Wikipedia

Tasmanian Football League

The Tasmanian State League (TSL), colloquially known as the Tasmanian Football League (TFL), was the highest-level Australian rules football competition in the state of Tasmania. It disbanded following the end of the 2024 season in preparation for the Tasmania Football Club to enter the Victorian Football League (VFL) in 2026.[1][2]

Tasmanian State League
Most recent season or competition:
2024 TSL season
Formerly
List
    • TFA (1879–1886)
    • STFA (1887–1896)
    • STFL (1897)
    • STFA (1898-1905)
    • TFL (1906–1927)
    • TANFL (1928–1985)
    • TFL Statewide League (1986–1998)
    • TSFL (1999)
    • SWL (2000)
    • TSL (2009–2024)
SportAustralian rules football
Founded12 June 1879; 145 years ago (1879-06-12)
No. of teams7
HeadquartersHobart
Region Tasmania
Most recent
champion(s)		North Launceston
(8th premiership)
Most titlesNorth Hobart
(27 premierships)
TV partner(s)Southern Cross Seven
Official websitetasmanianstateleague.com.au

The league has a long and convoluted history which dates back to its founding on 12 June 1879 as the Tasmanian Football Association (giving it some claim to the title of the third oldest club football league in the world), but the name "TFL" (also the state's football governing body) was removed after it was liquidated with crushing debts in February 1999 and replaced by an independent commission (Football Tasmania) and the competition was renamed the Tasmanian State Football League (1999) and the SWL (2000) until the number of clubs in financial difficulty made the league unsustainable and it collapsed in December 2000. After long negotiations and discussions it was reinstated as a ten club competition in 2009.

History

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Post war years

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In 1944, the Tasmanian Australian National Football League (TANFL) directors met to discuss restructuring of the league which was scheduled to return in 1945 after three seasons in recession due to World War II. The clubs would represent their various districts rather than being individual clubs.

Two new clubs (Hobart & Sandy Bay) would join North Hobart and New Town at the expense of Cananore and Lefroy which went out of existence during the World War II cessation.

In 1947 the TANFL voted to include a further two clubs (Clarence –formed in 1903– and New Norfolk –formed in 1878–) from the Southern District Football Association for a three-year probationary period. On 7 August 1950, the clubs unanimously voted to retain the two clubs as permanent members of the competition.

At the end of the 1956 season, New Town FC relocated itself to the municipality of Glenorchy and absorbed the already existing local club Glenorchy Rovers; on 8 April 1957 the TANFL ratified the club's new name as "Glenorchy District Football Club", its new home ground was the 1950-built KGV Park.[3]

This era would be the strongest one for the league with a succession of star players in its ranks, record crowds and huge public support.[4]

From 1979 to 1985 the TANFL would be known as the "Winfield League" under a naming-rights sponsorship arrangement with a tobacco company.

Statewide Football era: 1986-2000

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Main article: Statewide Football in Tasmania

Disbandment

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Main article: Northern Tasmanian Football League
Main article: Northern Tasmanian Football Association (formed 1996)
Main article: Southern Football League (Tasmania)

The league disbanded due to a dwindling of clubs able to financially cope and fell under the umbrella of Football Tasmania (which was soon renamed AFL Tasmania).[5]

Three regional leagues absorbed the clubs from the Statewide League. This was represented by the 2 main north–south leagues and subsidiary regional leagues which underpinned the Tasmanian Devils VFL team, created in 2001 which was owned and funded by the Australian Football League and administered by AFL Tasmania.

Tasmanian State League

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After a hiatus of eight years, AFL Tasmania announced plans for a return of the statewide league in 2009.[6]

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.[7]

Under the AFL Tasmania plan, ten (10) clubs were invited to join the competition.[8]

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 lukewarm 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 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 competition 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 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.[9] Former TFL club New Norfolk (1947–1999) was also 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 Tasmania Devils VFL team was disbanded.[10]

On 4 April 2009, the opening match of the reformed competition took place at King George V 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 looking at returning to the more tradition Final Five set-up in 2011.

