceston
and East Launceston
also joined the competition from the NTFA
in early 1986.
On 26 May 1986, East Launceston
merged with fellow NTFA rival City-South to form the South Launceston Football Club
.
However, the new-look competition did not garner the support of the football public at either end of the state at first, with 145,918 spectators attending the 78 matches, with 25 matches recording attendances of under 1,000 spectators.
The lowest attendance recorded was 470 at KGV Football Park
when New Norfolk
hosted South Launceston
on 28 June.
In Launceston, the footballing public was still suspicious of the concept, only 15,258 spectators attended the 18 roster matches at an average of 848 spectators per match.
In 1987 the Devonport Football Club
joined the competition under a new 'Blues' emblem along with Burnie Hawks
(formerly the Cooee Bulldogs) which created a ten club competition with all three regions now represented with all clubs now required to field teams in Seniors, Reserves and Under-19's competition from this season.
At first the competition appeared well balanced with three different clubs - Glenorchy, North Hobart and Devonport - winning the league's first three premierships and importantly the strong level of competition produced a very high standard of football.
Of even greater importance, the league began to be well supported by players, clubs, sponsors, the general public and the media - which had for many years been unenthusiastic with Tasmanian football - but was now giving the TFL Statewide League its full support.
Problems were looming on the horizon however, in 1986 the VFL/AFL
had abandoned its former restrictions upon the number of players each club could draft from outside Victoria and introduced a 'National Draft'.
This was to allow Victorian talent scouts to scour the country for up-and-coming players, Tasmania - a traditional hunting ground for Victorian recruiters - was close by and was seen as a cheap option.
In 1986, seventeen of the sixty-five players drafted in the first National Draft were from Tasmania, by 1990, forty-four of Tasmania's most promising young footballers had been recruited.
The strong contribution that these players may well have made to Tasmanian football was in evidence on 24 June 1990 when Tasmania defeated Victoria by 33-points at North Hobart Oval
, it appeared that Tasmanian football was being rapidly stripped of its talent.
The salary cap for TFL clubs at this time for players and coaches was $200,000 per year and most clubs achieved this figure whilst crowd numbers, club memberships and sponsor dollars began to fall under the crippling effects of the recession.
The TFL administration had also been lax in their financial control of the competition and by 1992 it was servicing a debt of $300,000 and growing as crowd numbers continued to plummet.
Also, in 1992 a number of clubs - North Hobart
, Sandy Bay
, Clarence
and Burnie Hawks
- were all in deep financial trouble, in Sandy Bay's case, the Seagulls required an immediate mid-season injection of $70,000 in order to complete the season, whilst Burnie Hawks
had entered into merger discussions with fellow city rival Burnie Tigers.
An eleventh club, Launceston Football Club
were included in the competition in 1994 in an effort to regenerate interest in the North, but the move backfired on the TFL as the club were proven to be completely out of their depth at TFL level both on and off the ground.
The higher standard of football was documented with victories by Tasmania over South Australia, Western Australia and the VFL (formerly the VFA) during the 1990s but by 1997 the league appeared to be in deep trouble.
The level of interest in the TFL had continued to drop as crowds continued to stay away in droves as the competition had evolved into a two-horse race - the preceding five premierships had been won by just two clubs - Clarence
and North Launceston
- faced with enormous debts and dismal attendances, four clubs were to quit the TFL at the end of the 1997 season.
Hobart Football Club
(1997 average home attendance of 658), in debt to the tune of almost $460,000 would vote to join the Southern Football League
, Launceston
(1997 average home attendance of 702) and South Launceston
(1997 average home attendance of 688) would rejoin the NTFL
whilst Sandy Bay
(1997 average home attendance of 844), by then insolvent, would be wound up by administrators and closed down.
In 1998 a newly formed club - Southern Districts Cats - were formed as a representative club from the Kingborough region of Southern Tasmania with key people from Kingston, Channel and Sandy Bay involved in its set up.
The club was to pick up a large number of players from the recently defunct Sandy Bay Football Club
including Troy Clarke, the Seagulls final coach who would take on the senior coaching role with the new club.
Clarence and North Launceston (now renamed the Northern Bombers) continued to dominate the competition, the Bombers would go through the 1998 season undefeated and take the flag with a convincing victory over Clarence in the Grand Final.
Burnie Dockers ($735,819), Devonport ($709,067), New Norfolk ($431,858), Glenorchy ($267,897), North Hobart ($232,607), Northern Bombers ($167,570), Clarence ($153,441), Southern Districts ($80,000).
With the debt level continuing to rise, the League were continuing to raise the issue of cutbacks of participating clubs and changes to a possible Summer start in a bid to lift the flagging image of the TFL which was now financially crippled and struggling to find strong corporate support as the state was also in deep financial trouble.
The Australian Football League
, so concerned with the terrible state of Tasmanian football, conducted a thorough review of Tasmanian football, commonly referred to as the Biggs Report.
Among the findings by Ed Biggs it was found that the lack of unity that had existed in Tasmanian football prior to the Evers Report and the founding of the TFL Statewide League, was continuing to exist.
In Northern Tasmania, all football bodies with the exception of the current day NTFA (formerly the TAFL - Northern Division and no relation to the pre-1987 NTFA) were affiliated to the NTFL.
In Southern Tasmania it was found that most associations were affiliated to the TFL but the Southern Football League
- the major southern competition - was not.
The most significant recommendation of the Biggs Report was that a new independent state body should be formed.
This recommendation was roundly accepted and a new body known as Football Tasmania
was founded in December 1998, the TFL - by now staggering under crushing debts - was liquidated in February 1999.
Football Tasmania
was to begin its life with a noose around its neck almost immediately by having to run the statewide league, now known as the Tasmanian State Football League (TSFL).
On 31 May 1999 the Southern Cats were wound up at a meeting with Football Tasmania with debts of $100,000 and growing by the day, leaving the competition with only seven clubs to finish out the remainder of the season.
From 2000, Football Tasmania had set up a brand new statewide competition - this one known as the SWL - which comprised six clubs, each of them based in one of the state's six cities.
Those were Hobart Demons
(formerly North Hobart), Clarence
, Glenorchy
, Northern Bombers
(formerly North Launceston), Burnie Dockers and Devonport Power
.
By December 2000, the Burnie Dockers would vote to leave the competition and both Northern Bombers and Devonport similarly followed suit a short time later leaving only the three Southern clubs to remain in the competition.
With the SWL competition being wound up and closing down in December 2000, the three orphaned clubs (Clarence, Glenorchy and Hobart Demons) being finally accepted into the SFL after a protracted battle in early 2001.
Note: The 1986 season was a Southern-based competition only while the 2000 season was run as an Under-21's competition.
Notes: The 1986 season was a Southern-based competition only while the 2000 season was run as an Under-18's competition.
The concept attracted widespread public and media debate on the return of a statewide competition, with many in the football world hesitant over such a move due to the perilous financial position most of the participating clubs were left in after the previous competition was disbanded in 2000.
Many believed the push for a return of the league was a direct result of the media and the Tasmanian State Government's strong campaign in getting a Tasmanian team admitted into the AFL
.
Under the AFL Tasmania plan, ten (10) clubs were invited to join the competition.
Clarence
, Glenorchy
, Hobart
and North Hobart
along with former Southern Amateur club Lauderdale
in the South.
North Launceston
, South Launceston and Launceston
from the North and Devonport and Burnie Dockers
from the North West Coast.
The response from many clubs was initially luke-warm at best with many concerned at the lack of detail in the AFL Tasmania
plan and the rushed decision-making process of the move.
Ulverstone Football Club
from the North West Coast bowed to pressure from its playing list and some factional groups within the club to put in a submission to join the TFL in 2009.
Despite a membership vote narrowly ending in favour of joining, the Robins had missed the AFL Tasmania enforced deadline and were initially to be included in the 2010 TSL Roster, however the remaining clubs (most notably its closest and most bitter rival Devonport) exerted considerable pressure upon the League not to alter the current makeup of teams for a period of ten years, therefore Ulverstone
were excluded from joining.
SFL Premier League
club Kingborough also lobbied AFL Tasmania to be included in the competition, but their case for inclusion was dismissed by the game's governing body due to their inadequate facilities and poor standard Kingston Beach Oval headquarters.
Former TFL club New Norfolk
(1947–1999) was not invited to join the league because of their poor financial position.
Also, as a result of the new competition getting off the ground, the Tasmanian Devils were disbanded.
On Monday, 8 December 2008, the Wrest Point Tasmanian State League was launched at Wrest Point Casino in Hobart.
On 4 April 2009, the opening match of the reformed competition took place at KGV Football Park
between the reigning premiers of the SFL Premier League
, Glenorchy
and reigning NTFL
premier Launceston
and resulted in a 21-point triumph to the Blues.
The inaugural Grand Final was held at Bellerive Oval
on 19 September between old rivals Glenorchy
and Clarence
resulting in a thrilling 6-point victory to the Roos in front of 7,534 fans.
The 2010 season started brightly with over 12,000 attending the first round of matches but soon after there was a great deal of off-field controversy with former Tasmanian Premier Paul Lennon originally accepting an unpaid role acting as a mediator between the clubs and AFL Tasmania as the relationship between the clubs and the governing body had become further strained. However after only two weeks of the season, three clubs (Clarence, North Launceston and North Hobart) had decided to do their own bidding and Lennon walked away from the position.
There were further controversies, namely AFL Tasmania's decision to withdraw support for the Reserve grade competition after the Burnie Dockers announced only days before the start of the season that they would not be fielding a reserve grade side. Two other clubs (Hobart and Launceston) also struggled to field a reserves team throughout the season, and as a result the competition was run by the clubs themselves for the remainder of the season. It would be axed at season's end.
A finals set-up that included an extra week was roundly criticised by football pundits across the State and it failed to garner great enthusiasm amongst the footballing public as small crowds attended, with AFL Tasmania
later admitting that they would be returning to a tradition Final Five setup in 2011.
It made no difference as Clarence totally dominated the season, losing just one match during the roster rounds (away to Launceston with five top players out of the team) and after a totally dominant finals series in which they would thrash Launceston twice to head into a Grand Final, Devonport would cause a shock and sneak into the decider by virtue of running all over a disappointing Launceston at Aurora Stadium
in the Preliminary Final.
The Grand Final on 18 September pitted Clarence as raging favourites over Devonport, who had a dreadful record at Bellerive Oval
(1-17-1) and last won there in 1988.
Devonport playing in its first Grand Final at State level since 1988 proved no match for a rampaging Roo outfit who eventually pulled away to a 57-point triumph and recorded its 25th consecutive win at the ground in the process.
The 2011 season began amid much hype and fanfare with the arrival of former Brisbane Lions and Western Bulldogs Brownlow Medalist, Jason Akermanis to Glenorchy.
The opening match of the season between the Magpies and their hated rivals Clarence drew an all time Statewide football record roster match attendance of 8,480 to KGV Football Park
(it was also the fourth highest roster match attendance ever recorded in Tasmanian football history and was the highest non-finals domestic club match attendance in the state since 1968), Glenorchy went on to defeat the Roos convincingly and would become the early season premiership favourites along with Launceston as, in the early part of the season, it appeared that reigning premier Clarence had slipped well below their 2010 form.
As the season progressed, Launceston swept all before them during the roster rounds to go through the season undefeated as Clarence regained form and later Burnie challenged the Blues for the title.
Glenorchy's season went into freefall in mid-season and after two horror losses in a row, coach Byron Howard Jnr was sacked and replaced by former coach Kim Excell for the remainder of the season where they were to defeat an inconsistent North Hobart in the Elimination Final and bow out to Clarence in the First Semi Final after a heavy defeat.
Burnie were to strike a rich vein of form in the finals series disposing of highly fancied Clarence at Bellerive
in the Qualifying Final and inflicting Launceston's only defeat of the season in the Second Semi Final at Aurora Stadium to advance to the Grand Final.
Launceston, on the back of full-forward Brian Finch's 100 goals during the season were desperate to shake off the 'chokers' tag and after a fast start, were able to dispose of reigning premier Clarence by 35 points under lights at Aurora Stadium in the Preliminary Final.
On 24 September, the Grand Final at Launceston's Aurora Stadium
pitted two clubs from the Northern half of the state for the first time in the history of Statewide football.
Football pundits across the state were divided in their views on who would take the title, but the Blues gradually wore down the Dockers and pulled away late in the third quarter and continued on with the job in the final quarter to take their first premiership title in Statewide football and their first premiership at State level since their 1938 State Premiership
title.
(Note): AFL Tasmania disaffiliated the Reserve Grade competition two rounds into the 2010 season, it was axed completely at season's end.
Darrel Baldock
(Best player in the TSL Grand Final).
Peter Hudson
(TSL Leading Goalkickers).
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
competition has been played in Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
under the umbrella of the Tasmanian Football League from 1986–1998, Football Tasmania
AFL Tasmania
AFL Tasmania is the governing body for Australian rules football in Tasmania.The organisation is responsible for game development in the state. The organisation recently became affiliated with the Australian Football League and was formerly known as Football Tasmania.The body is responsible for...
from 1999-2000 until the competition was disbanded in December 2000 and AFL Tasmania
AFL Tasmania
AFL Tasmania is the governing body for Australian rules football in Tasmania.The organisation is responsible for game development in the state. The organisation recently became affiliated with the Australian Football League and was formerly known as Football Tasmania.The body is responsible for...
from 2009 when a brand new ten club competition, this time known as the Tasmanian State League, was formed.
The Background of Statewide Football
Discussions had begun as far back as 1972 between leading coaches, players and officials in Tasmanian football in restructuring the Tasmanian Football LeagueTasmanian Football League
Tasmanian State League is the highest ranked Australian rules football league in Tasmania, Australia.The league has a long and convoluted history which dates back to its founding on 12 June 1879 Tasmanian State League (TSL) (formerly known as the Tasmanian Football League (TFL), Tasmanian...
into a statewide competition in an effort to improve playing strength and improve the ability to lure drawcard players to the state after Tasmania's dismal displays at the 1969 and 1972 Australian Football Carnivals had caused the State's football reputation enormous harm.
