List of Tasmanians in the AFL

[Gibbke]

The 'southern political interference' put all AFL football in Launceston to the exclusion of all others for some 15 years. In 2000 we saw a sort of preseason game between Collingwood & Melbourne play mainly kids at NHO. So about 15 years later we saw had North Melbourne inflicted on us once again. In that time Hawthorn only came to Hobart to pick up their cheques.

So moaning about some pissy VFL games is a bit rich. It was the Political imperative in Bass & the AFL's acquiescence which has damaged football.

Writing 'lots' doesn't hide your crocodile tears.

Wrong target. You can get stuck into me when Launceston and North Launceston bitchslap the southern teams on a weekly basis this season in the TSL and I let a little of that northern grudge bias loose on an area that will simply be getting multiple historical favours returned...

Otherwise, it was only the fact I'd already written too many essays in the last few days here that prevented me wording on about Bacon and the vote grabbing. I'm on your side, bud - equality across the state because it's the only way we'll win. I've been relatively detached (about 3800km) otherwise from insidious Tasmanian parochialism for over two decades, which allows me to bang the dark green drum unhindered amongst heathens...

But the Devils were hijacked by opportunistic southern politicians, no different than York Park getting a surprise boost from opportunistic northern politicians. That's the cold hard fact, and that's what we were talking about - just that and nothing else...

As for Hawthorn, you're wrong. They haven't been to Hobart since 1991...! Not sure what your point about Collingwood and Melbourne is, either - they don't owe anyone anything when playing practice matches. Plenty of footy ended up in Hobart - just not the Hawks...

 

[madmug]

Wrong target. You can get stuck into me when Launceston and North Launceston bitchslap the southern teams on a weekly basis this season in the TSL and I let a little of that northern grudge bias loose on an area that will simply be getting multiple historical favours returned...

Otherwise, it was only the fact I'd already written too many essays in the last few days here that prevented me wording on about Bacon and the vote grabbing. I'm on your side, bud - equality across the state because it's the only way we'll win. I've been relatively detached (about 3800km) otherwise from insidious Tasmanian parochialism for over two decades, which allows me to bang the dark green drum unhindered amongst heathens...

But the Devils were hijacked by opportunistic southern politicians, no different than York Park getting a surprise boost from opportunistic northern politicians. That's the cold hard fact, and that's what we were talking about - just that and nothing else...

As for Hawthorn, you're wrong. They haven't been to Hobart since 1991...! Not sure what your point about Collingwood and Melbourne is, either - they don't owe anyone anything when playing practice matches. Plenty of footy ended up in Hobart - just not the Hawks...

I was just saying that after many years of VFL/AFL footy Hobart was banned from seeing any by political fiat. So from 2000, the last game we got was a 'seconds' pies v dees practise match. Bacon started the North football, south cricket shyte for purely divisive political purpose & the AFL allowed it to happen.

That whole episode was Really Pathetic.

We're finally seeing some sort of balancing of that now. Using the best 2 stadiums all year round makes both social & economic sense. Great to see the Hurricanes start to use 'York Park'. That even though it makes my CT membership even worse value than it should be.

You do realise your efforts are pretty much wasted on that google expert.

Also with North & Launy plus the best NWC kids & other players makes any success they may have this season, devalued to buggery. Its such a lopsided deal now that the TSL has even less public credibility than before. If NL win, no one will care nor rate it.

 

[Gibbke]

I was just saying that after many years of VFL/AFL footy Hobart was banned from seeing any by political fiat. So from 2000, the last game we got was a 'seconds' pies v dees practise match. Bacon started the North football, south cricket shyte for purely divisive political purpose & the AFL allowed it to happen.

That whole episode was Really Pathetic.

We're finally seeing some sort of balancing of that now. Using the best 2 stadiums all year round makes both social & economic sense. Great to see the Hurricanes start to use 'York Park'. That even though it makes my CT membership even worse value than it should be.

You do realise your efforts are pretty much wasted on that google expert.

Also with North & Launy plus the best NWC kids & other players makes any success they may have this season, devalued to buggery. Its such a lopsided deal now that the TSL has even less public credibility than before. If NL win, no one will care nor rate it.

But Bacon's action was simply the latest at the time in a long line of North/South tug of war contests, usually won by the South. "North footy, South cricket" is better than "South everything, North nothing" to roughly 60% of Tasmania's population...!

The bigger picture is that it had some positive aspects - Tassie saw York Park turned into an AFL standard venue, and you'd think that Bellerive got some love in return partly as a result of that...maybe for once the rivalry had a positive spinoff...god knows nothing moved when I lived there...