During the 2013 season, South Launceston decided that it would not pursue a new TSL licence at the end of the season, and arranged to move into the newest Northern Tasmanian Football Association in 2014; despite this, the club went on to win the 2013 premiership, meaning that there was no defending premier in 2014. The club was replaced by the Prospect State Football Club, which competes under the formal club name of Western Storm Football Club.[11] At the same time, the North Hobart Football Club was forced to disband as a team by AFL Tasmania in favour of the newly established Hobart City Football Club,[12] whilst the Hobart Tigers left for the Southern Football League.[13] These movements were forced upon the league to make space for a new AFL Tasmania backed TSL club, the Kingborough Tigers Football Club.[14]

Prior to 2016, the Western Storm was rebranded as the Prospect Hawks; but it was unable to field a senior team in 2016, managing only to field an uncompetitive team in the reserves, before being expelled from the league at the end of the 2016 season.[15] Prior to 2018, both north-western clubs – Burnie and Devonport – found themselves unable to viably field teams in the competition, with withdrew, reducing the size of the competition to seven teams.[16]

On 9 October 2017 the paying members of the Hobart City Demons voted 371–118 in favour of returning the playing name of the club to the North Hobart identity for season 2018 and beyond.

Uniforms

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Clarence
 
 
 
 
 
Glenorchy
 
 
 
 
 
 
Kingborough
 
 
 
 
 
 
Lauderdale
 
 
 
 
 
Launceston
 
 
 
 
 
 
North Hobart
 
 
 
 
 
 
North Launceston

Clubs

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Final clubs

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Club Colours Nickname Home ground Former league Est. TSL seasons TSL senior premierships Current league
Total Final
Clarence
 
 Kangaroos Bellerive Oval SDFA 1884 1947−2000 11 2010 SFL
SFL 2009−2024
Glenorchy
 
 Magpies KGV Oval − 1919 1921−2000 15 2016 SFL
SFL 2009−2024
Kingborough
 
 Tigers Twin Ovals SFL 1886 2014−2024 1 2023 SFL
Lauderdale
 
 Bombers Lauderdale Oval SFL 1979 2009−2024 0 − SFL
Launceston
 
 Blues Windsor Park NTFL 1875 1994−2000 4 2022 NTFA
2009−2024
North Hobart
 
 Demons North Hobart Oval − 1881 1881−2000 27 1992 SFL
SFL 2009−2013
− 2018−2024
North Launceston
 
 Bombers York Park NTA 1881 1986−2000 8 2024 NTFA
NTFL 2009−2024

Locations

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Former clubs

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1879–1941

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Football Club Nickname Colours Season(s) Current Status
Cananore Canaries
 
 1908–1941 Defunct
Lefroy Blues
 
 1898–1941 Defunct
Cricketers Unknown
 
 1879-1985 Defunct
Derwent Unknown
 
 1906–1907 Defunct
New Town District Magpies
 
 1921–1945 Active *
Railway Unknown
 
 1879–1996 Defunct
Kingston Tigers
 
 1893–1907 Active *
South Hobart Unknown
 
 1897-1897 Defunct
Wellington Unknown
 
 1898–1905 Defunct
Holebrook Unknown
 
 1880–1994 Defunct
Union Unknown
 
 1887-1887 Defunct
Summerton Unknown
 
 1898-1898 Defunct
City Unknown
 
 1879–1996 Defunct
  • Kingston is now called Kingborough
  • New Town District is now called Glenorchy

1945–2000

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Football Club Nickname Colours Season(s) Current Status
Hobart FC Tigers
 
 1945–1997 Active
North Hobart FC Demons
 
 1881–2000 [note 1] Active
Glenorchy District FC Magpies
 
 1945–2000 [note 2] Active
Clarence District FC Kangaroos
 
 1947–2000 Active
New Norfolk District FC Eagles
 
 1947–1998 [note 3] Active
Sandy Bay FC Seagulls
 
 1945–1997 Defunct
Southern Cats FC Cats
 
 1998–1999 Defunct
East Launceston FC Fuchsias
 
 1986-1986 Defunct
South Launceston FC Bulldogs
 
 1986–1997 Active
North Launceston FC Bombers
 
 1986–2000 [note 4] Defunct
Launceston FC Blues
 
 1994–1997 Active
Burnie Hawks FC Hawks
 
 1987–1994 Defunct
Burnie Dockers FC Dockers
 
 1995–2000 Active
Devonport FC Magpies
 
 1987–2000 [note 5] Active

2009–2017

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Football Club Nickname Colours Season(s) Current Status
Hobart FC Tigers
 