With crowds continuing to fall since 1968 across the three major regional leagues - TANFL
Tasmanian Football League
Tasmanian State League is the highest ranked Australian rules football league in Tasmania, Australia.The league has a long and convoluted history which dates back to its founding on 12 June 1879 Tasmanian State League (TSL) (formerly known as the Tasmanian Football League (TFL), Tasmanian...
, NTFA
Northern Tasmanian Football Association (1886 - 1986)
The Northern Tasmanian Football Association was an Australian rules football competition which ran from 1886 to 1986. In its time it was one of the three main leagues in Tasmania, with the Tasmanian Football League and North West Football Union representing the rest of the state...
and NWFU
North West Football Union
The North West Football Union was an Australian rules football competition which ran from 1910 to 1986. In its time it was one of the three main leagues in Tasmania, with the Tasmanian Football League and Northern Tasmanian Football Association representing the rest of the state...
- and Tasmania's continuously disappointing performances at representative level, a prototype Statewide competition was organised by the TANFL in 1980.
The Winfield Statewide Cup
Winfield Statewide Cup
The Winfield Statewide Cup was an Australian rules football tournament held in Tasmania, Australia between the top twenty-one major football clubs across Tasmania from the three major footballing bodies across the state , the TANFL, the NTFA and the NWFU.The tournament was played in a five round...
involved all twenty-one clubs from the three major leagues across Tasmania and was sponsored by tobacco giant Winfield to the tune of $37,500.
The tournament ran in a five round roster with finals between 29 March and 17 May 1980, it was won by the Hobart Football Club
Hobart Football Club
Hobart Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Hobart, Tasmania. They play their home fixtures at the TCA Ground on the Queens Domain, in Hobart and from 2009, the club has been a member of the Tasmanian State League.- Club history :...
, wooden spooners of the previous two seasons in the TANFL and despite some good football displayed, the football public failed to warm to the concept, the series ran at a financial loss as attendances were disappointing with 75,516 people attending the 58 matches.
The TANFL expressed plans to hold another Winfield Statewide Cup competition in 1981 with prizemoney extended to $50,000 with a view to holding a full TFL Statewide League roster comprising six TANFL clubs and six clubs from the North and North West from the start of the 1982 season.
However, at a meeting of the three main bodies in Launceston on 21 August 1980, the NTFA and NWFU voted against the proposal believing it not to be in the best interests of football in the North.
As a result, the Northern & Coastal clubs banded together in protest and formed the Greater Northern Football League
Greater Northern Football League
The Greater Northern Football League was an Australian rules football competition played between the fifteen major football clubs across Northern Tasmania from the two major footballing bodies across the north of the state, the Northern Tasmanian Football Association , and the North West Football...
(GNFL) in 1981 in order to disassociate themselves with the TANFL.
After its formation, GNFL president Brendon Lyons launched a scathing attack on TANFL president John Bennett, accusing him of hatching plans aimed at denigrating Northern football by attempting to take six clubs to the statewide competition and seeking to demote the remaining uninvited clubs to junior status.
The TANFL, as the sport's governing body in Tasmania responded by introducing new qualification entries for players named for state duties, ruling that all players must play in the TANFL to be included in the squad, effectively banning all players from northern leagues from participating in the Tasmanian representative teams, the TANFL had previously stripped both the NTFA and NWFU of its senior status briefly in 1957 after both leagues had banded together to block voting for TANFL initiatives to improve the sport within the State.
With Tasmania continuing to underperform at representative level and crowds continuing to fall across the state and a dearth of star players, the TANFL launched an investigation into the decaying state of Tasmanian football.
The Evers Report
By 1985 there were twenty-three senior clubs competing across the three major leagues, between them they attracted around 300,000 spectators to all matches across the season - the TANFL attracted almost this entire figure alone twenty years earlier in 1965 (292,932) but by 1985 the TANFL attendance figure for that season had fallen to 132,461 for all matches.The income derived from gate revenue was estimated to total approximately $600,000 and this sum was also supplemented by approximately $100,000 provided by four major sponsors and a lesser figure from the Tasmanian state government.
At this time, salaries paid to players and coaches ranged from $10,000 to as high as $100,000 per year.
The TANFL were highly concerned that this state of affairs was totally unsustainable and commissioned a consultant - Mr Nick Evers
Nick Evers
Nicholas Clive Kurt "Nick" Evers is a former Australian politician. He was born in Wynyard, Tasmania, and holds a Bachelor of Arts . In the 1986 state election, he was elected to the Tasmanian House of Assembly as a Liberal member for Franklin. He was a minister from 1986 to 1989. Evers resigned...
- to make recommendations for the future of the sport.
Evers had found that a strong decline in attendances in the South and the North (where crowds had fallen to critical levels) was continuing unchecked, only the NWFU had experienced a small gain in attendances, yet more than half the crowds attending matches in the NWFU were composed of pensioners, children and those who snuck into grounds without paying.
Some of Evers findings included:
- Ground facilities that were considered primitive twenty years previous.
- Most well-appointed ground in the state was North Hobart Oval, but its facilities were regarded as 'positively Neanderthal'.
- Grossly uneven competitions.
- Entirely unsuitable attention to junior football by clubs.
- Inadequate marketing of the sport.
- Amateurish club administration, mostly central administration dominated by club leaders lacking time or skill and being ill-equipped to discharge their mandates.
- Numerous examples of gross financial irresponsibility.
- Outdated zoning arrangements.
In his strongly worded report, Evers concluded that 'unless change took place, Tasmanian football was condemned to another generation of mediocrity'.
The change recommended was to set up a statewide competition, which had been debated as far back as 1972.
The catalyst for the TANFL to commission Evers to report on the dismal state of the sport in Tasmania came when Tasmania suffered a crushing 96-point defeat to Queensland at Windsor Park in Brisbane on 30 June 1985.
The argument in favour of implementing a statewide competition was that it would raise the profile, and consequently the standard, of football within Tasmania.
Evers recommended a league comprising five Southern clubs and five from the North and North-West, however the application of this would have necessitated the omission of one TANFL club (widely tipped to be either New Norfolk
New Norfolk Eagles
The New Norfolk District Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently playing in the Southern Football League, in Tasmania, Australia.-Origins:Entry to Southern District Football Assoc* 1934Entry to TANFL/TFL* 1947...
or Hobart
Hobart Football Club
Hobart Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Hobart, Tasmania. They play their home fixtures at the TCA Ground on the Queens Domain, in Hobart and from 2009, the club has been a member of the Tasmanian State League.- Club history :...
) or a merger.
The clubs resisted this move but embraced the concept of a statewide competition.
The Birth of Statewide Football
In early 1986 the TANFL went into liquidation and a newly constituted Tasmanian Football LeagueTasmanian Football League
Tasmanian State League is the highest ranked Australian rules football league in Tasmania, Australia.The league has a long and convoluted history which dates back to its founding on 12 June 1879 Tasmanian State League (TSL) (formerly known as the Tasmanian Football League (TFL), Tasmanian...
replaced it as the sport's governing body.
The TFL initiated the new competition as the TFL Statewide League
Tasmanian Football League
Tasmanian State League is the highest ranked Australian rules football league in Tasmania, Australia.The league has a long and convoluted history which dates back to its founding on 12 June 1879 Tasmanian State League (TSL) (formerly known as the Tasmanian Football League (TFL), Tasmanian...
with all six former TANFL clubs involved, North Launceston
North Launceston Football Club
The North Launceston Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Launceston, Tasmania. Australia. Since 2009 they have played in the newly formed Tasmanian State League.-History:...
and East Launceston
East Launceston Football Club
The East Launceston Football Club was an Australian rules football club based in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia.The club was founded in 1948 as Cornwall Football Club and participated with limited success during its 38-year tenure in the Northern Tasman Football Association competition...
also joined the competition from the NTFA
Northern Tasmanian Football Association (1886 - 1986)
The Northern Tasmanian Football Association was an Australian rules football competition which ran from 1886 to 1986. In its time it was one of the three main leagues in Tasmania, with the Tasmanian Football League and North West Football Union representing the rest of the state...
in early 1986.
On 26 May 1986, East Launceston
East Launceston Football Club
The East Launceston Football Club was an Australian rules football club based in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia.The club was founded in 1948 as Cornwall Football Club and participated with limited success during its 38-year tenure in the Northern Tasman Football Association competition...
merged with fellow NTFA rival City-South to form the South Launceston Football Club
South Launceston Football Club
The South Launceston Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently competing in the Tasmanian Football League. They were formed through a merger between City-South and East Launceston in 1986, former Northern Tasmanian Football Association clubs...
.
However, the new-look competition did not garner the support of the football public at either end of the state at first, with 145,918 spectators attending the 78 matches, with 25 matches recording attendances of under 1,000 spectators.
The lowest attendance recorded was 470 at KGV Football Park
KGV Oval
The KGV Oval is the home headquarters of the Glenorchy football and cricket clubs, as well as the Southern Football LeagueThe ground is a former TFL and now Tasmanian State League and also a Southern Football League finals venue....
when New Norfolk
New Norfolk Eagles
The New Norfolk District Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently playing in the Southern Football League, in Tasmania, Australia.-Origins:Entry to Southern District Football Assoc* 1934Entry to TANFL/TFL* 1947...
hosted South Launceston
South Launceston Football Club
The South Launceston Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently competing in the Tasmanian Football League. They were formed through a merger between City-South and East Launceston in 1986, former Northern Tasmanian Football Association clubs...
on 28 June.
In Launceston, the footballing public was still suspicious of the concept, only 15,258 spectators attended the 18 roster matches at an average of 848 spectators per match.
In 1987 the Devonport Football Club
Devonport Football Club
Devonport Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Devonport, Tasmania. The club previously competed in the Northern Tasmanian Football League but from 2009 it joined the newly reformed Tasmanian State League....
joined the competition under a new 'Blues' emblem along with Burnie Hawks
Burnie Hawks Football Club
The Burnie Hawks Football Club was an Australian rules football club based in Burnie, Tasmania, Australia from 1987 to 1994.The club was founded in 1987 after former NWFU club Cooee Bulldogs closed down its operation in order to wipe out its large debts and rebrand itself with a more...
(formerly the Cooee Bulldogs) which created a ten club competition with all three regions now represented with all clubs now required to field teams in Seniors, Reserves and Under-19's competition from this season.
At first the competition appeared well balanced with three different clubs - Glenorchy, North Hobart and Devonport - winning the league's first three premierships and importantly the strong level of competition produced a very high standard of football.
Of even greater importance, the league began to be well supported by players, clubs, sponsors, the general public and the media - which had for many years been unenthusiastic with Tasmanian football - but was now giving the TFL Statewide League its full support.
Problems were looming on the horizon however, in 1986 the VFL/AFL
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
had abandoned its former restrictions upon the number of players each club could draft from outside Victoria and introduced a 'National Draft'.
This was to allow Victorian talent scouts to scour the country for up-and-coming players, Tasmania - a traditional hunting ground for Victorian recruiters - was close by and was seen as a cheap option.
In 1986, seventeen of the sixty-five players drafted in the first National Draft were from Tasmania, by 1990, forty-four of Tasmania's most promising young footballers had been recruited.
The strong contribution that these players may well have made to Tasmanian football was in evidence on 24 June 1990 when Tasmania defeated Victoria by 33-points at North Hobart Oval
North Hobart Oval
North Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing...
, it appeared that Tasmanian football was being rapidly stripped of its talent.
The Beginning Of The Decline
This rapid stripping of top talent within the state would cause the second and most dangerous problem for the competition, in an effort to keep promising young players within Tasmania, the clubs were now overspending on player wages.The salary cap for TFL clubs at this time for players and coaches was $200,000 per year and most clubs achieved this figure whilst crowd numbers, club memberships and sponsor dollars began to fall under the crippling effects of the recession.
The TFL administration had also been lax in their financial control of the competition and by 1992 it was servicing a debt of $300,000 and growing as crowd numbers continued to plummet.
Also, in 1992 a number of clubs - North Hobart
North Hobart Demons
The North Hobart Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently playing in the Tasmanian State League.Players to reach Australian Football League level include Paul Williams, Peter 'Percy' Jones, Daryn Cresswell, Chris Bond, James Manson, Jim Wright, Tony Pickett and several other big...
, Sandy Bay
Sandy Bay Football Club
The Sandy Bay Football Club was an Australian rules football club based in Sandy Bay, Tasmania, Australia that participated in the Tasmanian Football League from 1945 to 1997.-Club History:...
, Clarence
Clarence Football Club
The Clarence Football Club, nicknamed the Kangaroos , is an Australian rules football club playing in the Tasmanian State League, based in Bellerive, Tasmania.Before 1903, they existed as Bellerive Football Club....
and Burnie Hawks
Burnie Hawks Football Club
The Burnie Hawks Football Club was an Australian rules football club based in Burnie, Tasmania, Australia from 1987 to 1994.The club was founded in 1987 after former NWFU club Cooee Bulldogs closed down its operation in order to wipe out its large debts and rebrand itself with a more...
- were all in deep financial trouble, in Sandy Bay's case, the Seagulls required an immediate mid-season injection of $70,000 in order to complete the season, whilst Burnie Hawks
Burnie Hawks Football Club
The Burnie Hawks Football Club was an Australian rules football club based in Burnie, Tasmania, Australia from 1987 to 1994.The club was founded in 1987 after former NWFU club Cooee Bulldogs closed down its operation in order to wipe out its large debts and rebrand itself with a more...
had entered into merger discussions with fellow city rival Burnie Tigers.
An eleventh club, Launceston Football Club
Launceston Football Club
The Launceston Football Club is an Australian rules football club, located in the West Tamar suburb of Riverside, seven kilometres north of the Launceston CBD and currently play in the Tasmanian State League in Tasmania, Australia.-History:...
were included in the competition in 1994 in an effort to regenerate interest in the North, but the move backfired on the TFL as the club were proven to be completely out of their depth at TFL level both on and off the ground.
The higher standard of football was documented with victories by Tasmania over South Australia, Western Australia and the VFL (formerly the VFA) during the 1990s but by 1997 the league appeared to be in deep trouble.