I'm not convinced a northern flag will be devalued, either (season hasn't even started yet, Clarence and Glenorchy are proud and professional, and Lauderdale made the GF, and here we are already engraving the cup...footy gods be kind!). Noone has left the TSL from the remaining 7 sides outside what you'd expect, and good players from the Coast will still be in the league, even if their distribution is a bit skewed - there might be some good footy! Can't be any worse than the mid-late 90's, where a couple of sides on death's door played against the Bombers & Roos juggernauts in a rapidly diminishing comp that had already seen one liquidation and a couple of demotions...the remaining 7 are reasonably healthy considering, and it's not their fault Burnie and Devonport are out...

 

[nobbyiscool]

Wrong target. You can get stuck into me when Launceston and North Launceston bitchslap the southern teams on a weekly basis this season in the TSL and I let a little of that northern grudge bias loose on an area that will simply be getting multiple historical favours returned...

Otherwise, it was only the fact I'd already written too many essays in the last few days here that prevented me wording on about Bacon and the vote grabbing. I'm on your side, bud - equality across the state because it's the only way we'll win. I've been relatively detached (about 3800km) otherwise from insidious Tasmanian parochialism for over two decades, which allows me to bang the dark green drum unhindered amongst heathens...

But the Devils were hijacked by opportunistic southern politicians, no different than York Park getting a surprise boost from opportunistic northern politicians. That's the cold hard fact, and that's what we were talking about - just that and nothing else...

As for Hawthorn, you're wrong. They haven't been to Hobart since 1991...! Not sure what your point about Collingwood and Melbourne is, either - they don't owe anyone anything when playing practice matches. Plenty of footy ended up in Hobart - just not the Hawks...

It wasn't a "surprise boost" - it was an election commitment from the Libs before the 98 election. And Bellerive got the same initial commitment.

From memory, it was only $5m anyway, which the state govt matched, and then Launceston City Council matched.

We were actually lucky to get it cos despite the Libs retaining the government, Member for Bass Warwick Smith was booted out.


The fact you haven't been back for so long shows IMHO. The parochialism of Tasmania is an anachronism that is horrendously overblown by people like Gillon McLachlan. I always believed the reason for the parochialism was down to 2 things - beer and media. Then both tv stations became statewide, both beer companies were sold off to foreign interests, and both newspapers became part of national conglomerates. There's not much left of that parochialism now, which is how the Hurricanes can now pull a bumper crowd in Launceston. That wouldn't have happened 20 years ago.

 

[madmug]

But Bacon's action was simply the latest at the time in a long line of North/South tug of war contests, usually won by the South. "North footy, South cricket" is better than "South everything, North nothing" to roughly 60% of Tasmania's population...!

The bigger picture is that it had some positive aspects - Tassie saw York Park turned into an AFL standard venue, and you'd think that Bellerive got some love in return partly as a result of that...maybe for once the rivalry had a positive spinoff...god knows nothing moved when I lived there...

I'm not convinced a northern flag will be devalued, either (season hasn't even started yet, Clarence and Glenorchy are proud and professional, and Lauderdale made the GF, and here we are already engraving the cup...footy gods be kind!). Noone has left the TSL from the remaining 7 sides outside what you'd expect, and good players from the Coast will still be in the league, even if their distribution is a bit skewed - there might be some good footy! Can't be any worse than the mid-late 90's, where a couple of sides on death's door played against the Bombers & Roos juggernauts in a rapidly diminishing comp that had already seen one liquidation and a couple of demotions...the remaining 7 are reasonably healthy considering, and it's not their fault Burnie and Devonport are out...

You do realise that the population is weighted more & more toward the south now. That South East trend of the of population has been on for some time. Hobart region has provided the bulk of the states growth for quite a few years. Its still near enough to 50/50. It makes no difference to my long term attitude to using York Park & Bellerive for both cricket & football. The last 15 years has been a divisive waste of time & energy.

Both Northern sides are heavily weighted now. 2 teams to 5 is bloody ridiculous. I dont see North Hobart being competitive, Kingston will struggle, Clarence aren't what they were. Lauderdale & Glenorchy should provide more of a contest but will lack the sheer depth of both Launy sides.

The perception is for a L v NL gf. Its that obvious to most punters.

 

[Gibbke]

You do realise that the population is weighted more & more toward the south now. That South East trend of the of population has been on for some time. Hobart region has provided the bulk of the states growth for quite a few years. Its still near enough to 50/50. It makes no difference to my long term attitude to using York Park & Bellerive for both cricket & football. The last 15 years has been a divisive waste of time & energy.

Both Northern sides are heavily weighted now. 2 teams to 5 is bloody ridiculous. I dont see North Hobart being competitive, Kingston will struggle, Clarence aren't what they were. Lauderdale & Glenorchy should provide more of a contest but will lack the sheer depth of both Launy sides.

