TASMANIA'S entry into the AFL competition will signal a new era for the sport, but the national competition has already left a footprint in the country's southern-most state.
From the very first VFL game held in Tasmania way back in 1952 to State of Origin clashes and AFL games in both Hobart and Launceston right through to the inclusion of the North Melbourne/Tasmania Kangaroos into the AFLW competition, Tasmanians have had a taste of the game from the mainland, in addition to its own rich football history.
To mark confirmation of Tasmania being given an AFL licence, here are 10 of the most memorable moments from VFL, AFL and AFLW games in the Apple Isle.
10) Young guns boot five each as Hawks pinch thriller, 2021
Riley Thilthorpe's debut for Adelaide was about as memorable as they come after the 2020 No.2 draft pick kicked five goals and gathered 16 disposals to announce himself on the big stage. The then 18-year-old caused all sorts of headaches for the Hawthorn defence, booting three goals in the second term to help the Crows establish a 32-point buffer midway through the third quarter. But the Hawks weren't to be denied, holding the visitors to just two behinds in the last quarter to fly home and win their Anzac Day clash by three points. Jacob Koschitzke, playing just his fifth AFL game, matched Thilthorpe with five majors in a dominant performance. - Brandon Cohen
9) Ebert holds his nerve in final seconds, 2007
Hawthorn looked home when it led by seven points with less than a minute on the clock, but Port Adelaide had other ideas in a thrilling finish. Hawks star Jordan Lewis had a chance to put the game beyond doubt but squandered a set shot late, giving his side a seven-point buffer with two minutes to play. Port took the game on, streaming into attack where Daniel Motlop kicked a crucial goal to draw the Power to within a point. Then, with just seconds remaining, Port won the ball from the centre where Troy Chaplin thumped it long to Brett Ebert who marked in the pocket. With the clock ticking down to five seconds, Ebert took his shot – 15m out on a sharp angle – and kicked truly to give his side the thrilling five-point victory. - Alison O'Connor
8) Incredible bounce steals draw for Hawks, 2017
Both sides had their chances to win this see-sawing encounter, with Hawthorn leading by 15 points at the last change before GWS fought back with five goals in the final term. With the momentum on their side, the Giants led by 13 points with five minutes remaining and seemed headed for victory, only for the Hawks to hit back again. Luke Breust kicked a goal and a behind to draw his team within six points, before unlikely hero Will Langford's snap kick from 30m out miraculously bounced over the head of Heath Shaw in the goalsquare to level the scores with seconds left on the clock. The Hawks, wearing a pink guernsey in support of Tasmanians affected by cancer, had one last roll of the dice but their appeal for a rushed behind as the siren sounded fell on deaf ears. Incredibly, it was the Giants' second stalemate in a row after also drawing with Geelong the previous week. - Brandon Cohen
7) Tassie Kangaroos win on AFLW debut, 2017
After a joint bid from North Melbourne and Tasmania to join the AFLW in 2017, the Kangaroos got off to a winning start with a dominant 36-point win over Carlton at North Hobart Oval. The club's pitch for an AFLW license was built on plans to draw a sizeable number of its players from Tasmania, and one of the locals provided arguably the highlight of a memorable day. Brittany Gibson, a product of the Burnie Dockers, nailed a goal on the run in the fourth quarter and celebrated in style as teammates flocked around her, much to the delight of the 5000 fans in attendance. - Martin Smith
6) Cox steers Eagles past Roos in a nailbiter, 2012
A see-sawing battle in Hobart, highlighted by an extraordinary display from ruckman Dean Cox, saw West Coast sneak home by two points over North Melbourne despite trailing for most of the match. The Kangaroos led by as much as six goals in the second term but the one-two punch of Cox and Nic Naitanui ultimately proved too much for a gallant Todd Goldstein, who essentially took them on solo. The final minutes of the match summed up Cox's dominance all over the ground. With three minutes left, he took a pack mark inside 50 and kicked his third goal to put the Eagles in front by a point before he bobbed up on the wing to take another crucial mark, his 14th of the match. As North made one final surge forward in the dying seconds, Cox's 15th mark on the defensive 50 line was the game-saver for the Eagles, with their star tall finishing with 24 hitouts, 21 disposals, 15 marks, three goals and two goal assists. - Martin Smith