The level of interest in the TFL had continued to drop as crowds continued to stay away in droves as the competition had evolved into a two-horse race - the preceding five premierships had been won by just two clubs - Clarence
Clarence Football Club
The Clarence Football Club, nicknamed the Kangaroos , is an Australian rules football club playing in the Tasmanian State League, based in Bellerive, Tasmania.Before 1903, they existed as Bellerive Football Club....
and North Launceston
North Launceston Football Club
The North Launceston Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Launceston, Tasmania. Australia. Since 2009 they have played in the newly formed Tasmanian State League.-History:...
- faced with enormous debts and dismal attendances, four clubs were to quit the TFL at the end of the 1997 season.
Hobart Football Club
Hobart Football Club
Hobart Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Hobart, Tasmania. They play their home fixtures at the TCA Ground on the Queens Domain, in Hobart and from 2009, the club has been a member of the Tasmanian State League.- Club history :...
(1997 average home attendance of 658), in debt to the tune of almost $460,000 would vote to join the Southern Football League
Southern Football League (Tasmania)
The Southern Football League is an Australian rules football league which is based in Tasmania, Australia.- History :The Southern Tasmanian Football League was founded in 1996 with the league's original clubs being those of the recently defunct Tasmanian Amateur Football League – Southern Division...
, Launceston
Launceston Football Club
The Launceston Football Club is an Australian rules football club, located in the West Tamar suburb of Riverside, seven kilometres north of the Launceston CBD and currently play in the Tasmanian State League in Tasmania, Australia.-History:...
(1997 average home attendance of 702) and South Launceston
South Launceston Football Club
The South Launceston Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently competing in the Tasmanian Football League. They were formed through a merger between City-South and East Launceston in 1986, former Northern Tasmanian Football Association clubs...
(1997 average home attendance of 688) would rejoin the NTFL
Northern Tasmanian Football League
The Northern Tasmanian Football League is an Australian rules football competition in northern Tasmania.-History:The Northern Tasmanian Football League was founded in 1987 to replace the former Northern Tasmanian Football Association - no relation to the current NTFA - and the North Western...
whilst Sandy Bay
Sandy Bay Football Club
The Sandy Bay Football Club was an Australian rules football club based in Sandy Bay, Tasmania, Australia that participated in the Tasmanian Football League from 1945 to 1997.-Club History:...
(1997 average home attendance of 844), by then insolvent, would be wound up by administrators and closed down.
In 1998 a newly formed club - Southern Districts Cats - were formed as a representative club from the Kingborough region of Southern Tasmania with key people from Kingston, Channel and Sandy Bay involved in its set up.
The club was to pick up a large number of players from the recently defunct Sandy Bay Football Club
Sandy Bay Football Club
The Sandy Bay Football Club was an Australian rules football club based in Sandy Bay, Tasmania, Australia that participated in the Tasmanian Football League from 1945 to 1997.-Club History:...
including Troy Clarke, the Seagulls final coach who would take on the senior coaching role with the new club.
Clarence and North Launceston (now renamed the Northern Bombers) continued to dominate the competition, the Bombers would go through the 1998 season undefeated and take the flag with a convincing victory over Clarence in the Grand Final.
The Biggs Report
By 1998, the TFL was on the brink of collapse. In a leaked document to The Hobart Mercury newspaper, the following was an official list of club debts at the completion of the 1998 TFL Statewide League season:Burnie Dockers ($735,819), Devonport ($709,067), New Norfolk ($431,858), Glenorchy ($267,897), North Hobart ($232,607), Northern Bombers ($167,570), Clarence ($153,441), Southern Districts ($80,000).
With the debt level continuing to rise, the League were continuing to raise the issue of cutbacks of participating clubs and changes to a possible Summer start in a bid to lift the flagging image of the TFL which was now financially crippled and struggling to find strong corporate support as the state was also in deep financial trouble.
The Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
, so concerned with the terrible state of Tasmanian football, conducted a thorough review of Tasmanian football, commonly referred to as the Biggs Report.
Among the findings by Ed Biggs it was found that the lack of unity that had existed in Tasmanian football prior to the Evers Report and the founding of the TFL Statewide League, was continuing to exist.
In Northern Tasmania, all football bodies with the exception of the current day NTFA (formerly the TAFL - Northern Division and no relation to the pre-1987 NTFA) were affiliated to the NTFL.
In Southern Tasmania it was found that most associations were affiliated to the TFL but the Southern Football League
Southern Football League (Tasmania)
The Southern Football League is an Australian rules football league which is based in Tasmania, Australia.- History :The Southern Tasmanian Football League was founded in 1996 with the league's original clubs being those of the recently defunct Tasmanian Amateur Football League – Southern Division...
- the major southern competition - was not.
The most significant recommendation of the Biggs Report was that a new independent state body should be formed.
This recommendation was roundly accepted and a new body known as Football Tasmania
AFL Tasmania
AFL Tasmania is the governing body for Australian rules football in Tasmania.The organisation is responsible for game development in the state. The organisation recently became affiliated with the Australian Football League and was formerly known as Football Tasmania.The body is responsible for...
was founded in December 1998, the TFL - by now staggering under crushing debts - was liquidated in February 1999.
Football Tasmania
AFL Tasmania
AFL Tasmania is the governing body for Australian rules football in Tasmania.The organisation is responsible for game development in the state. The organisation recently became affiliated with the Australian Football League and was formerly known as Football Tasmania.The body is responsible for...
was to begin its life with a noose around its neck almost immediately by having to run the statewide league, now known as the Tasmanian State Football League (TSFL).
On 31 May 1999 the Southern Cats were wound up at a meeting with Football Tasmania with debts of $100,000 and growing by the day, leaving the competition with only seven clubs to finish out the remainder of the season.
From 2000, Football Tasmania had set up a brand new statewide competition - this one known as the SWL - which comprised six clubs, each of them based in one of the state's six cities.
Those were Hobart Demons
North Hobart Demons
The North Hobart Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently playing in the Tasmanian State League.Players to reach Australian Football League level include Paul Williams, Peter 'Percy' Jones, Daryn Cresswell, Chris Bond, James Manson, Jim Wright, Tony Pickett and several other big...
(formerly North Hobart), Clarence
Clarence Football Club
The Clarence Football Club, nicknamed the Kangaroos , is an Australian rules football club playing in the Tasmanian State League, based in Bellerive, Tasmania.Before 1903, they existed as Bellerive Football Club....
, Glenorchy
Glenorchy Football Club
The Glenorchy District Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently playing in the Tasmanian State League and the Southern Football League in Tasmania, Australia.-Origins:...
, Northern Bombers
North Launceston Football Club
The North Launceston Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Launceston, Tasmania. Australia. Since 2009 they have played in the newly formed Tasmanian State League.-History:...
(formerly North Launceston), Burnie Dockers and Devonport Power
Devonport Football Club
Devonport Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Devonport, Tasmania. The club previously competed in the Northern Tasmanian Football League but from 2009 it joined the newly reformed Tasmanian State League....
.
By December 2000, the Burnie Dockers would vote to leave the competition and both Northern Bombers and Devonport similarly followed suit a short time later leaving only the three Southern clubs to remain in the competition.
With the SWL competition being wound up and closing down in December 2000, the three orphaned clubs (Clarence, Glenorchy and Hobart Demons) being finally accepted into the SFL after a protracted battle in early 2001.
Participating Clubs: 1986-2000
- 1987–1994 –
– Burnie Hawks Football ClubBurnie Hawks Football ClubThe Burnie Hawks Football Club was an Australian rules football club based in Burnie, Tasmania, Australia from 1987 to 1994.The club was founded in 1987 after former NWFU club Cooee Bulldogs closed down its operation in order to wipe out its large debts and rebrand itself with a more... - 1995–2000 – – Burnie Dockers Football ClubBurnie Dockers Football ClubBurnie Football Club is an Australian rules football club located in Burnie, Tasmania, Australia.-Club history:The Burnie Dockers were formed as a result of a merger between former TFL Statewide League club Burnie Hawks and NTFL club the Burnie Tigers...
- 1986–2000 –
– Clarence District Football ClubClarence Football ClubThe Clarence Football Club, nicknamed the Kangaroos , is an Australian rules football club playing in the Tasmanian State League, based in Bellerive, Tasmania.Before 1903, they existed as Bellerive Football Club.... - 1987–1995 – – Devonport Blues Football ClubDevonport Football ClubDevonport Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Devonport, Tasmania. The club previously competed in the Northern Tasmanian Football League but from 2009 it joined the newly reformed Tasmanian State League....
- 1996–2000 –
– Devonport Power Football ClubDevonport Football ClubDevonport Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Devonport, Tasmania. The club previously competed in the Northern Tasmanian Football League but from 2009 it joined the newly reformed Tasmanian State League.... - 1986–1986 –
– East Launceston Football ClubEast Launceston Football ClubThe East Launceston Football Club was an Australian rules football club based in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia.The club was founded in 1948 as Cornwall Football Club and participated with limited success during its 38-year tenure in the Northern Tasman Football Association competition... - 1986–1997 – – South Launceston Football ClubSouth Launceston Football ClubThe South Launceston Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently competing in the Tasmanian Football League. They were formed through a merger between City-South and East Launceston in 1986, former Northern Tasmanian Football Association clubs...
- 1986–2000 –
– Glenorchy District Football ClubGlenorchy Football ClubThe Glenorchy District Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently playing in the Tasmanian State League and the Southern Football League in Tasmania, Australia.-Origins:... - 1986–1997 –
– Hobart Football ClubHobart Football ClubHobart Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Hobart, Tasmania. They play their home fixtures at the TCA Ground on the Queens Domain, in Hobart and from 2009, the club has been a member of the Tasmanian State League.- Club history :... - 1994–1997 – – Launceston Football ClubLaunceston Football ClubThe Launceston Football Club is an Australian rules football club, located in the West Tamar suburb of Riverside, seven kilometres north of the Launceston CBD and currently play in the Tasmanian State League in Tasmania, Australia.-History:...
- 1986–1998 –
– New Norfolk District Football ClubNew Norfolk EaglesThe New Norfolk District Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently playing in the Southern Football League, in Tasmania, Australia.-Origins:Entry to Southern District Football Assoc* 1934Entry to TANFL/TFL* 1947... - 1999–1999 – – Derwent Eagles Football ClubNew Norfolk EaglesThe New Norfolk District Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently playing in the Southern Football League, in Tasmania, Australia.-Origins:Entry to Southern District Football Assoc* 1934Entry to TANFL/TFL* 1947...
- 1986–1998 –
– North Hobart Football ClubNorth Hobart DemonsThe North Hobart Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently playing in the Tasmanian State League.Players to reach Australian Football League level include Paul Williams, Peter 'Percy' Jones, Daryn Cresswell, Chris Bond, James Manson, Jim Wright, Tony Pickett and several other big... - 1999–2000 – – Hobart Demons Football ClubNorth Hobart DemonsThe North Hobart Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently playing in the Tasmanian State League.Players to reach Australian Football League level include Paul Williams, Peter 'Percy' Jones, Daryn Cresswell, Chris Bond, James Manson, Jim Wright, Tony Pickett and several other big...
- 1986–1997 –
– North Launceston Football ClubNorth Launceston Football ClubThe North Launceston Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Launceston, Tasmania. Australia. Since 2009 they have played in the newly formed Tasmanian State League.-History:... - 1998–2000 – – Northern Bombers Football ClubNorth Launceston Football ClubThe North Launceston Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Launceston, Tasmania. Australia. Since 2009 they have played in the newly formed Tasmanian State League.-History:...
- 1986–1997 – – Sandy Bay Football ClubSandy Bay Football ClubThe Sandy Bay Football Club was an Australian rules football club based in Sandy Bay, Tasmania, Australia that participated in the Tasmanian Football League from 1945 to 1997.-Club History:...
- 1998–1999 – – Southern Districts Football ClubSouthern CatsThe Southern Districts Football Club was an Australian rules football club based in North Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.-Club History:...
TFL Statewide, TSFL and SWL Grand Finals: 1986-2000
- 1986 – – Glenorchy 14.20 (104) v Sandy Bay 9.18 (72) – Att: 16,111 at North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing...
- 1987 – – North Hobart 23.20 (158) v Glenorchy 16.10 (106) – Att: 17,094 at North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing...
- 1988 – – Devonport 15.7 (97) v Glenorchy 8.6 (54) – Att: 17,878 at North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing...
- 1989 – – North Hobart 18.22 (130) v Hobart 16.4 (100) – Att: 16,528 at North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing...
- 1990 – – Hobart 19.16 (130) v North Launceston 10.12 (72) – Att: 15,633 at North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing...
- 1991 – – North Hobart 12.14 (86) v North Launceston 8.12 (60) – Att: 13,112 at North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing...
- 1992 – – North Hobart 16.12 (108) v Hobart 10.13 (73) – Att: 11,967 at North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing...
- 1993 – – Clarence 19.12 (126) v North Launceston 17.15 (117) – Att: 13,102 at North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing...
- 1994 – – Clarence 13.13 (91) v New Norfolk 8.5 (53) – Att: 14,230 at North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing...
- 1995 – – North Launceston 9.11 (65) v Clarence 7.13 (55) – Att: 9,448 at North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing...
- 1996 – – Clarence 14.17 (101) v Burnie Dockers 10.14 (74) – Att: 12,352 at North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing...
- 1997 – – Clarence 20.9 (129) v Burnie Dockers 18.14 (122) – Att: 9,053 at North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing...
- 1998 – – Northern BombersNorth Launceston Football ClubThe North Launceston Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Launceston, Tasmania. Australia. Since 2009 they have played in the newly formed Tasmanian State League.-History:...
14.16 (100) v Clarence 6.15 (51) – Att: 9,638 at North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing... - 1999 – – Glenorchy 15.9 (99) v Northern BombersNorth Launceston Football ClubThe North Launceston Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Launceston, Tasmania. Australia. Since 2009 they have played in the newly formed Tasmanian State League.-History:...
7.11 (53) – Att: 8,053 at North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing... - 2000 – – Clarence 15.15 (105) v Northern BombersNorth Launceston Football ClubThe North Launceston Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Launceston, Tasmania. Australia. Since 2009 they have played in the newly formed Tasmanian State League.-History:...
8.8 (56) – Att: 6,124 at York Park
TFL Statewide, TSFL and SWL Reserves Grand Finals: 1986-2000
- 1986 – – Glenorchy 17.18 (120) v North Hobart 10.9 (69) – North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing...