The perception is for a L v NL gf. Its that obvious to most punters.

Sure it's "obvious", but like all punts it's still not set in stone. My enjoyment of current southern discomfort is flippant - I recall many instances of justifiable swearwords being flung at the south from us over the decades for whatever, and sticking the knife in can be fun, even though it's taking my two most hated nemesis teams to do it - but at the end of the day I, like you, just want Tasmanian football to be strong as it should be, and that means equalisation and strengthening everywhere. Meanwhile, southern fans might be enjoying their view of the 2018 GF at Bellerive in relative comfort, because the grassy banks will be even less crowded than usual...!

In 1986, it was 2 teams to 6, and no one was complaining about perceived northern bias - it was all arms folded and foot tapping and mumbled insults up north when asking why the south hadn't honoured what was thought to be a commitment to cutting from 6 to 4. North and East managed to attract the majority of good players running around the NTFA, and still not collectively make a dent until North did what North does and build yet another dynasty through junior development and interstate recruiting, all despite what was on offer in the NTFA. The difference now is not so much the numbers of "good recruits" but, as I have said before, the manner those two northern sides use them. If the old South Launceston was the team bestowed with an influx of good players like North and Launceston apparently have been, then you can guarantee no one would have been calling them flag favourites...! If they dominate this year, it will be because they happen to be superior organisations on and off the field - just like Clarence and Glenorchy are. Why anyone would ever, ever write off Clarence is beyond me...! North Hobart has been rudderless, and Kingston is still "promising", while Lauderdale have their s**t together. Any imbalances between the two regions were already, have been for years, no different to 1986 when it ran the other way. If anything, more good players move from the north to the south, so there was every likelihood that Launceston and North would have been the favourites this year regardless of the NW debacle...

This will pass...

This is only temporary, and there will be an evening out if the league continues, either by attrition or by changes to the number of sides...

 

[Gibbke]

The fact you haven't been back for so long shows IMHO. The parochialism of Tasmania is an anachronism that is horrendously overblown by people like Gillon McLachlan. I always believed the reason for the parochialism was down to 2 things - beer and media. Then both tv stations became statewide, both beer companies were sold off to foreign interests, and both newspapers became part of national conglomerates. There's not much left of that parochialism now, which is how the Hurricanes can now pull a bumper crowd in Launceston. That wouldn't have happened 20 years ago.

It's there, and will always be there while there are two disparate and equally sized population centres, and limited funding that needs to go into both. If it's not sport, it's hospitals or employment or whatever, and it takes nothing to cause finger pointing. What I read these days in the Examiner and Mercury these days bears little difference in tone when antagonising the other region - national papers, but still local editorials. As for the Hurricanes, it's BBL cricket. You could have put the Stars and the Scorchers in at York Park, and a big crowd would have shown up, maybe not as big without Tasmanian presence, but people have been asking why games aren't played at YP for decades and were always ready.

Not sure what you mean by "it shows". Due to the nature of media these days, and my family roots, I feel closer to the vein of Tasmanian feeling now, living 3800km away with the crocs and cassowaries, than I ever was when fumbling away up to the age of 26 back home and not paying attention. There's far more to the undercurrent than "beer and media"...

 

[madmug]

Sure it's "obvious", but like all punts it's still not set in stone. My enjoyment of current southern discomfort is flippant - I recall many instances of justifiable swearwords being flung at the south from us over the decades for whatever, and sticking the knife in can be fun, even though it's taking my two most hated nemesis teams to do it - but at the end of the day I, like you, just want Tasmanian football to be strong as it should be, and that means equalisation and strengthening everywhere. Meanwhile, southern fans might be enjoying their view of the 2018 GF at Bellerive in relative comfort, because the grassy banks will be even less crowded than usual...!

In 1986, it was 2 teams to 6, and no one was complaining about perceived northern bias - it was all arms folded and foot tapping and mumbled insults up north when asking why the south hadn't honoured what was thought to be a commitment to cutting from 6 to 4. North and East managed to attract the majority of good players running around the NTFA, and still not collectively make a dent until North did what North does and build yet another dynasty through junior development and interstate recruiting, all despite what was on offer in the NTFA. The difference now is not so much the numbers of "good recruits" but, as I have said before, the manner those two northern sides use them. If the old South Launceston was the team bestowed with an influx of good players like North and Launceston apparently have been, then you can guarantee no one would have been calling them flag favourites...! If they dominate this year, it will be because they happen to be superior organisations on and off the field - just like Clarence and Glenorchy are. Why anyone would ever, ever write off Clarence is beyond me...! North Hobart has been rudderless, and Kingston is still "promising", while Lauderdale have their s**t together. Any imbalances between the two regions were already, have been for years, no different to 1986 when it ran the other way. If anything, more good players move from the north to the south, so there was every likelihood that Launceston and North would have been the favourites this year regardless of the NW debacle...