5) Tassie's famous State of Origin triumph, 1990
Plenty of passion poured from the Tasmanian side and 18,651 locals as they faced Victoria at North Hobart Oval. With the Apple Isle 'relegated' out of Division One at the national carnival two years earlier and then suffering a 56-point loss to their northern neighbour in 1989's State of Origin clash, the Tasmanians were desperate to prove their football credentials in this David and Goliath encounter. After trailing by one point at half-time, the Big V wasted multiple opportunities in the third quarter, kicking 1.7 to Tasmania's 5.2, and then could do nothing in the final term as Tassie banged on another eight goals. Often maligned big man James Manson was the best for the home side, while Bernard Toohey was listed as Victoria's best, despite being wayward in front of goal to finish with 3.7. - Howard Kimber
4) North down Dees in high-scoring thriller, 2016
Fans of high-scoring footy were in for a treat in this early-season Blundstone Arena clash that was defined by the strong wind sweeping across the ground. North booted eight goals to two in the first quarter – including the first seven of the game – to take a 36-point lead at the first change. Undeterred, the Demons responded with seven unanswered majors of their own to open the second term, en route to a seven-point lead at half-time. Both sides went toe-to-toe until the final siren, combining for a total of 41 goals that ended in a five-point North Melbourne win. Demon Billy Stretch had a last-gasp snap to win the game but the siren sounded just before his kick and the Kangas held on. Brent Harvey kicked six goals and Todd Goldstein booted five to go with 19 disposals and 38 hitouts, while Dean Kent (four majors), Jesse Hogan and Jack Watts (three apiece) did the damage for the Demons. - Michael Rogers
3) Giants sink the Swans in heart-stopping final, 2021
With COVID restrictions keeping September action out of New South Wales, 2021's second elimination final was sent to UTAS Stadium in Launceston. A crowd of 8,635 locals sat down to watch a ripping contest that see-sawed early before the Giants forged a four-goal break at half-time. The Swans cut the margin when play resumed and it looked like GWS would be overrun when its lead was slashed to just seven points early in the final term. Sydney continued to attack but could only manage six more behinds – the last a match-saving point rushed by a diving Harry Perryman. The Giants' celebrations were soured somewhat when star Toby Greene was cited, and subsequently suspended, for an infamous umpire-contact incident. - Howard Kimber
2) Sirengate, 2006
One of the most controversial finishes to a VFL/AFL game ever, the final outcome from a bizarre afternoon in Launceston came more than 72 hours later, when the AFL Commission retrospectively awarded victory to Fremantle despite the match with St Kilda initially being declared a draw. With the Dockers leading by a point and the ball in St Kilda's forward 50, the clock ticked down to zero as a stoppage was called 40m out from goal. But none of the on-field umpires heard the siren from the timekeeper and allowed play to continue, much to the fury of incredulous Freo players, some of whom had started to celebrate a one-point win. From the resulting ball-up, Steven Baker's shot on goal missed to the left just as Fremantle's Daniel Gilmore bumped him late, tying the scores and leading the umpires to declare the game a draw. As a furious Freo coach Chris Connolly entered the field of play, Baker was awarded a free kick due to Gilmore's late hit and given the option of cancelling his behind and having another shot on goal to win the game. Baker accepted and the behind was voided, temporarily restoring Freo's one-point lead, before his resulting free kick drifted to the right, tying the scores again. As mass confusion reigned on the field and in the days that followed, the AFL ruled that the timekeeper had erred in not continuing to sound the siren until the on-field umpires heard it, and determined that natural justice should see the Dockers awarded a one-point win. - Martin Smith
1) Buddy's big bag of thirteeeeen, 2012
"Thirteen! Thirteeeeeeen!" Anthony Hudson's iconic call will forever be synonymous with Lance Franklin's monster day out in Launceston as the champion forward booted a career-best 13 goals in round 10, 2012. In one of the best individual performances in recent history, Buddy feasted on a hapless North Melbourne, booting one goal in the first quarter before nailing five in the second, four in the third and three in the fourth, with his last two majors coming in the final minute of Hawthorn's 115-point demolition. Buddy's 13.4 remains an AFL record at the venue. - Brandon Cohen