* - 1987 – – Sandy Bay 19.14 (128) v Glenorchy 15.15 (105) – North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing...
- 1988 – – Glenorchy 19.13 (127) v North Hobart 14.18 (102) – North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing...
- 1989 – – Sandy Bay 10.14 (74) v Devonport 8.8 (56) – North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing...
- 1990 – – Burnie HawksBurnie Hawks Football ClubThe Burnie Hawks Football Club was an Australian rules football club based in Burnie, Tasmania, Australia from 1987 to 1994.The club was founded in 1987 after former NWFU club Cooee Bulldogs closed down its operation in order to wipe out its large debts and rebrand itself with a more...
13.11 (89) v Glenorchy 9.9 (63) – North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing... - 1991 – – North Launceston 14.16 (100) v Glenorchy 12.11 (83) – North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing...
- 1992 – – Glenorchy 11.14 (80) v North Hobart 9.11 (65) – North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing...
- 1993 – – Glenorchy 16.11 (107) v Clarence 10.20 (80) – North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing...
- 1994 – – Sandy Bay 12.21 (93) v North Hobart 10.5 (65) – North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing...
- 1995 – – North Hobart 22.7 (139) v New Norfolk 12.9 (81) – North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing...
- 1996 – – Burnie Dockers 12.9 (81) v Clarence 9.20 (74) – North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing...
- 1997 – – North Launceston 10.17 (77) v Glenorchy 10.9 (69) – North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing...
- 1998 – – Burnie Dockers 11.19 (85) v Northern BombersNorth Launceston Football ClubThe North Launceston Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Launceston, Tasmania. Australia. Since 2009 they have played in the newly formed Tasmanian State League.-History:...
10.9 (69) – North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing... - 1999 – – Clarence 14.15 (99) v Northern BombersNorth Launceston Football ClubThe North Launceston Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Launceston, Tasmania. Australia. Since 2009 they have played in the newly formed Tasmanian State League.-History:...
8.9 (57) – North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing... - 2000 – – Clarence 9.13 (67) v Northern BombersNorth Launceston Football ClubThe North Launceston Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Launceston, Tasmania. Australia. Since 2009 they have played in the newly formed Tasmanian State League.-History:...
8.14 (62) – York Park *
Note: The 1986 season was a Southern-based competition only while the 2000 season was run as an Under-21's competition.
TFL Statewide, TSFL and SWL Under-19's Grand Finals: 1986-2000
- 1986 – – Glenorchy 17.17 (119) v Clarence 10.8 (68) – North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing...
* - 1987 – – New Norfolk 25.15 (165) v North Hobart 9.8 (62) – North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing...
- 1988 – – New Norfolk 10.9 (69) v North Launceston 8.18 (66) – North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing...
- 1989 – – Sandy Bay 10.8 (68) v South Launceston 7.8 (50) – North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing...
- 1990 – – North Launceston 10.13 (73) v Glenorchy 10.4 (64) – North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing...
- 1991 – – Glenorchy 17.15 (117) v North Launceston 8.8 (56) – North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing...
- 1992 – – Glenorchy 10.9 (69) v North Launceston 8.9 (57) – North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing...
- 1993 – – North Hobart 16.9 (105) v Clarence 7.15 (57) – North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing...
- 1994 – – New Norfolk 11.15 (81) v Burnie HawksBurnie Hawks Football ClubThe Burnie Hawks Football Club was an Australian rules football club based in Burnie, Tasmania, Australia from 1987 to 1994.The club was founded in 1987 after former NWFU club Cooee Bulldogs closed down its operation in order to wipe out its large debts and rebrand itself with a more...
9.6 (60) – North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing... - 1995 – – North Hobart 19.10 (124) v Glenorchy 9.9 (63) – North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing...
- 1996 – – Devonport 17.18 (120) v North Hobart 9.10 (64) – North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing...
- 1997 – – Devonport 9.16 (70) v Glenorchy 6.11 (47) – North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing...
- 1998 – – Clarence 10.13 (73) v Devonport 5.6 (36) – North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing...
- 1999 – – Clarence 13.10 (88) v Glenorchy 8.8 (56) – North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing...
- 2000 – – Glenorchy (A) 13.9 (87) v Hobart Demons (B)North Hobart DemonsThe North Hobart Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently playing in the Tasmanian State League.Players to reach Australian Football League level include Paul Williams, Peter 'Percy' Jones, Daryn Cresswell, Chris Bond, James Manson, Jim Wright, Tony Pickett and several other big...
4.3 (27) – York Park *
Notes: The 1986 season was a Southern-based competition only while the 2000 season was run as an Under-18's competition.
William Leitch Medal Winners: 1986-2000
(Best and Fairest Player in TFL Statewide, TSFL and SWL Senior football)- 1986 – - Andy BennettAndy BennettAndrew 'Andy' Bennett is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Hawthorn and St Kilda in the Victorian Football League during the 1980s....
(Sandy Bay) - 1987 – - David CodeDavid CodeDavid Code is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Melbourne in the Victorian Football League .An Old Haileyburian, Code spent just one season at Melbourne. He later played with Devonport in the TFL Statewide League and won the 1987 William Leitch Medal and was a member of their...
(Devonport) - 1988 – - Adrian FletcherAdrian FletcherAdrian Fletcher is a former Australian rules footballer and current assistant coach. He is regarded as one of football's nomads, having played for five Australian Football League clubs in his 13 year career...
(Glenorchy) & - Michael SeddonMichael SeddonMichael Seddon is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Melbourne in the Victorian Football League during the early 1980s....
(Sandy Bay) - 1989 – - Scott WadeScott WadeScott Wade is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Hawthorn in the Victorian Football League during the early 1980s....
(Clarence) - 1990 – - Ricky Hanlon (New Norfolk)
- 1991 – - Gary Williamson (Clarence)
- 1992 – - Jason Gibson (North Launceston)
- 1993 – - Daryn Perry (North Hobart) & - Rene Peters (New Norfolk)
- 1994 – - Michael Maple (North Hobart)
- 1995 – - Danny NoonanDanny Noonan (Australian footballer)Danny Noonan is a former Australian rules footballer who played with the Brisbane Bears in the Australian Football League during the early 1990s...
(Clarence) & - Geoff Wiggins (Sandy Bay) - 1996 – - Danny NoonanDanny Noonan (Australian footballer)Danny Noonan is a former Australian rules footballer who played with the Brisbane Bears in the Australian Football League during the early 1990s...
(Clarence) - 1997 – - Fabian Carelli (Devonport)
- 1998 – - Wayne WeidemannWayne WeidemannWayne Weidemann is an Australian rules football coach and former player. He is most notable for his career in the Australian Football League with the Adelaide Crows....
(Devonport) - 1999 – - Ben Atkin (Glenorchy), - Matthew Jones (Clarence) & - Darren Trevena (Northern Bombers)
- 2000 – - Nathan Howard (Northern Bombers)
Darrel Baldock Medal Winners: 1989-2000
(Best player in TFL Statewide, TSFL and SWL Grand Final)- 1989 – - Jim Mathewson (North Hobart)
- 1990 – - Michael Winter (Hobart)
- 1991 – - Darren Mathewson (North Hobart)
- 1992 – - Daryn Perry (North Hobart)
- 1993 – - Darren Winter (Clarence)
- 1994 – - Jason Wilton (New Norfolk)
- 1995 – - Andrew McLean (North Launceston)
- 1996 – - Daniel Hulm (Clarence)
- 1997 – - Danny NoonanDanny Noonan (Australian footballer)Danny Noonan is a former Australian rules footballer who played with the Brisbane Bears in the Australian Football League during the early 1990s...
(Clarence) - 1998 – - Brendon Bolton (Northern Bombers)
- 1999 – - Ben Careless (Glenorchy)
- 2000 – - Scott Allen (Clarence)
George Watt Medal Winners: 1986-2000
(Best and Fairest Player in TFL Statewide, TSFL and SWL Reserves football)- 1986 – - Robbie Crane (New Norfolk)
- 1987 – - Craig Randall (Sandy Bay), – Mark Radford (Burnie Hawks) & - Matthew Honner (Glenorchy)
- 1988 – - Steven Hay (Glenorchy)
- 1989 – - Jeffrey Wood (Devonport)
- 1990 – - Jeffrey Wood (Devonport)
- 1991 – - Brendan Skelly (New Norfolk)
- 1992 – - John Rainbird (New Norfolk)
- 1993 – - Ricky Darley (North Hobart)
- 1994 – - Stephen Jackson (Burnie Hawks)
- 1995 – - Jeremy Busch (North Hobart)
- 1996 – - Brent Thomas (Launceston)
- 1997 – - Ted Davis (North Launceston) & - Brett Smith (Devonport)
- 1998 – - Nick Barnes (Burnie Dockers)
- 1999 – - Stuart Beechey (Clarence)
- 2000 – - Justin Cotton (Northern Bombers) & - Heath Fox (Northern Bombers)
Major V.A Geard Medal Winners: 1986-2000
(Best and Fairest Player in TFL Statewide, TSFL and SWL Under-19's football)- 1986 – - Jason Taylor (New Norfolk)
- 1987 – - Darren Clifford (North Launceston)
- 1988 – - Steven Byers (New Norfolk)
- 1989 – - Damien Goss (Hobart)
- 1990 – - Drew Hall (Sandy Bay)
- 1991 – - Justin Goc (Hobart)
- 1992 – - Alan Bond (Hobart)
- 1993 – - Craig Carr (Glenorchy)
- 1994 – - Aaron Priest (Clarence) & - Jonathon Alexander (South Launceston)
- 1995 – - Ricky Braslin (New Norfolk)
- 1996 – - Brent Dickson (Hobart)
- 1997 – - David Kamaric (Glenorchy)
- 1998 – - Chris Gracogna (Northern Bombers)
- 1999 – - Jason Rigby (Hobart Demons)
- 2000 – - Jamie Walker (Glenorchy)
TFL Statewide League, TSFL and SWL Leading Goalkicker: 1986-2000
- 1986 - - Wayne FoxWayne FoxWayne 'Baldy' Fox is a former Australian rules footballer who played for various clubs in the Tasmanian Australian National Football League and later, the TFL Statewide League...
(Hobart) - 105 - 1987 - - Paul Dac (New Norfolk) - 80, - Wayne FoxWayne FoxWayne 'Baldy' Fox is a former Australian rules footballer who played for various clubs in the Tasmanian Australian National Football League and later, the TFL Statewide League...
(Hobart) - 80 & - Steve McQueen (North Hobart) - 80 - 1988 - - Chris Reynolds (Devonport) - 111
- 1989 - - Shane FellShane FellShane Fell is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Sydney in the Australian Football League .A forward, Fell played his early football at Glenorchy and was the TFL Statewide League's leading goal-kicker in 1989 with 114 goals before opting to ply his trade on the mainland.Fell was...
(Glenorchy) - 114 - 1990 - - Paul Dac (New Norfolk) - 103
- 1991 - - Paul Dac (New Norfolk) - 133
- 1992 - - Byron Howard (North Hobart) - 92
- 1993 - - Keith Robinson (Hobart) - 76
- 1994 - - Paul Dac (Clarence) - 94
- 1995 - - Byron Howard (North Hobart) - 104
- 1996 - - Justin PlappJustin PlappJustin Plapp is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Richmond and St Kilda in the Australian Football League ....
