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EARLY HISTORY Australian Rules Football was played in Tasmania shortly after it was introduced to Victoria, Australia and its origins can be traced back to about 1860. The TFL began in 1879 and the first official game was played in Hobart. In 1881, the first inter-colonial match was played in Tasmania between VFA club Hotham (now Kangaroos Football Club ) and the Launceston Football Club . DEMISE In 1987 the TFL became known as the Statewide League. In the 1990s, competition with the national VFL competition and drain of players was taking its toll. Each year, the TFL Grand Final was attracting smaller and smaller crowds and participation was falling. {Link without Title} There was general expectation in Tasmania of entry into the AFL. Between 1996-98, a bid was prepared which involved the construction of a 30,000 capacity Glenorchy Stadium in the Hobart showgrounds in Glenorchy at the cost of $34 Million. The stadium would have been the team's only home ground, but the appeal was unsuccessful and the stadium never built. By late 2000, the league was struggling. DISBANDMENT The opportunistic Australian Football League stepped in and TFL was rationalised and disbanded and fell under the umbrella of Football Tasmania (or AFL Tasmania ). 4 regional leagues replaced the Statewide League, consisting of 2 main North/South leagues and subsidiary regional leagues:
LEGACY This format has not been overly successful, and once strong crowds of the TFL have now dwindled. Although the AFL claims that participation is increasing, local identities have claimed that the game is dying at the grassroots in Tasmania. To quell interest in a Tasmanian side, the AFL pushed for the Tasmanian Devils Football Club to be formed and in 2001 the new club and was admitted into the Victorian Football League in its inaugural year. The Devils have had mixed on-field success and moderate crowds and interest from the Tasmanian public. Tasmania, along with the Northern Territory still has one of the highest participation rates in the country. Over the years, Tasmania produced over 300 players for the VFL , more than any state and even the much bigger football state of South Australia . Some current Tasmanian players in the AFL include: Nick Riewoldt , Brad Green , Russell Robertson , Jade Rawlings , Brodie Holland . EXTERNAL LINKS |
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