 2009–2013 Active
South Launceston FC Bulldogs
 
 2009–2013 Active
Prospect Hawks FC Hawks
 
 2014–2016 [note 6] Active
Devonport FC Magpies
 
 2009–2017 Active
Burnie Dockers FC Dockers
 
 2009–2017 Active
Notes
  1. ^ 1999-2000 as "Hobart Demons"
  2. ^ 1945-56 as "New Town District FC"; 1957–2000 as "Glenorchy District FC".
  3. ^ 1947–98 as "New Norfolk District FC"; 1999 as "Derwent Eagles FC".
  4. ^ 1986–97 as "North Launceston FC"; 1998–2000 as "Northern Bombers FC".
  5. ^ 1987–96 as "Devonport Blues"; 1997–2000 as "Devonport Power"
  6. ^ 2014-15 as "Western Storm"; 2016 as "Prospect Hawks", with reserves team only.

Premierships

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Football Club Colours Nickname Flag Years
Clarence
 
 Kangaroos 1947, 1970, 1979, 1981, 1984, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2009, 2010
Glenorchy
 
 Magpies 1935, 1948, 1949, 1951, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1958,
1965, 1975, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1999, 2016
Kingborough
 
 Tigers 2023
Lauderdale
 
 Bombers 2009
Launceston
 
 Blues 2011, 2020, 2021, 2022
North Hobart
 
 Demons 1881, 1902, 1905, 1908, 1914, 1920, 1923, 1928, 1929, 1932, 1934, 1936, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1945, 1947, 1957, 1961, 1962, 1967, 1969, 1974, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1992
North Launceston
 
 Bombers 1995, 1998, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019

League Presidents

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President Period
Mr W.L Giblin 1879–86
Sir L.Dobson 1887–93
Sir E.Braddon 1894–96
Mr H.Dobson MHA 1897
Mr A.I Clark 1898–99
Mr C.J.Eady 1900–08
Mr A.Hearne 1909–16
Mr W.B Propsting 1917–24
Mr C.J Eady MLC 1925–41
Mr W.Arnold 1942–49
Mr M.A.S McNeair OBE 1950–74
Mr R.T Butler 1975–77
Mr D.A Burton 1977–79
Mr D.Fenton 1979–80
Mr J.Bennett 1981–85
Mr D.Smith 1986–91
Mr J.Wilkinson QC 1991
Mr B.Breen 1992–95
Mr R.Hampson 1996–98
Mr B.Greenhill 1999–2000
Mr S.Wade 2000, 2009–11
Mr S.Young 2012–14
C.Saunder 2016-
Notes

Locations

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Premierships, leading goalkickers and records

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Main article: List of Tasmanian Football League premierships

Since the first championship held in 1879, North Hobart has won the most premiers with 27 titles. The first champion ever was City FC, a club now defunct.

Main article: List of Tasmanian Football League leading goalkickers
Main article: List of Tasmanian Football League records
Main article: Statewide Football in Tasmania

Timeline (1945–present)

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Individual awards

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Alastair Lynch Medal

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Formerly known as the Tassie Medal, presented to the Best and Fairest player in the Tasmanian State League from 2009.[17]

Year Player Club(s)
2009 Kurt Heazlewood (Devonport)
2010 Brett Geappen (Clarence)
2011 Tim Bristow (Launceston)
2012 Jaye Bowden (Glenorchy)
2013 Mitch Thorp (South Launceston)
2014 Daniel Roozendaal (North Launceston)
2015 Jaye Bowden (Glenorchy)
2016 Jaye Bowden (Glenorchy)
2017 Bradley Cox-Goodyer (North Launceston)
2018 Josh Ponting (North Launceston)
2019 Josh Ponting (North Launceston)
2020 Sam Siggins (Lauderdale)
2021 Bradley Cox-Goodyer (North Launceston)
2022 Sam Siggins (Lauderdale)
2023 Sam Siggins (Lauderdale)
2024 Bradley Cox-Goodyer (North Launceston)

Peter Hudson Medal

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Presented to the Leading Goalkicker in the Tasmanian State League from 2009.[18]

Year Player Club(s)
2009 Brad Dutton (Clarence)
2010 Brian Finch (Launceston)
2011 Brian Finch (Launceston)
2012 Mitch Williamson (Clarence)
2013 Sonny Whiting (Launceston)
2014 Aaron Cornelius (Glenorchy)
2015 Jaye Bowden (Glenorchy)
2016 Jaye Bowden (Glenorchy)
2017 Jaye Bowden (Glenorchy)
2018 Mitch Thorp (Launceston)
2019 Aiden Grace (Glenorchy)
2020 Dylan Riley (Launceston)
2021 Dylan Riley (Launceston)
2022 Colin Garland (Clarence)
2023 Brad Cox-Goodyer (North Launceston)
2024 Harvey Griffiths (North Launceston)

Former Individual Awards

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Wilson Bailey Trophy

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It was presented to the best and fairest player in the TFL/TANFL from 1927 until 1929. It was replaced by the William Leitch Medal in 1930.