(Burnie Dockers) - 98 - 1997 - - Byron Howard (North Hobart) - 70
- 1998 - - Ken Rainsford (Devonport) - 94
- 1999 - - Adam Aherne (Northern Bombers) - 68
- 2000 - - Scott Allen (Clarence) - 80
TFL Statewide League, TSFL and SWL Attendances: 1986-2000
| Season | Roster | Matches | Average | Finals | Matches | Average | Aggregate | Matches | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 1986 TFL Statewide League Season The 1986 TFL Statewide League premiership season was an Australian rules football competition, staged across Tasmania over 18 roster rounds and six finals series matches between 5 April and 20 September 1986.... |
104,889 | 72 | 1,456 | 41,029 | 6 | 6,838 | 145,918 | 78 | 1,870 |
| 1987 1987 TFL Statewide League Season The 1987 TFL Statewide League premiership season was an Australian rules football competition, staged across Tasmania over 18 roster rounds and six finals series matches between 4 April and 12 September 1987.... |
126,548 | 90 | 1,406 | 42,351 | 6 | 7,058 | 168,899 | 96 | 1,759 |
| 1988 1988 TFL Statewide League Season The 1988 TFL Statewide League premiership season was an Australian rules football competition, staged across Tasmania, Australia over eighteen roster rounds and six finals series matches between 2 April and 17 September 1988.... |
152,669 | 90 | 1,696 | 40,278 | 6 | 6,713 | 192,947 | 96 | 2,009 |
| 1989 1989 TFL Statewide League Season The 1989 TFL Statewide League premiership season was an Australian rules football competition staged across Tasmania, Australia over eighteen roster rounds and six finals series matches between 1 April and 16 September 1989.... |
148,042 | 90 | 1,644 | 44,901 | 6 | 7,483 | 192,943 | 96 | 2,009 |
| 1990 1990 TFL Statewide League Season The 1990 TFL Statewide League premiership season was an Australian rules football competition staged across Tasmania over 21 roster rounds and 6 finals series matches between 31 March and 22 September 1990.... |
164,994 | 105 | 1,571 | 38,572 | 6 | 6,428 | 203,566 | 111 | 1,833 |
| 1991 1991 TFL Statewide League season The 1991 TFL Statewide League premiership season was an Australian rules football competition staged across Tasmania over twenty one roster rounds and six finals series matches between 30 March and 21 September, 1991.... |
144,491 | 105 | 1,376 | 32,938 | 6 | 5,489 | 177,429 | 111 | 1,598 |
| 1992 1992 TFL Statewide League season The 1992 TFL Statewide League premiership season was an Australian rules football competition staged across Tasmania over eighteen roster rounds and six finals series matches between 4 April and 19 September 1992.... |
110,788 | 90 | 1,231 | 24,608 | 6 | 4,101 | 135,396 | 96 | 1,410 |
| 1993 1993 TFL Statewide League season The 1993 TFL Statewide League premiership season was an Australian rules football competition staged across Tasmania, Australia over eighteen roster rounds and six finals series matches between 4 April and 18 September 1993.... |
110,490 | 90 | 1,227 | 30,561 | 6 | 5,093 | 141,051 | 96 | 1,469 |
| 1994 1994 TFL Statewide League season The 1994 TFL Statewide League premiership season was an Australian rules football competition, staged across Tasmania, Australia over twenty roster rounds and six finals series matches between 9 April and 24 September 1994.... |
112,860 | 99 | 1,140 | 31,675 | 6 | 5,279 | 144,535 | 105 | 1,376 |
| 1995 1995 TFL Statewide League season The 1995 TFL Statewide League premiership season was an Australian rules football competition, staged across Tasmania, Australia over twenty roster rounds and six finals series matches between 8 April and 23 September 1995.... |
116,443 | 99 | 1,176 | 27,384 | 6 | 4,639 | 143,827 | 105 | 1,369 |
| 1996 1996 TFL Statewide League season The 1996 TFL Statewide League premiership season was an Australian rules football competition, staged across Tasmania, Australia over twenty two roster rounds and six finals series matches between 6 April and 5 October 1996.... |
128,277 | 110 | 1,166 | 26,886 | 6 | 4,486 | 155,163 | 116 | 1,337 |
| 1997 1997 TFL Statewide League season The 1997 TFL Statewide League premiership season was an Australian rules football competition, staged across Tasmania, Australia over twenty roster rounds and six finals series matches between 12 April and 20 September 1997.... |
108,463 | 99 | 1,095 | 19,720 | 6 | 3,286 | 128,183 | 105 | 1,220 |
| 1998 1998 TFL Statewide League season The 1998 TFL Statewide League premiership season was an Australian rules football competition, staged across Tasmania, Australia over eighteen roster rounds and six finals series matches between 4 April and 20 September 1998.... |
94,336 | 72 | 1,310 | 25,327 | 6 | 4,221 | 119,663 | 78 | 1,534 |
| 1999 1999 TSFL season The 1999 TSFL premiership season was an Australian rules football competition, staged across Tasmania, Australia over eighteen roster rounds and four finals series matches between 10 April and 18 September 1999.... |
68,346 | 62 | 1,102 | 18,001 | 6 | 3,000 | 86,347 | 68 | 1,269 |
| 2000 2000 SWL season The 2000 Football Tasmania SWL premiership season was an Australian rules football competition, staged across Tasmania, Australia over seventeen roster rounds and four finals series matches between 24 March and 9 September 2000.... |
60,632 | 51 | 1,188 | 12,410 | 4 | 3,102 | 73,042 | 55 | 1,328 |
| Total | 1,752,268 | 1324 | 1,319 | 456,641 | 88 | 5,189 | 2,208,909 | 1,412 | 1,564 |
Record Roster Match Attendance: TFL Statewide League, TSFL and SWL
- 5,625 – – Northern BombersNorth Launceston Football ClubThe North Launceston Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Launceston, Tasmania. Australia. Since 2009 they have played in the newly formed Tasmanian State League.-History:...
v ClarenceClarence Football ClubThe Clarence Football Club, nicknamed the Kangaroos , is an Australian rules football club playing in the Tasmanian State League, based in Bellerive, Tasmania.Before 1903, they existed as Bellerive Football Club....
– 22 July 2000 at York Park (Night) - 5,590 – – Burnie Dockers v DevonportDevonport Football ClubDevonport Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Devonport, Tasmania. The club previously competed in the Northern Tasmanian Football League but from 2009 it joined the newly reformed Tasmanian State League....
– 20 July 1997 at West Park OvalWest Park (Burnie)West Park Oval is an Australian Rules football, cycling and athletics venue located on the shores of Bass Strait in Burnie, Tasmania.It is the current home of the Burnie Dockers in the Tasmanian State League and previously in the NTFL and in the original TFL Statewide League.-History:West Park... - 5,423 – – Burnie HawksBurnie Hawks Football ClubThe Burnie Hawks Football Club was an Australian rules football club based in Burnie, Tasmania, Australia from 1987 to 1994.The club was founded in 1987 after former NWFU club Cooee Bulldogs closed down its operation in order to wipe out its large debts and rebrand itself with a more...
v DevonportDevonport Football ClubDevonport Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Devonport, Tasmania. The club previously competed in the Northern Tasmanian Football League but from 2009 it joined the newly reformed Tasmanian State League....
– 23 April 1988 at West Park OvalWest Park (Burnie)West Park Oval is an Australian Rules football, cycling and athletics venue located on the shores of Bass Strait in Burnie, Tasmania.It is the current home of the Burnie Dockers in the Tasmanian State League and previously in the NTFL and in the original TFL Statewide League.-History:West Park...
. - 5,078 – – Burnie Dockers v DevonportDevonport Football ClubDevonport Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Devonport, Tasmania. The club previously competed in the Northern Tasmanian Football League but from 2009 it joined the newly reformed Tasmanian State League....
– 14 July 1996 at West Park OvalWest Park (Burnie)West Park Oval is an Australian Rules football, cycling and athletics venue located on the shores of Bass Strait in Burnie, Tasmania.It is the current home of the Burnie Dockers in the Tasmanian State League and previously in the NTFL and in the original TFL Statewide League.-History:West Park...
. - 5,075 – – ClarenceClarence Football ClubThe Clarence Football Club, nicknamed the Kangaroos , is an Australian rules football club playing in the Tasmanian State League, based in Bellerive, Tasmania.Before 1903, they existed as Bellerive Football Club....
v North HobartNorth Hobart DemonsThe North Hobart Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently playing in the Tasmanian State League.Players to reach Australian Football League level include Paul Williams, Peter 'Percy' Jones, Daryn Cresswell, Chris Bond, James Manson, Jim Wright, Tony Pickett and several other big...
– 13 June 1987 at Bellerive OvalBellerive OvalBellerive Oval, also known as its sponsored name Blundstone Arena, is primarily a cricket and Australian Rules Football ground located in Bellerive, City of Clarence, on the eastern shore of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia...
Top Five Finals Match Attendances: TFL Statewide League, TSFL and SWL
- 17,878 – – DevonportDevonport Football ClubDevonport Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Devonport, Tasmania. The club previously competed in the Northern Tasmanian Football League but from 2009 it joined the newly reformed Tasmanian State League....
v GlenorchyGlenorchy Football ClubThe Glenorchy District Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently playing in the Tasmanian State League and the Southern Football League in Tasmania, Australia.-Origins:...
– 1988 TFL Grand Final1988 TFL Statewide League SeasonThe 1988 TFL Statewide League premiership season was an Australian rules football competition, staged across Tasmania, Australia over eighteen roster rounds and six finals series matches between 2 April and 17 September 1988....
at North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing...
. - 17,094 – – North HobartNorth Hobart DemonsThe North Hobart Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently playing in the Tasmanian State League.Players to reach Australian Football League level include Paul Williams, Peter 'Percy' Jones, Daryn Cresswell, Chris Bond, James Manson, Jim Wright, Tony Pickett and several other big...
v GlenorchyGlenorchy Football ClubThe Glenorchy District Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently playing in the Tasmanian State League and the Southern Football League in Tasmania, Australia.-Origins:...
– 1987 TFL Grand Final1987 TFL Statewide League SeasonThe 1987 TFL Statewide League premiership season was an Australian rules football competition, staged across Tasmania over 18 roster rounds and six finals series matches between 4 April and 12 September 1987....
at North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing...
. - 16,528 – – North HobartNorth Hobart DemonsThe North Hobart Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently playing in the Tasmanian State League.Players to reach Australian Football League level include Paul Williams, Peter 'Percy' Jones, Daryn Cresswell, Chris Bond, James Manson, Jim Wright, Tony Pickett and several other big...
v HobartHobart Football ClubHobart Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Hobart, Tasmania. They play their home fixtures at the TCA Ground on the Queens Domain, in Hobart and from 2009, the club has been a member of the Tasmanian State League.- Club history :...
– 1989 TFL Grand Final1989 TFL Statewide League SeasonThe 1989 TFL Statewide League premiership season was an Australian rules football competition staged across Tasmania, Australia over eighteen roster rounds and six finals series matches between 1 April and 16 September 1989....
at North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing...
. - 16,111 – – GlenorchyGlenorchy Football ClubThe Glenorchy District Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently playing in the Tasmanian State League and the Southern Football League in Tasmania, Australia.-Origins:...
v Sandy BaySandy Bay Football ClubThe Sandy Bay Football Club was an Australian rules football club based in Sandy Bay, Tasmania, Australia that participated in the Tasmanian Football League from 1945 to 1997.-Club History:...
– 1986 TFL Grand Final1986 TFL Statewide League SeasonThe 1986 TFL Statewide League premiership season was an Australian rules football competition, staged across Tasmania over 18 roster rounds and six finals series matches between 5 April and 20 September 1986....
at North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing...
. - 15,633 – – HobartHobart Football ClubHobart Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Hobart, Tasmania. They play their home fixtures at the TCA Ground on the Queens Domain, in Hobart and from 2009, the club has been a member of the Tasmanian State League.- Club history :...
v North LauncestonNorth Launceston Football ClubThe North Launceston Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Launceston, Tasmania. Australia. Since 2009 they have played in the newly formed Tasmanian State League.-History:...
– 1990 TFL Grand Final1990 TFL Statewide League SeasonThe 1990 TFL Statewide League premiership season was an Australian rules football competition staged across Tasmania over 21 roster rounds and 6 finals series matches between 31 March and 22 September 1990....
at North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing...
.
Record Score: TFL Statewide League, TSFL and SWL
- 47.14 (296) – – North LauncestonNorth Launceston Football ClubThe North Launceston Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Launceston, Tasmania. Australia. Since 2009 they have played in the newly formed Tasmanian State League.-History:...
v South LauncestonSouth Launceston Football ClubThe South Launceston Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently competing in the Tasmanian Football League. They were formed through a merger between City-South and East Launceston in 1986, former Northern Tasmanian Football Association clubs...
10.8 (68) – 30 July 1995 at York Park - 37.24 (246) – – North HobartNorth Hobart DemonsThe North Hobart Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently playing in the Tasmanian State League.Players to reach Australian Football League level include Paul Williams, Peter 'Percy' Jones, Daryn Cresswell, Chris Bond, James Manson, Jim Wright, Tony Pickett and several other big...
v South LauncestonSouth Launceston Football ClubThe South Launceston Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently competing in the Tasmanian Football League. They were formed through a merger between City-South and East Launceston in 1986, former Northern Tasmanian Football Association clubs...
2.5 (17) – 3 May 1991 at North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing... - 38.16 (244) – – ClarenceClarence Football ClubThe Clarence Football Club, nicknamed the Kangaroos , is an Australian rules football club playing in the Tasmanian State League, based in Bellerive, Tasmania.Before 1903, they existed as Bellerive Football Club....
v Devonport PowerDevonport Football ClubDevonport Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Devonport, Tasmania. The club previously competed in the Northern Tasmanian Football League but from 2009 it joined the newly reformed Tasmanian State League....
4.4 (28) – 17 August 1999 at Bellerive OvalBellerive OvalBellerive Oval, also known as its sponsored name Blundstone Arena, is primarily a cricket and Australian Rules Football ground located in Bellerive, City of Clarence, on the eastern shore of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia... - 38.15 (243) – – North HobartNorth Hobart DemonsThe North Hobart Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently playing in the Tasmanian State League.Players to reach Australian Football League level include Paul Williams, Peter 'Percy' Jones, Daryn Cresswell, Chris Bond, James Manson, Jim Wright, Tony Pickett and several other big...
v New NorfolkNew Norfolk EaglesThe New Norfolk District Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently playing in the Southern Football League, in Tasmania, Australia.-Origins:Entry to Southern District Football Assoc* 1934Entry to TANFL/TFL* 1947...
11.11 (77) – 5 August 1989 at Boyer OvalBoyer OvalBoyer Oval is the home headquarters of the New Norfolk District Football Club and the New Norfolk Cricket Club.The ground is a former Tasmanian Football League venue, being the host venue for New Norfolk in TFL football from 1947 to 1999 and from 2000 it became a venue for SFL football when New... - 35.28 (238) – – Burnie DockersBurnie Dockers Football ClubBurnie Football Club is an Australian rules football club located in Burnie, Tasmania, Australia.-Club history:The Burnie Dockers were formed as a result of a merger between former TFL Statewide League club Burnie Hawks and NTFL club the Burnie Tigers...
v HobartHobart Football ClubHobart Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Hobart, Tasmania. They play their home fixtures at the TCA Ground on the Queens Domain, in Hobart and from 2009, the club has been a member of the Tasmanian State League.- Club history :...
0.1 (1) – 8 June 1997 at North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing...
Record Losing Score: TFL Statewide League, TSFL and SWL
- 21.14 (140) – – New NorfolkNew Norfolk EaglesThe New Norfolk District Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently playing in the Southern Football League, in Tasmania, Australia.-Origins:Entry to Southern District Football Assoc* 1934Entry to TANFL/TFL* 1947...
v North HobartNorth Hobart DemonsThe North Hobart Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently playing in the Tasmanian State League.Players to reach Australian Football League level include Paul Williams, Peter 'Percy' Jones, Daryn Cresswell, Chris Bond, James Manson, Jim Wright, Tony Pickett and several other big...
24.19 (163) – 13 May 1989 at North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing... - 21.13 (139) – – North LauncestonNorth Launceston Football ClubThe North Launceston Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Launceston, Tasmania. Australia. Since 2009 they have played in the newly formed Tasmanian State League.-History:...
v HobartHobart Football ClubHobart Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Hobart, Tasmania. They play their home fixtures at the TCA Ground on the Queens Domain, in Hobart and from 2009, the club has been a member of the Tasmanian State League.- Club history :...
22.9 (141) – 5 August 1989 at North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing... - 21.11 (137) – – DevonportDevonport Football ClubDevonport Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Devonport, Tasmania. The club previously competed in the Northern Tasmanian Football League but from 2009 it joined the newly reformed Tasmanian State League....
v New NorfolkNew Norfolk EaglesThe New Norfolk District Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently playing in the Southern Football League, in Tasmania, Australia.-Origins:Entry to Southern District Football Assoc* 1934Entry to TANFL/TFL* 1947...