This will pass...

This is only temporary, and there will be an evening out if the league continues, either by attrition or by changes to the number of sides...

In 1986 2 teams to 6 probably gave an advantage to the 2 northern teams in fact.

Anyway, during the 70's & into the 80's, the whole club footy thing of NWFU, NTFA & TFL was still at its peak. So many were in favour of the best clubs playing each other. We'd had the statewide BP cup which drew a lot of interest in seasons before. Footy seemed strong enough to handle a State league. The poor management of bringing in 2 NWC sides, then another NTFA side in Launceston, then losing teams slowly down to 6 was just stupid. Trying to grow a league when the AFL started to dominate the media & the national recession after the economic excesses of the 80's which hurt everyone in the 90's, really hurt clubs. Supporters dropped off with travel & home games. Tough times.

Then, as now we always felt a 2,2,4 league was best. Yet we never got that balance. Never.

Even TSL2 went straight to a 2,3,5 model. then 2,2,5, now 0, 2,5. Thats Stupidity itself.

None the less. The structure & function of a TSL is a seperate issue to AFL in Tasmania or a Tasmanian club. Football is structured from the top down in every state. The same would apply here.

Given our own AFL club, a TSL would structure up below that. You dont build a TSL then add an AFL club. Its like QLD & NSW, the AFL clubs were put their, the NEAFL was created & has been evolved to reflect the AFL clubs needs. Simple reality.

 

[RobZombie]

7. North had under 16k against GC last season, only 21k vs Sydney who bring their own South Melbourne crowd, 19k vs Freo. So in other words, Tassie usually gets the shittest of games vs interstate opponents who don't bring a crowd, and in Launceston at least - where Hawthorn have put some time into developing a supportership - the crowds are comparable to North Melbourne's s**t games against interstate opponents in Melbourne, despite Melbourne literally having 10 times the number of people that Tasmania does.

Uh, much to the displeasure of many Melbourne based members, North absolutely does not leave Hobart with the dregs of low drawing non-Vic clubs. Sydney with their healthy existing tas support, Melbourne & St Kilda a couple of times each, a Friday night vs Richmond, another one vs Carlton to come this year, Adelaide a couple of times - one of them when they were undefeated and flying. Haven’t had Collingwood, Essendon, hawthorn or Geelong, and Tasmanians have plenty of opportunities to watch hawthorn if they want.

 

[Huoneye]

Uh, much to the displeasure of many Melbourne based members, North absolutely does not leave Hobart with the dregs of low drawing non-Vic clubs. Sydney with their healthy existing tas support, Melbourne & St Kilda a couple of times each, a Friday night vs Richmond, another one vs Carlton to come this year, Adelaide a couple of times - one of them when they were undefeated and flying. Haven’t had Collingwood, Essendon, hawthorn or Geelong, and Tasmanians have plenty of opportunities to watch hawthorn if they want.

The fact is neither the Roos or Hawks are Tasmanian teams. If Fremantle played Brisbane in Melbourne there would be a handful of spectators. If there was a Tasmanian team in place 10 years ago they would have been sold out every game. Unfortunately, I think its too late to set a team in Tassie. My son plays for a local team and they have struggled to put a team on the field. We have not seen the last of local teams folding. The way the AFL have gamed the political opportunists in Tassie is disgraceful. When the political contributions are withdrawn ( and they will be) the Hawks and Roos will leave. Tassie might get a token pre season game. Woopie do !

 

[nobbyiscool]

Uh, much to the displeasure of many Melbourne based members, North absolutely does not leave Hobart with the dregs of low drawing non-Vic clubs. Sydney with their healthy existing tas support, Melbourne & St Kilda a couple of times each, a Friday night vs Richmond, another one vs Carlton to come this year, Adelaide a couple of times - one of them when they were undefeated and flying. Haven’t had Collingwood, Essendon, hawthorn or Geelong, and Tasmanians have plenty of opportunities to watch hawthorn if they want.

Fair call on Richmond, I'd forgotten about that one. I don't remember them playing St Kilda, but I'll defer to your supportership. Melbourne's a bizarre one. They don't typically have a strong Tasmanian supporter base, so I don't know why they played there last season.

Adelaide, even Sydney these days I'm not sure I'd grant you - I never believed them to have a big Tasmanian supporter base, and as alluded to in the post you quoted, North couldn't even pull a good crowd against Sydney in Melbourne last season.