Year Player Club(s)
1927 K.Roberts (New Town)
1928 G.Cole (New Town)
1929 A.Leitch (New Town)

George Watt Medallists

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It was presented to the best and fairest player in the TANFL from 1935 until 1939. It replaced the William Leitch Medal although it ended up being replaced by it in 1940

Year Player Club(s)
1935 L.Powell (North Hobart)
1936 E.Zschech (Lefroy)
1937 L.Pye & E.Zschech (North Hobart), (Lefroy)
1938 L.Pye (North Hobart)
1939 E.Zschech (Lefroy)

William Leitch Medal

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Main article: William Leitch Medal

The William Leitch medal was presented to the best & fairest player in the TANFL/TFL Statewide League from 1930 to 1934 and 1940–2000.
As of 2009 when the Tasmanian State League was revived, AFL Tasmania decided to award the Tassie Medal to the best and fairest player in the revamped competition as it was seen (particularly in the North) that the William Leitch medal was too Hobart-centric. The medal continues to be presented to the best and fairest player in the Southern Football League since 2004.

Audience

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Media

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Official Magazine

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Currently there is no official magazine for games during the 2014 season. A new provider and TSL Record is currently being re-designed for the 2015 season and beyond through Tall Zebra Media.

Television

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Currently Southern Cross Seven shows one game a week on Saturday afternoons. Previously ABC and WIN broadcast the league.

All Tasmanian based stations have news and results shown regularly in their news broadcasts. Southern Cross report full-time scores from the TFL as well as other leagues around the state during the half time break of their Saturday night AFL broadcast.

Radio

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League matches were formerly broadcast on radio from 1931 to 2000, however there are currently no radio broadcasts of TFL football with the exception of the Grand Final and the occasional roster game on ABC Local Radio which is also streamed online.

Newspapers

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The Hobart Mercury in the South, The Examiner in Launceston and the North as well as The Advocate on the North West Coast all provide extensive coverage of TSL football in their publications.

Attendance

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The Tasmanian Football league crowds compete heavily with AFL matches on television. Crowds at the beginning of the season are usually quite high and are up with the mainland state football competitions. Attendances usually slide considerably until it will increase during the finals. Night games, especially ones that do not clash with AFL matches are well attended.

Patrons at TFL games pay at the gates or hold club season passes.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Partridge, Josh (29 June 2024). "AFL Tasmania 'still finalising' 2025 elite plan but 'fulfilling' news ahead". The Examiner. Archived from the original on 23 November 2024. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
  2. ^ Tuxworth, Jon (25 October 2024). "VFL: The northern talents who could wear 'The Map' in 2026". The Mercury. Archived from the original on 23 November 2024. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
  3. ^ Pinchin, R. K. (Reginald Kenneth); Leeson, Allan; Tasmanian Football League (1979), A century of Tasmanian football, 1879-1979, Tasmanian Football League, ISBN 978-0-9595376-0-4
  4. ^ Australian football in Tasmania: A short history
  5. ^ Tasmanian State League Genealogy
  6. ^ State League gets final go ahead
  7. ^ Glenorchy Magpies: Return to Statewide league
  8. ^ Glenorchy Magpies: Return to Statewide league
  9. ^ History: Southern Football League Tasmania (see third paragraph)
  10. ^ Tasmania Devils history
  11. ^ Phil Edwards (4 December 2013). "Storm warning". The Examiner. Launceston, TAS. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
  12. ^ Hobart City Football club sticks to grand old roots with playing strip reflecting heritage of North Hobart
  13. ^ Tigers to withdraw from TSL
  14. ^ Kingborough/Huon Tigers State League Club Launched Archived 7 April 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  15. ^ James Bresnehan (11 August 2016). "Prospect Hawks booted from TSL". The Mercury. Hobart, TAS. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  16. ^ Chris Rowbottom (6 February 2018). "Burnie Football Club quits Tasmanian State League, unable to field teams". ABC News. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
  17. ^ Honours: Tasmanian State League
  18. ^ Honours: Tasmanian State League
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