20.17 (137) – 12 August 1989 at Devonport OvalDevonport OvalDevonport Oval is an Australian rules football, cricket and athletics stadium in Devonport, Tasmania.It is the home stadium for the Devonport Football Club in the Tasmanian State League and for the Devonport Cricket Club in the NWTCA competition.... - 20.17 (137) – – Sandy BaySandy Bay Football ClubThe Sandy Bay Football Club was an Australian rules football club based in Sandy Bay, Tasmania, Australia that participated in the Tasmanian Football League from 1945 to 1997.-Club History:...
v GlenorchyGlenorchy Football ClubThe Glenorchy District Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently playing in the Tasmanian State League and the Southern Football League in Tasmania, Australia.-Origins:...
22.18 (150) – 3 May 1986 at Queenborough OvalQueenborough OvalQueenborough Oval is the home headquarters of the Hutchins Old Boys Football Club and the South Hobart/Sandy Bay Cricket Club.The ground is a former Tasmanian Football League venue, being the former home of the Sandy Bay Football Club from 1945 to 1997.It is located on the corner of Nelson Road... - 20.17 (137) – – New NorfolkNew Norfolk EaglesThe New Norfolk District Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently playing in the Southern Football League, in Tasmania, Australia.-Origins:Entry to Southern District Football Assoc* 1934Entry to TANFL/TFL* 1947...
v DevonportDevonport Football ClubDevonport Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Devonport, Tasmania. The club previously competed in the Northern Tasmanian Football League but from 2009 it joined the newly reformed Tasmanian State League....
21.11 (137) – 12 August 1989 at Devonport OvalDevonport OvalDevonport Oval is an Australian rules football, cricket and athletics stadium in Devonport, Tasmania.It is the home stadium for the Devonport Football Club in the Tasmanian State League and for the Devonport Cricket Club in the NWTCA competition.... - 21.10 (136) – – Burnie HawksBurnie Hawks Football ClubThe Burnie Hawks Football Club was an Australian rules football club based in Burnie, Tasmania, Australia from 1987 to 1994.The club was founded in 1987 after former NWFU club Cooee Bulldogs closed down its operation in order to wipe out its large debts and rebrand itself with a more...
v North HobartNorth Hobart DemonsThe North Hobart Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently playing in the Tasmanian State League.Players to reach Australian Football League level include Paul Williams, Peter 'Percy' Jones, Daryn Cresswell, Chris Bond, James Manson, Jim Wright, Tony Pickett and several other big...
28.13 (181) – 8 July 1989 at North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing...
Record Quarter Score: TFL Statewide League, TSFL and SWL
- 17.5 (107) – – North LauncestonNorth Launceston Football ClubThe North Launceston Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Launceston, Tasmania. Australia. Since 2009 they have played in the newly formed Tasmanian State League.-History:...
v South LauncestonSouth Launceston Football ClubThe South Launceston Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently competing in the Tasmanian Football League. They were formed through a merger between City-South and East Launceston in 1986, former Northern Tasmanian Football Association clubs...
0.1 (1) - (4th Quarter) – 30 July 1995 at York Park - 14.7 (91) – – Sandy BaySandy Bay Football ClubThe Sandy Bay Football Club was an Australian rules football club based in Sandy Bay, Tasmania, Australia that participated in the Tasmanian Football League from 1945 to 1997.-Club History:...
v North LauncestonNorth Launceston Football ClubThe North Launceston Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Launceston, Tasmania. Australia. Since 2009 they have played in the newly formed Tasmanian State League.-History:...
3.0 (18) - (3rd Quarter) – 6 April 1986 at York Park - 15.0 (90) – – North LauncestonNorth Launceston Football ClubThe North Launceston Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Launceston, Tasmania. Australia. Since 2009 they have played in the newly formed Tasmanian State League.-History:...
v South LauncestonSouth Launceston Football ClubThe South Launceston Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently competing in the Tasmanian Football League. They were formed through a merger between City-South and East Launceston in 1986, former Northern Tasmanian Football Association clubs...
3.1 (19) - (2nd Quarter) – 30 July 1995 at York Park - 14.4 (88) – – DevonportDevonport Football ClubDevonport Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Devonport, Tasmania. The club previously competed in the Northern Tasmanian Football League but from 2009 it joined the newly reformed Tasmanian State League....
v New NorfolkNew Norfolk EaglesThe New Norfolk District Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently playing in the Southern Football League, in Tasmania, Australia.-Origins:Entry to Southern District Football Assoc* 1934Entry to TANFL/TFL* 1947...
0.2 (2) - (2nd Quarter) – 16 April 1988 at Devonport OvalDevonport OvalDevonport Oval is an Australian rules football, cricket and athletics stadium in Devonport, Tasmania.It is the home stadium for the Devonport Football Club in the Tasmanian State League and for the Devonport Cricket Club in the NWTCA competition.... - 13.3 (81) – – HobartHobart Football ClubHobart Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Hobart, Tasmania. They play their home fixtures at the TCA Ground on the Queens Domain, in Hobart and from 2009, the club has been a member of the Tasmanian State League.- Club history :...
v North LauncestonNorth Launceston Football ClubThe North Launceston Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Launceston, Tasmania. Australia. Since 2009 they have played in the newly formed Tasmanian State League.-History:...
3.1 (19) - (4th Quarter) – 19 July 1986 at York Park
Record Lowest Score: TFL Statewide League, TSFL and SWL
- 0.1 (1) – – HobartHobart Football ClubHobart Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Hobart, Tasmania. They play their home fixtures at the TCA Ground on the Queens Domain, in Hobart and from 2009, the club has been a member of the Tasmanian State League.- Club history :...
v Burnie DockersBurnie Dockers Football ClubBurnie Football Club is an Australian rules football club located in Burnie, Tasmania, Australia.-Club history:The Burnie Dockers were formed as a result of a merger between former TFL Statewide League club Burnie Hawks and NTFL club the Burnie Tigers...
35.28 (238) – 8 June 1997 at North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing...
. - 0.5 (5) – – HobartHobart Football ClubHobart Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Hobart, Tasmania. They play their home fixtures at the TCA Ground on the Queens Domain, in Hobart and from 2009, the club has been a member of the Tasmanian State League.- Club history :...
v Burnie DockersBurnie Dockers Football ClubBurnie Football Club is an Australian rules football club located in Burnie, Tasmania, Australia.-Club history:The Burnie Dockers were formed as a result of a merger between former TFL Statewide League club Burnie Hawks and NTFL club the Burnie Tigers...
14.18 (102) – 8 August 1996 at West Park OvalWest Park (Burnie)West Park Oval is an Australian Rules football, cycling and athletics venue located on the shores of Bass Strait in Burnie, Tasmania.It is the current home of the Burnie Dockers in the Tasmanian State League and previously in the NTFL and in the original TFL Statewide League.-History:West Park...
. - 1.3 (9) – – North HobartNorth Hobart DemonsThe North Hobart Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently playing in the Tasmanian State League.Players to reach Australian Football League level include Paul Williams, Peter 'Percy' Jones, Daryn Cresswell, Chris Bond, James Manson, Jim Wright, Tony Pickett and several other big...
v New NorfolkNew Norfolk EaglesThe New Norfolk District Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently playing in the Southern Football League, in Tasmania, Australia.-Origins:Entry to Southern District Football Assoc* 1934Entry to TANFL/TFL* 1947...
14.17 (101) – 22 August 1996 at Boyer OvalBoyer OvalBoyer Oval is the home headquarters of the New Norfolk District Football Club and the New Norfolk Cricket Club.The ground is a former Tasmanian Football League venue, being the host venue for New Norfolk in TFL football from 1947 to 1999 and from 2000 it became a venue for SFL football when New... - 1.4 (10) – – DevonportDevonport Football ClubDevonport Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Devonport, Tasmania. The club previously competed in the Northern Tasmanian Football League but from 2009 it joined the newly reformed Tasmanian State League....
v Burnie 14.20 (104) – 1 April 2000 at West Park OvalWest Park (Burnie)West Park Oval is an Australian Rules football, cycling and athletics venue located on the shores of Bass Strait in Burnie, Tasmania.It is the current home of the Burnie Dockers in the Tasmanian State League and previously in the NTFL and in the original TFL Statewide League.-History:West Park... - 2.2 (14) – – HobartHobart Football ClubHobart Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Hobart, Tasmania. They play their home fixtures at the TCA Ground on the Queens Domain, in Hobart and from 2009, the club has been a member of the Tasmanian State League.- Club history :...
v GlenorchyGlenorchy Football ClubThe Glenorchy District Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently playing in the Tasmanian State League and the Southern Football League in Tasmania, Australia.-Origins:...
20.13 (133) – 8 August 1987 at KGV Football ParkKGV OvalThe KGV Oval is the home headquarters of the Glenorchy football and cricket clubs, as well as the Southern Football LeagueThe ground is a former TFL and now Tasmanian State League and also a Southern Football League finals venue....
Record Winning Margin: TFL Statewide League, TSFL and SWL
- 237 points – – Burnie DockersBurnie Dockers Football ClubBurnie Football Club is an Australian rules football club located in Burnie, Tasmania, Australia.-Club history:The Burnie Dockers were formed as a result of a merger between former TFL Statewide League club Burnie Hawks and NTFL club the Burnie Tigers...
35.28 (238) v HobartHobart Football ClubHobart Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Hobart, Tasmania. They play their home fixtures at the TCA Ground on the Queens Domain, in Hobart and from 2009, the club has been a member of the Tasmanian State League.- Club history :...
0.1 (1) – 8 June 1997 at North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing... - 229 points – – North HobartNorth Hobart DemonsThe North Hobart Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently playing in the Tasmanian State League.Players to reach Australian Football League level include Paul Williams, Peter 'Percy' Jones, Daryn Cresswell, Chris Bond, James Manson, Jim Wright, Tony Pickett and several other big...
37.24 (246) v South LauncestonSouth Launceston Football ClubThe South Launceston Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently competing in the Tasmanian Football League. They were formed through a merger between City-South and East Launceston in 1986, former Northern Tasmanian Football Association clubs...
2.5 (17) – 18 May 1991 at North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing... - 228 points – – North LauncestonNorth Launceston Football ClubThe North Launceston Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Launceston, Tasmania. Australia. Since 2009 they have played in the newly formed Tasmanian State League.-History:...
47.14 (296) v South LauncestonSouth Launceston Football ClubThe South Launceston Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently competing in the Tasmanian Football League. They were formed through a merger between City-South and East Launceston in 1986, former Northern Tasmanian Football Association clubs...
10.8 (68) – 30 July 1995 at York Park - 216 points – – ClarenceClarence Football ClubThe Clarence Football Club, nicknamed the Kangaroos , is an Australian rules football club playing in the Tasmanian State League, based in Bellerive, Tasmania.Before 1903, they existed as Bellerive Football Club....
38.16 (244) v DevonportDevonport Football ClubDevonport Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Devonport, Tasmania. The club previously competed in the Northern Tasmanian Football League but from 2009 it joined the newly reformed Tasmanian State League....
4.4 (28) – 14 August 1999 at Bellerive OvalBellerive OvalBellerive Oval, also known as its sponsored name Blundstone Arena, is primarily a cricket and Australian Rules Football ground located in Bellerive, City of Clarence, on the eastern shore of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia... - 193 points – – ClarenceClarence Football ClubThe Clarence Football Club, nicknamed the Kangaroos , is an Australian rules football club playing in the Tasmanian State League, based in Bellerive, Tasmania.Before 1903, they existed as Bellerive Football Club....
35.17 (227) v HobartHobart Football ClubHobart Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Hobart, Tasmania. They play their home fixtures at the TCA Ground on the Queens Domain, in Hobart and from 2009, the club has been a member of the Tasmanian State League.- Club history :...
5.4 (34) – 1 September 1996 at North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing...
Record Individual Goalkicker (History): TFL Statewide League, TSFL and SWL
- 582 – – Byron Howard Jnr (North Hobart) from 1987–1997.
- 526 – – Paul Dac (New Norfolk & Clarence) from 1986–1995.
- 515 – – Wayne FoxWayne FoxWayne 'Baldy' Fox is a former Australian rules footballer who played for various clubs in the Tasmanian Australian National Football League and later, the TFL Statewide League...
– (Hobart, South Launceston & Sandy Bay) from 1986–1991.
Record Individual Goalkicker (Season): TFL Statewide League, TSFL and SWL
- 133 – – Paul Dac (New Norfolk) – 1991
- 114 – – Shane FellShane FellShane Fell is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Sydney in the Australian Football League .A forward, Fell played his early football at Glenorchy and was the TFL Statewide League's leading goal-kicker in 1989 with 114 goals before opting to ply his trade on the mainland.Fell was...
(Glenorchy) – 1989 - 111 – – Chris Reynolds (Devonport) – 1988
- 110 – – Wayne Fox (Hobart) – 1988
- 106 – – Byron Howard Jnr (North Hobart) – 1991
Record Individual Goalkicker (Match): TFL Statewide League, TSFL and SWL
- 17.9 – – Simon Byrne (Glenorchy) v Sth Launceston – 5 August 1995 at Youngtown Memorial GroundYoungtown OvalYoungtown Memorial Ground is a football ground at Youngtown in the southern suburbs of Launceston, Australia and is home of the South Launceston Football Club in the Tasmania State League.-History:...
- 16.3 – – Ken Rainsford (Launceston) v Hobart – 3 May 1997 at North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing...
- 15.6 – – Mark WilliamsMark Williams (Australian footballer, born 1957)Mark E. Williams is a former Australian rules footballer who played with North Melbourne and Footscray in the Victorian Football League ....
(Devonport) v South Launceston – 18 August 1990 at Devonport OvalDevonport OvalDevonport Oval is an Australian rules football, cricket and athletics stadium in Devonport, Tasmania.It is the home stadium for the Devonport Football Club in the Tasmanian State League and for the Devonport Cricket Club in the NWTCA competition.... - 14.5 – – Paul Dac (New Norfolk) v North Launceston – 15 August 1987 at Boyer OvalBoyer OvalBoyer Oval is the home headquarters of the New Norfolk District Football Club and the New Norfolk Cricket Club.The ground is a former Tasmanian Football League venue, being the host venue for New Norfolk in TFL football from 1947 to 1999 and from 2000 it became a venue for SFL football when New...
