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Tasmania Football Club

"Tasmania Devils" redirects here. For the Talent League team, see Tasmania Devils (under-18s team). For other uses, see Tasmanian Devil (disambiguation).

The Tasmania Football Club, nicknamed the Devils, is a professional Australian rules football club expected to compete in the Australian Football League (AFL) from the 2028 season and the AFL Women's (AFLW) from an unspecified date.[5][6] The club is based in Tasmania and will play home matches in Hobart and Launceston, the two largest cities in the state. Both York Park in Launceston and Bellerive Oval in Hobart will host games initially, with the Hobart-based matches moving to the new Macquarie Point Stadium in 2029.[7]

Tasmania Football Club
Names
Full nameTFC AFL Limited[1]
Nickname(s)Devils, Tassie
Club details
Founded2 May 2023; 19 months ago (2023-05-02)
Colours
  •   Myrtle green
  •   Primrose yellow
  •   Rose red[2]
Competition
  • AFL: Senior men
  • AFLW: Senior women
  • VFL: Reserves men
  • VFLW: Reserves women
ChairmanGrant O'Brien[3]
CEOBrendon Gale (2025)[4]
Ground(s)Bellerive Oval
York Park
Macquarie Point Stadium
Training ground(s)Kingston Twin Ovals
Uniforms
Home
Other information
Official websitehttps://tasmaniafc.com/

In May 2023, Tasmania secured an AFL licence following a unanimous vote of AFL club presidents.[7] The club will first compete in the Victorian Football League (VFL), starting in 2026.[8][9] The club may also enter the VFL Women's (VFLW) competition in either 2025 or 2026.[10][11]

History

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Foundation and 19th license

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Main article: History of the Tasmanian AFL bid
 
Tasmania has been a stronghold of Australian rules football since the 1860s. Pictured is the 1911 Tasmanian state side from the Adelaide carnival where they beat the Western Australian state team on Adelaide Oval.

Australian rules football in Tasmania has long been the most popular spectator sport. A 2018 study of Internet traffic showed 79% of Tasmanians (424,459) were interested in it, the highest rate in the country,[12] which was, according to Roy Morgan, a figure higher than the number of supporters of around half of existing AFL clubs.[13]

The notion of a Tasmanian team in the VFL/AFL competition had long been suggested, with multiple formal propositions and bids since the 1980s.[14] Successive bids during expansion periods for the competition in the 1990's and late 2000's were spurned in favour of teams in Fremantle, Port Adelaide, Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney. In 2019 a government-appointed taskforce chaired by Brett Godfrey, with backing from the Tasmanian Government and at the advice of the AFL,[15] was set up to commission a business case for a team to be assessed by the league. By 2021 the state's premier, Peter Gutwein, refused to re-negotiate deals to extend Tasmanian-based AFL premiership matches for Victorian clubs Hawthorn and North Melbourne, without the AFL committing to a timetable for the introduction of a Tasmanian team.[16][17] An independent review was subsequently overseen by former AFL Commissioner and Geelong Football Club president Colin Carter and was publicly released in mid-2021, which concluded a stand-alone Tasmanian side could be financially viable with the ongoing assistance of government and league funding.[18][19]

In November 2022, amidst ongoing momentum and public interest throughout the year, an in-principle agreement was reached between the AFL and Tasmanian Government, under premier Jeremy Rockliff, on commercial terms for Tasmania's bid for a 19th licence, which would be awarded to a government-established entity known as the Tasmanian AFL License Taskforce.[20] Following the securing of federal government funding for a new purpose-built stadium on Hobart's foreshore, the AFL and club presidents met on 2 May 2023 and provided unanimous support to award a license to Tasmania. The following day, Chief Executive Gillon McLachlan formally announced the team's admission to the competition at North Hobart Oval, confirming the men's team will join the Australian Football League from the 2028 season.[21][22] The starting season for a women's team to compete in the AFL Women's competition has not yet been confirmed.

Identity

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Nickname and colours

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On 18 March 2024, the Tasmania Football Club's branding, colours and foundation guernsey was officially launched at several historical football-related sites across the state.[23] The team's name was announced as the Tasmania Devils, with the nickname acknowledging the carnivorous marsupial extinct in the mainland and found only in Tasmania.[24] The devils nickname has previously been used by the state's Victorian Football League (VFL) and Talent League sides and was confirmed only after negotiations with Warner Bros., whose Tasmanian Devil cartoon character held a trademark on the name.[25] The colours of myrtle green, rose red and primrose yellow were adopted and are based on the colours of the historical Tasmanian interstate representative teams.[26] A foundation guernsey, green with a centrally located red "T" on a yellow map of Tasmania, was unveiled.[27] The guernsey received some criticism for being underwhelming, though Tasmanian broadcaster David Lithgow later confirmed the guernsey was considered a "foundation jumper" by the club to be used sparingly in the AFL.[28]

Training base

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The club will be based at the Kingston Twin Ovals complex, located in the town of Kingston, twelve kilometers south of the Hobart City Centre.[29] The facility has been the long-term home ground of the Kingborough Football Club. $70 million of renovations will be undertaken to upgrade the facility for the Devils.[30] In addition to the two existing football ovals at the site, two more ovals, a gym, aquatic centre, recovery areas, indoor training and administrative facilities will be built, providing a permanent home for the club's AFL, AFLW, VFL and Talent League (under-18) teams. The Kingston announcement came after several months of geotechnical investigations at the government's original site, within or adjacent to the Rosny Parklands on Hobart's eastern shore, revealed extensive works would need to be completed to allow the construction of the facility.[29]

