HAWTHORN coach Sam Mitchell says it feels like his side has been "kicked out of a home" after the AFL's decision to end to the club's long-standing arrangement of playing home games in Launceston. 

With Tasmania planned to enter the AFL as the League's 19th team from 2028, the AFL Commission and executive team have agreed that the Hawks will no longer play home matches out of University of Tasmania Stadium in northern Tasmania after 2027. 

The Hawks had lobbied to continue playing home games in Launceston after the Devils' scheduled debut, believing there was sufficient support for the Hawks and for Australian football in Tasmania's north to accommodate both clubs. 

The AFL's decision to end the arrangement has left Hawthorn "extremely disappointed", with the club saying it would have a significant impact both on and off the field. 

"You know the people at the coffee shop, the hotels and you go on the same sorts of walks ... it feels like we're being kicked out of a home," Mitchell said at a media conference on Tuesday morning. 

"I understand I guess from the AFL's perspective ... (but) enormously disappointed."

Hawthorn president Andrew Gowers said the success of Hawthorn's Tasmanian deal had been unprecedented in the AFL.

"It makes sense to the AFL, it's what they have decided," he said.

"There's no other partnership that's been like this in the AFL. We've never seen a partnership of this length in another state before, have this kind of success.

"Today is a moment in history. Disappointed ... but we think we can be stronger as a result."

The Hawks played their first home game in Launceston in 2001, and have returned every year since. They have played four home games annually in Tasmania since 2007, and will now look to bring those matches back to Melbourne. 

Hawthorn boasts 66 wins and one draw from its 87 games at UTAS Stadium, with a winning record of 75.8 per cent. The club has won its past 11 games at the venue. 

The Hawks host Adelaide in Launceston on Thursday night in the second of their Tassie games this season. They will also host Melbourne in round 17 and North Melbourne in round 21, having already played Gold Coast in round seven. 

"Over the past 25 years, Hawthorn has made a significant contribution to the strong foundations of AFL football in Tasmania, with an undeniable benefit to the Launceston and Tasmanian economy, strong attendance at AFL games and a loyal following of Tasmanian members," the club said in a statement on Tuesday morning. 

"Our removal will have a material impact on the club, both on and off the field.

"We are extremely grateful to our Tasmanian members and the business community of Northern Tasmania, who have been incredible over the last 25 years, and have actively voiced its support to keep Hawthorn in Tasmania." 

AFL chief operating officer Tom Harley acknowledged the benefits of the Hawks' arrangement in Tasmania but said it was time for the Devils to become the sole focus of elite-level Australian footblal in the state. 

"Hawthorn and Tasmania have shared a long and successful partnership over many years, one that has delivered significant benefits for the state, the club, the AFL and, most importantly, Hawthorn fans across Tasmania, particularly in Launceston," he said. 

“The AFL acknowledges and thanks the Hawthorn Football Club for its outstanding contribution to footy in Tasmania, and for the role it has played in growing the game and building connection with the Tasmanian and Launceston communities.

“With the Tasmania Devils entering the AFL competition in 2028, it is appropriate that the Devils become the primary focus for football in the state, giving Tasmanians their own team to support on the national stage."

North Melbourne had a similar deal with Tasmania in Hobart before it ended in 2025.

The Kangaroos played a total of 41 'home' games a Bellerive Oval from 2012, and now host multiple games each season in Western Australia under a deal with the state government.

- with AAP