Record Individual Goalkicker (Quarter): TFL Statewide League, TSFL and SWL
- 7 – – Guy Grey (Burnie Hawks) v South Launceston (4th Quarter) – 11 May 1991 at York Park
- 6 – – Wayne Fox (Hobart) v New Norfolk (3rd Quarter) – 2 April 1988 at North Hobart OvalNorth Hobart OvalNorth Hobart Oval is a sports venue in North Hobart, Tasmania, used for Australian rules football.-History:North Hobart Oval started its existence as Hobart Town's brickfields in 1844 before becoming a convict women's housing site, an immigration depot and an invalid persons' depot before closing...
- 6 – – Paul Dac (New Norfolk) v North Hobart (4th Quarter) – 18 April 1992 at Boyer OvalBoyer OvalBoyer Oval is the home headquarters of the New Norfolk District Football Club and the New Norfolk Cricket Club.The ground is a former Tasmanian Football League venue, being the host venue for New Norfolk in TFL football from 1947 to 1999 and from 2000 it became a venue for SFL football when New...
Most Suspended Player: TFL Statewide League, TSFL and SWL
- 37 matches – – Steven Rattray (North Hobart, Hobart & Sandy Bay) from 1988–1996.
- 33 matches – – Dale Whish-Wilson (Burnie Hawks & Burnie Dockers) from 1987–1997.
TFL Statewide, TSFL and SWL Club Match Record: 1986-2000
| Team | Roster | Won | Lost | Draw | Finals | Won | Lost | Draw | Total | Won | Lost | Draw | Seasons | Titles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clarence Clarence Football Club The Clarence Football Club, nicknamed the Kangaroos , is an Australian rules football club playing in the Tasmanian State League, based in Bellerive, Tasmania.Before 1903, they existed as Bellerive Football Club.... |
(277) | 205 | 69 | 3 | (36) | 21 | 15 | 0 | (313) | 226 | 84 | 3 | (15) | 5 |
| Nth Launceston/Nth Bombers North Launceston Football Club The North Launceston Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Launceston, Tasmania. Australia. Since 2009 they have played in the newly formed Tasmanian State League.-History:... |
(277) | 185 | 90 | 2 | (26) | 12 | 14 | 0 | (303) | 197 | 104 | 2 | (15) | 2 |
| Glenorchy Glenorchy Football Club The Glenorchy District Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently playing in the Tasmanian State League and the Southern Football League in Tasmania, Australia.-Origins:... |
(277) | 141 | 135 | 1 | (22) | 14 | 8 | 0 | (299) | 155 | 143 | 1 | (15) | 2 |
| North Hobart/Hobart Demons North Hobart Demons The North Hobart Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently playing in the Tasmanian State League.Players to reach Australian Football League level include Paul Williams, Peter 'Percy' Jones, Daryn Cresswell, Chris Bond, James Manson, Jim Wright, Tony Pickett and several other big... |
(277) | 143 | 134 | 0 | (21) | 14 | 7 | 0 | (298) | 157 | 141 | 0 | (15) | 4 |
| Devonport Devonport Football Club Devonport Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Devonport, Tasmania. The club previously competed in the Northern Tasmanian Football League but from 2009 it joined the newly reformed Tasmanian State League.... |
(259) | 120 | 135 | 4 | (13) | 5 | 8 | 0 | (272) | 125 | 143 | 4 | (14) | 1 |
| New Norfolk/Derwent Eagles New Norfolk Eagles The New Norfolk District Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently playing in the Southern Football League, in Tasmania, Australia.-Origins:Entry to Southern District Football Assoc* 1934Entry to TANFL/TFL* 1947... |
(260) | 111 | 145 | 4 | (10) | 3 | 7 | 0 | (270) | 114 | 152 | 4 | (14) | 0 |
| Hobart Hobart Football Club Hobart Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Hobart, Tasmania. They play their home fixtures at the TCA Ground on the Queens Domain, in Hobart and from 2009, the club has been a member of the Tasmanian State League.- Club history :... |
(224) | 96 | 126 | 2 | (16) | 8 | 8 | 0 | (240) | 104 | 134 | 2 | (12) | 1 |
| Sandy Bay Sandy Bay Football Club The Sandy Bay Football Club was an Australian rules football club based in Sandy Bay, Tasmania, Australia that participated in the Tasmanian Football League from 1945 to 1997.-Club History:... |
(224) | 95 | 127 | 2 | (9) | 3 | 6 | 0 | (233) | 98 | 133 | 2 | (12) | 0 |
| South Launceston South Launceston Football Club The South Launceston Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently competing in the Tasmanian Football League. They were formed through a merger between City-South and East Launceston in 1986, former Northern Tasmanian Football Association clubs... |
(217) | 51 | 164 | 2 | (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | (217) | 51 | 164 | 2 | (12) | 0 |
| Burnie Hawks Burnie Hawks Football Club The Burnie Hawks Football Club was an Australian rules football club based in Burnie, Tasmania, Australia from 1987 to 1994.The club was founded in 1987 after former NWFU club Cooee Bulldogs closed down its operation in order to wipe out its large debts and rebrand itself with a more... |
(150) | 74 | 74 | 2 | (8) | 3 | 5 | 0 | (158) | 77 | 79 | 2 | (8) | 0 |
| Burnie Dockers | (109) | 76 | 33 | 0 | (13) | 5 | 8 | 0 | (122) | 81 | 41 | 0 | (6) | 0 |
| Launceston Launceston Football Club The Launceston Football Club is an Australian rules football club, located in the West Tamar suburb of Riverside, seven kilometres north of the Launceston CBD and currently play in the Tasmanian State League in Tasmania, Australia.-History:... |
(74) | 15 | 59 | 0 | (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | (74) | 15 | 59 | 0 | (4) | 0 |
| Southern Cats Southern Cats The Southern Districts Football Club was an Australian rules football club based in North Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.-Club History:... |
(26) | 8 | 18 | 0 | (1) | 0 | 1 | 0 | (27) | 8 | 19 | 0 | (1¼) | 0 |
| East Launceston East Launceston Football Club The East Launceston Football Club was an Australian rules football club based in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia.The club was founded in 1948 as Cornwall Football Club and participated with limited success during its 38-year tenure in the Northern Tasman Football Association competition... |
(7) | 2 | 5 | 0 | (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | (7) | 2 | 5 | 0 | (¼) | 0 |
Tasmanian State League
After a hiatus of eight years, AFL Tasmania announced plans for a return of the statewide league in 2009.The concept attracted widespread public and media debate on the return of a statewide competition, with many in the football world hesitant over such a move due to the perilous financial position most of the participating clubs were left in after the previous competition was disbanded in 2000.
Many believed the push for a return of the league was a direct result of the media and the Tasmanian State Government's strong campaign in getting a Tasmanian team admitted into the AFL
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
.
Under the AFL Tasmania plan, ten (10) clubs were invited to join the competition.
Clarence
Clarence Football Club
The Clarence Football Club, nicknamed the Kangaroos , is an Australian rules football club playing in the Tasmanian State League, based in Bellerive, Tasmania.Before 1903, they existed as Bellerive Football Club....
, Glenorchy
Glenorchy Football Club
The Glenorchy District Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently playing in the Tasmanian State League and the Southern Football League in Tasmania, Australia.-Origins:...
, Hobart
Hobart Football Club
Hobart Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Hobart, Tasmania. They play their home fixtures at the TCA Ground on the Queens Domain, in Hobart and from 2009, the club has been a member of the Tasmanian State League.- Club history :...
and North Hobart
North Hobart Demons
The North Hobart Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently playing in the Tasmanian State League.Players to reach Australian Football League level include Paul Williams, Peter 'Percy' Jones, Daryn Cresswell, Chris Bond, James Manson, Jim Wright, Tony Pickett and several other big...
along with former Southern Amateur club Lauderdale
Lauderdale Football Club
Lauderdale Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in the Hobart, beachside suburb of Lauderdale.-History:The Lauderdale Football Club was formed in 1948 and were known as the Lauderdale Cats until 2004 when Australian Football League team Essendon Bombers aligned with Lauderdale,...
in the South.
North Launceston
North Launceston Football Club
The North Launceston Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Launceston, Tasmania. Australia. Since 2009 they have played in the newly formed Tasmanian State League.-History:...
, South Launceston and Launceston
Launceston Football Club
The Launceston Football Club is an Australian rules football club, located in the West Tamar suburb of Riverside, seven kilometres north of the Launceston CBD and currently play in the Tasmanian State League in Tasmania, Australia.-History:...
from the North and Devonport and Burnie Dockers
Burnie Dockers Football Club
Burnie Football Club is an Australian rules football club located in Burnie, Tasmania, Australia.-Club history:The Burnie Dockers were formed as a result of a merger between former TFL Statewide League club Burnie Hawks and NTFL club the Burnie Tigers...
from the North West Coast.
The response from many clubs was initially luke-warm at best with many concerned at the lack of detail in the AFL Tasmania
AFL Tasmania
AFL Tasmania is the governing body for Australian rules football in Tasmania.The organisation is responsible for game development in the state. The organisation recently became affiliated with the Australian Football League and was formerly known as Football Tasmania.The body is responsible for...
plan and the rushed decision-making process of the move.
Ulverstone Football Club
Ulverstone Robins Football Club
The Ulverstone Football Club, nicknamed the Robins, is an Australian rules football club based in Ulverstone, Tasmania, Australia. The club fields three teams in the Northern Tasmanian Football League and also fields two junior teams in the AFL Tasmania North West Competition.-History:*Home ground...
from the North West Coast bowed to pressure from its playing list and some factional groups within the club to put in a submission to join the TFL in 2009.
Despite a membership vote narrowly ending in favour of joining, the Robins had missed the AFL Tasmania enforced deadline and were initially to be included in the 2010 TSL Roster, however the remaining clubs (most notably its closest and most bitter rival Devonport) exerted considerable pressure upon the League not to alter the current makeup of teams for a period of ten years, therefore Ulverstone
Ulverstone Robins Football Club
The Ulverstone Football Club, nicknamed the Robins, is an Australian rules football club based in Ulverstone, Tasmania, Australia. The club fields three teams in the Northern Tasmanian Football League and also fields two junior teams in the AFL Tasmania North West Competition.-History:*Home ground...
were excluded from joining.
SFL Premier League
Southern Football League (Tasmania)
The Southern Football League is an Australian rules football league which is based in Tasmania, Australia.- History :The Southern Tasmanian Football League was founded in 1996 with the league's original clubs being those of the recently defunct Tasmanian Amateur Football League – Southern Division...
club Kingborough also lobbied AFL Tasmania to be included in the competition, but their case for inclusion was dismissed by the game's governing body due to their inadequate facilities and poor standard Kingston Beach Oval headquarters.
Former TFL club New Norfolk
New Norfolk Eagles
The New Norfolk District Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently playing in the Southern Football League, in Tasmania, Australia.-Origins:Entry to Southern District Football Assoc* 1934Entry to TANFL/TFL* 1947...
(1947–1999) was not invited to join the league because of their poor financial position.
Also, as a result of the new competition getting off the ground, the Tasmanian Devils were disbanded.
On Monday, 8 December 2008, the Wrest Point Tasmanian State League was launched at Wrest Point Casino in Hobart.
On 4 April 2009, the opening match of the reformed competition took place at KGV Football Park
KGV Oval
The KGV Oval is the home headquarters of the Glenorchy football and cricket clubs, as well as the Southern Football LeagueThe ground is a former TFL and now Tasmanian State League and also a Southern Football League finals venue....
between the reigning premiers of the SFL Premier League
Southern Football League (Tasmania)
The Southern Football League is an Australian rules football league which is based in Tasmania, Australia.- History :The Southern Tasmanian Football League was founded in 1996 with the league's original clubs being those of the recently defunct Tasmanian Amateur Football League – Southern Division...
, Glenorchy
Glenorchy Football Club
The Glenorchy District Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently playing in the Tasmanian State League and the Southern Football League in Tasmania, Australia.-Origins:...
and reigning NTFL
Northern Tasmanian Football League
The Northern Tasmanian Football League is an Australian rules football competition in northern Tasmania.-History:The Northern Tasmanian Football League was founded in 1987 to replace the former Northern Tasmanian Football Association - no relation to the current NTFA - and the North Western...
premier Launceston
Launceston Football Club
The Launceston Football Club is an Australian rules football club, located in the West Tamar suburb of Riverside, seven kilometres north of the Launceston CBD and currently play in the Tasmanian State League in Tasmania, Australia.-History:...
and resulted in a 21-point triumph to the Blues.
The inaugural Grand Final was held at Bellerive Oval
Bellerive Oval
Bellerive Oval, also known as its sponsored name Blundstone Arena, is primarily a cricket and Australian Rules Football ground located in Bellerive, City of Clarence, on the eastern shore of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia...
on 19 September between old rivals Glenorchy
Glenorchy Football Club
The Glenorchy District Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently playing in the Tasmanian State League and the Southern Football League in Tasmania, Australia.-Origins:...
and Clarence
Clarence Football Club
The Clarence Football Club, nicknamed the Kangaroos , is an Australian rules football club playing in the Tasmanian State League, based in Bellerive, Tasmania.Before 1903, they existed as Bellerive Football Club....
resulting in a thrilling 6-point victory to the Roos in front of 7,534 fans.
The 2010 season started brightly with over 12,000 attending the first round of matches but soon after there was a great deal of off-field controversy with former Tasmanian Premier Paul Lennon originally accepting an unpaid role acting as a mediator between the clubs and AFL Tasmania as the relationship between the clubs and the governing body had become further strained. However after only two weeks of the season, three clubs (Clarence, North Launceston and North Hobart) had decided to do their own bidding and Lennon walked away from the position.
There were further controversies, namely AFL Tasmania's decision to withdraw support for the Reserve grade competition after the Burnie Dockers announced only days before the start of the season that they would not be fielding a reserve grade side. Two other clubs (Hobart and Launceston) also struggled to field a reserves team throughout the season, and as a result the competition was run by the clubs themselves for the remainder of the season. It would be axed at season's end.