Leadership roles

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Grant O'Brien, former CEO of Woolworths and chair of Tourism Tasmania, was appointed the new club's first chairman in July 2023 by the Tasmanian AFL Licence Taskforce.[31] In September, a board chaired by O'Brien was announced, including Kath McCann, James Henderson (AFL talent manager), Alastair Lynch, Alicia Leis, Roger Curtis, Laura McBain, Graeme Gardner and Kathy Schaefer.[32] Former Richmond player Jack Riewoldt was appointed club culture manager.[32] Former Richmond Football Club CEO Brendon Gale was appointed the club's inaugural Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in 2025.[33]

Corporate

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During the 2024 launch, the club commenced selling foundation membership packs for between A$10 and $15 with an initial target of 40,000 by October (one of the original conditions of entry set by the AFL). The club exceeded this target within 2 hours and had sold over 121,000 memberships just two days after launch,[34] giving it the highest on-paper membership of any club in the AFL and taking just 24 hours to break the league's all-time membership record.[35] In September 2024, the club passed 200,000 members, raising a total of more than $2 million in membership revenue[36] and making it the 5th largest sports club in the world by total membership.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Terms and Conditions". Tasmania Football Club. 21 March 2024.
  2. ^ AFL [@AFL] (18 March 2024). "Presenting the @FC_Tasmania colours!" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 23 July 2024. Retrieved 24 November 2024 – via Twitter.
  3. ^ Ex-Woolies boss lands AFL job from The Mercury 5 July 2023
  4. ^ https://www.afl.com.au/news/1125841 10 May 2024
  5. ^ "Full statement: Tasmania awarded 19th AFL licence". AFL.com.au. 3 May 2023. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  6. ^ "Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pledges $240 million for Hobart stadium at Macquarie Point". ABC News. 29 April 2023. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  7. ^ a b "AFL presidents approve Tasmania for 19th team licence after decades of campaigning". ABC News. 2 May 2023. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  8. ^ 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.
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ "AFL Tasmania Statement – TSL license agreements". Tasmanian State League. 5 May 2023. Archived from the original on 29 May 2024. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
  11. ^ "AFL Tasmania Euthanases State League Football". Tasmanian Times. 5 May 2023. Archived from the original on 17 May 2023. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
  12. ^ Devils in the detail: an economist argues the case for a Tasmanian AFL team – and new stadium by Tim Harcourt for the Conversation 1 May 2023
  13. ^ AFL supporter bases Roy Morgen August 17, 2018
  14. ^ "Tasmania's current push for an AFL licence isn't its first, but it may well be the last". ABC News. 2 September 2022. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  15. ^ "Inside the rise of Tassie: Locals thought Gillon McLachlan wanted to move Roos, but now 19th team a reality". Herald Sun. 30 April 2023. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  16. ^ Ben Waterworth (19 February 2021). "'Beggars belief': Tassie Premier's angry response to AFL letter". Fox Sports.
  17. ^ "Statement: AFL response to Tasmanian Premier, the Honourable Peter Gutwein". AFL.com.au. 19 February 2021.
  18. ^ "AFL statement on findings of the Colin Carter report". AFL.com.au. 13 August 2021.
  19. ^ Ben Waterworth (29 July 2021). "Tasmania's hopes of winning 19th AFL licence could soon receive a major boost". Fox Sports.
  20. ^ "AFL reaches in-principle agreement with Tasmania for 19th team". 18 November 2022. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  21. ^ "Full statement: Tasmania awarded 19th AFL licence". Australian Football League. 3 May 2023. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  22. ^ "Tasmania granted 19th AFL team licence with 2028 slated for men's start date". The Guardian. 3 May 2023.
  23. ^ "Celebration as new Tassie logo, jumper and colours revealed". AFL. 18 March 2024.
  24. ^ "Tasmania Devils AFL club launched with name, colours, logo and guernsey concept revealed". ABC News.
  25. ^ "AFL's new Tasmania side to be called the Tasmanian Devils". Herald Sun.
  26. ^ Andrew Hughes (19 March 2024). "Devil in the details: breaking down the branding of the AFL's newest team". The Conversation.
  27. ^ "Tasmania granted 19th AFL team licence with 2028 slated for men's start date". The Guardian. 3 May 2023. Archived from the original on 17 August 2023. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
  28. ^ Max Laughton (19 March 2024). "Tassie guernsey reality emerges after criticism as whopping 75k members locked in already". Fox Sports.
  29. ^ a b Meg Whitfield & Clancy Balen (19 November 2024). "AFL high-performance centre move to Kingston confirmed as Clarence Mayor Brendan Blomeley calls it 'dark day'". ABC News.
  30. ^ "Kingston Twin Ovals named as home base of Tasmanian AFL club". austadiums.com. 20 November 2024.
  31. ^ Ex-Woolies boss lands AFL job from The Mercury 5 July 2023
  32. ^ a b Board to lead Tasmania's AFL club announced, along with culture lead Jack Riewoldt by Chris Rowbottom for ABC News 13 September 2023
  33. ^ https://www.afl.com.au/news/1125841 10 May 2024
  34. ^ ‘Overwhelming’ take-up of Tasmania Devils AFL memberships passes 120,000 by Jack Snape 20 March 2024
  35. ^ ‘Blow your mind’: Tasmania Devils break AFL membership record in 24 hours by Matthew Sullivan from News.com.au 20 March 2024
  36. ^ Devils AFL club joins exclusive list of clubs that have 200,000 members By Brian Allen for The Advocate 3 September 2024
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