A finals set-up that included an extra week was roundly criticised by football pundits across the State and it failed to garner great enthusiasm amongst the footballing public as small crowds attended, with AFL Tasmania
AFL Tasmania
AFL Tasmania is the governing body for Australian rules football in Tasmania.The organisation is responsible for game development in the state. The organisation recently became affiliated with the Australian Football League and was formerly known as Football Tasmania.The body is responsible for...
later admitting that they would be returning to a tradition Final Five setup in 2011.
It made no difference as Clarence totally dominated the season, losing just one match during the roster rounds (away to Launceston with five top players out of the team) and after a totally dominant finals series in which they would thrash Launceston twice to head into a Grand Final, Devonport would cause a shock and sneak into the decider by virtue of running all over a disappointing Launceston at Aurora Stadium
Aurora Stadium
York Park is a sports ground in the Inveresk and York Park Precinct, Launceston, Australia. Holding 20,000 people—more than any other stadium in Tasmania—York Park has been known as Aurora Stadium under a six-year naming rights agreement signed with Aurora Energy in 2004...
in the Preliminary Final.
The Grand Final on 18 September pitted Clarence as raging favourites over Devonport, who had a dreadful record at Bellerive Oval
Bellerive Oval
Bellerive Oval, also known as its sponsored name Blundstone Arena, is primarily a cricket and Australian Rules Football ground located in Bellerive, City of Clarence, on the eastern shore of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia...
(1-17-1) and last won there in 1988.
Devonport playing in its first Grand Final at State level since 1988 proved no match for a rampaging Roo outfit who eventually pulled away to a 57-point triumph and recorded its 25th consecutive win at the ground in the process.
The 2011 season began amid much hype and fanfare with the arrival of former Brisbane Lions and Western Bulldogs Brownlow Medalist, Jason Akermanis to Glenorchy.
The opening match of the season between the Magpies and their hated rivals Clarence drew an all time Statewide football record roster match attendance of 8,480 to KGV Football Park
KGV Oval
The KGV Oval is the home headquarters of the Glenorchy football and cricket clubs, as well as the Southern Football LeagueThe ground is a former TFL and now Tasmanian State League and also a Southern Football League finals venue....
(it was also the fourth highest roster match attendance ever recorded in Tasmanian football history and was the highest non-finals domestic club match attendance in the state since 1968), Glenorchy went on to defeat the Roos convincingly and would become the early season premiership favourites along with Launceston as, in the early part of the season, it appeared that reigning premier Clarence had slipped well below their 2010 form.
As the season progressed, Launceston swept all before them during the roster rounds to go through the season undefeated as Clarence regained form and later Burnie challenged the Blues for the title.
Glenorchy's season went into freefall in mid-season and after two horror losses in a row, coach Byron Howard Jnr was sacked and replaced by former coach Kim Excell for the remainder of the season where they were to defeat an inconsistent North Hobart in the Elimination Final and bow out to Clarence in the First Semi Final after a heavy defeat.
Burnie were to strike a rich vein of form in the finals series disposing of highly fancied Clarence at Bellerive
Bellerive Oval
Bellerive Oval, also known as its sponsored name Blundstone Arena, is primarily a cricket and Australian Rules Football ground located in Bellerive, City of Clarence, on the eastern shore of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia...
in the Qualifying Final and inflicting Launceston's only defeat of the season in the Second Semi Final at Aurora Stadium to advance to the Grand Final.
Launceston, on the back of full-forward Brian Finch's 100 goals during the season were desperate to shake off the 'chokers' tag and after a fast start, were able to dispose of reigning premier Clarence by 35 points under lights at Aurora Stadium in the Preliminary Final.
On 24 September, the Grand Final at Launceston's Aurora Stadium
Aurora Stadium
York Park is a sports ground in the Inveresk and York Park Precinct, Launceston, Australia. Holding 20,000 people—more than any other stadium in Tasmania—York Park has been known as Aurora Stadium under a six-year naming rights agreement signed with Aurora Energy in 2004...
pitted two clubs from the Northern half of the state for the first time in the history of Statewide football.
Football pundits across the state were divided in their views on who would take the title, but the Blues gradually wore down the Dockers and pulled away late in the third quarter and continued on with the job in the final quarter to take their first premiership title in Statewide football and their first premiership at State level since their 1938 State Premiership
Tasmanian State Premiership
The Tasmanian State Premiership was an Australian rules football tournament which was competed originally between the reigning TFL/TANFL and NTFA premiers, with the NWFU joining in from 1954....
title.
Participating Clubs
- – Burnie Dockers Football ClubBurnie Dockers Football ClubBurnie Football Club is an Australian rules football club located in Burnie, Tasmania, Australia.-Club history:The Burnie Dockers were formed as a result of a merger between former TFL Statewide League club Burnie Hawks and NTFL club the Burnie Tigers...
-
– Clarence District Football ClubClarence Football ClubThe Clarence Football Club, nicknamed the Kangaroos , is an Australian rules football club playing in the Tasmanian State League, based in Bellerive, Tasmania.Before 1903, they existed as Bellerive Football Club.... -
– Devonport Football ClubDevonport Football ClubDevonport Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Devonport, Tasmania. The club previously competed in the Northern Tasmanian Football League but from 2009 it joined the newly reformed Tasmanian State League.... - – Glenorchy District Football ClubGlenorchy Football ClubThe Glenorchy District Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently playing in the Tasmanian State League and the Southern Football League in Tasmania, Australia.-Origins:...
- – Hobart Football ClubHobart Football ClubHobart Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Hobart, Tasmania. They play their home fixtures at the TCA Ground on the Queens Domain, in Hobart and from 2009, the club has been a member of the Tasmanian State League.- Club history :...
- – Lauderdale Football ClubLauderdale Football ClubLauderdale Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in the Hobart, beachside suburb of Lauderdale.-History:The Lauderdale Football Club was formed in 1948 and were known as the Lauderdale Cats until 2004 when Australian Football League team Essendon Bombers aligned with Lauderdale,...
- – Launceston Football ClubLaunceston Football ClubThe Launceston Football Club is an Australian rules football club, located in the West Tamar suburb of Riverside, seven kilometres north of the Launceston CBD and currently play in the Tasmanian State League in Tasmania, Australia.-History:...
- – North Hobart Football ClubNorth Hobart DemonsThe North Hobart Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently playing in the Tasmanian State League.Players to reach Australian Football League level include Paul Williams, Peter 'Percy' Jones, Daryn Cresswell, Chris Bond, James Manson, Jim Wright, Tony Pickett and several other big...
- – North Launceston Football ClubNorth Launceston Football ClubThe North Launceston Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Launceston, Tasmania. Australia. Since 2009 they have played in the newly formed Tasmanian State League.-History:...
- – South Launceston Football ClubSouth Launceston Football ClubThe South Launceston Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently competing in the Tasmanian Football League. They were formed through a merger between City-South and East Launceston in 1986, former Northern Tasmanian Football Association clubs...
TSL Club Win/Loss Record: 2009-present
| Team | Roster | Won | Lost | Draw | Finals | Won | Lost | Draw | Total | Won | Lost | Draw |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clarence Clarence Football Club The Clarence Football Club, nicknamed the Kangaroos , is an Australian rules football club playing in the Tasmanian State League, based in Bellerive, Tasmania.Before 1903, they existed as Bellerive Football Club.... |
(54) | 44 | 10 | 0 | (10) | 8 | 2 | 0 | (64) | 52 | 12 | 0 |
| Launceston Launceston Football Club The Launceston Football Club is an Australian rules football club, located in the West Tamar suburb of Riverside, seven kilometres north of the Launceston CBD and currently play in the Tasmanian State League in Tasmania, Australia.-History:... |
(54) | 41 | 13 | 0 | (8) | 3 | 5 | 0 | (62) | 44 | 18 | 0 |
| Glenorchy Glenorchy Football Club The Glenorchy District Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently playing in the Tasmanian State League and the Southern Football League in Tasmania, Australia.-Origins:... |
(54) | 34 | 20 | 0 | (6) | 2 | 4 | 0 | (60) | 36 | 24 | 0 |
| Burnie | (54) | 33 | 21 | 0 | (5) | 2 | 3 | 0 | (59) | 35 | 24 | 0 |
| North Hobart North Hobart Demons The North Hobart Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently playing in the Tasmanian State League.Players to reach Australian Football League level include Paul Williams, Peter 'Percy' Jones, Daryn Cresswell, Chris Bond, James Manson, Jim Wright, Tony Pickett and several other big... |
(54) | 29 | 25 | 0 | (5) | 2 | 3 | 0 | (59) | 31 | 28 | 0 |
| Devonport Devonport Football Club Devonport Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Devonport, Tasmania. The club previously competed in the Northern Tasmanian Football League but from 2009 it joined the newly reformed Tasmanian State League.... |
(54) | 22 | 32 | 0 | (7) | 4 | 3 | 0 | (61) | 26 | 35 | 0 |
| North Launceston North Launceston Football Club The North Launceston Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Launceston, Tasmania. Australia. Since 2009 they have played in the newly formed Tasmanian State League.-History:... |
(54) | 26 | 28 | 0 | (1) | 0 | 1 | 0 | (55) | 26 | 29 | 0 |
| Lauderdale Lauderdale Football Club Lauderdale Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in the Hobart, beachside suburb of Lauderdale.-History:The Lauderdale Football Club was formed in 1948 and were known as the Lauderdale Cats until 2004 when Australian Football League team Essendon Bombers aligned with Lauderdale,... |
(54) | 19 | 35 | 0 | (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | (54) | 19 | 35 | 0 |
| Hobart Hobart Football Club Hobart Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Hobart, Tasmania. They play their home fixtures at the TCA Ground on the Queens Domain, in Hobart and from 2009, the club has been a member of the Tasmanian State League.- Club history :... |
(54) | 14 | 40 | 0 | (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | (54) | 14 | 40 | 0 |
| South Launceston South Launceston Football Club The South Launceston Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently competing in the Tasmanian Football League. They were formed through a merger between City-South and East Launceston in 1986, former Northern Tasmanian Football Association clubs... |
(54) | 8 | 46 | 0 | (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | (54) | 8 | 46 | 0 |
TSL Grand Finals: 2009–present
- 2009 – – Clarence 15.11 (101) v Glenorchy 14.11 (95) – Att: 7,534 at Bellerive OvalBellerive OvalBellerive Oval, also known as its sponsored name Blundstone Arena, is primarily a cricket and Australian Rules Football ground located in Bellerive, City of Clarence, on the eastern shore of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia...
- 2010 – – Clarence 15.13 (103) v Devonport 6.10 (46) – Att: 6,123 at Bellerive OvalBellerive OvalBellerive Oval, also known as its sponsored name Blundstone Arena, is primarily a cricket and Australian Rules Football ground located in Bellerive, City of Clarence, on the eastern shore of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia...
- 2011 – – Launceston 12.14 (86) v Burnie Dockers 6.6 (42) – Att: 6,658 at Aurora StadiumAurora StadiumYork Park is a sports ground in the Inveresk and York Park Precinct, Launceston, Australia. Holding 20,000 people—more than any other stadium in Tasmania—York Park has been known as Aurora Stadium under a six-year naming rights agreement signed with Aurora Energy in 2004...
TSL Reserves Grand Finals: 2009-2010
- 2009 – – Launceston 12.12 (84) v Glenorchy 4.13 (37) – Bellerive OvalBellerive OvalBellerive Oval, also known as its sponsored name Blundstone Arena, is primarily a cricket and Australian Rules Football ground located in Bellerive, City of Clarence, on the eastern shore of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia...
- 2010 – – Clarence 8.8 (56) v North Hobart 7.11 (53) – Bellerive OvalBellerive OvalBellerive Oval, also known as its sponsored name Blundstone Arena, is primarily a cricket and Australian Rules Football ground located in Bellerive, City of Clarence, on the eastern shore of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia...
(Note): AFL Tasmania disaffiliated the Reserve Grade competition two rounds into the 2010 season, it was axed completely at season's end.
TSL Colts Grand Finals: 2009-present
- 2009 – – Lauderdale 10.11 (71) v Clarence 4.3 (27) – Bellerive OvalBellerive OvalBellerive Oval, also known as its sponsored name Blundstone Arena, is primarily a cricket and Australian Rules Football ground located in Bellerive, City of Clarence, on the eastern shore of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia...
- 2010 – – North Launceston 10.11 (71) v Clarence 7.8 (50) – Bellerive OvalBellerive OvalBellerive Oval, also known as its sponsored name Blundstone Arena, is primarily a cricket and Australian Rules Football ground located in Bellerive, City of Clarence, on the eastern shore of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia...
- 2011 – – Launceston 14.12 (96) v Clarence 10.10 (70) – Aurora StadiumAurora StadiumYork Park is a sports ground in the Inveresk and York Park Precinct, Launceston, Australia. Holding 20,000 people—more than any other stadium in Tasmania—York Park has been known as Aurora Stadium under a six-year naming rights agreement signed with Aurora Energy in 2004...
Tassie Medal Winners
(Best and Fairest player in TSL Senior football).- 2009 – – Kurt Heazlewood (Devonport)
- 2010 – – Brett Geappen (Clarence)
- 2011 – – Tim Bristow (Launceston)
Eade Medal Winners
(Best and Fairest player in TSL Reserves football in 2009 and TSL Colts from 2010).- 2009 – – James Lovell (Burnie Dockers) (Reserves)
- 2010 – – Patrick Riley – (North Hobart) (Colts)
- 2011 – – Tom Arnold – (North Hobart) (Colts)
Darrel BaldockDarrel BaldockDarrel John Baldock , commonly nicknamed "The Doc" and "Mr Magic", was an Australian rules football player and state politician who in 1966 was the first captain of a premiership-winning St Kilda Football Club. Baldock was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame as a "Legend"...
Medal Winners
(Best player in the TSL Grand Final).
- 2009 – – Brett Geappen (Clarence)
- 2010 – – Cameron Thurley (Clarence)
- 2011 – – Nathan O'Donoghue (Launceston)
Peter HudsonPeter HudsonPeter John Hudson AM is a former Australian Rules Football player, considered one of the greatest full-forwards in the game's history....
Medal Winners
(TSL Leading Goalkickers).
- 2009 – – Brad Dutton (Clarence) – 75
- 2010 – – Brian Finch (Launceston) – 94
- 2011 – – Brian Finch (Launceston) – 105