BRING IT HOME
Push to hold Tassie’s first AFLW game at footy’s spiritual home
A PUSH is on to convince Melbourne-based football administrators that the Tassie Kangaroos’ first game in the AFLW early next year should be held at the sport’s spiritual home, North Hobart Oval.
Amid concerns the AFL might schedule the Roos’ first game in Victoria and suggestions by administrators that North Hobart Oval might not be up to scratch, fans are demanding Tasmanians come together to ensure the historic occasion actually happens.
North Hobart Football Club president Craig Martin said it was a no-brainer to schedule the game where so much of Tasmania’s football history had been created.
“It would be absolutely sensational, and great for the city,” Mr Martin said.
Hobart City Council general manager Nick Heath said he was “really keen” to secure the event.
“We would love to see the first AFLW game played at the spiritual home of football,” Mr Heath said. “We’ve spent a bit over $3 million on that ground in upgra- ding the playing surface, the lights and scoreboard.”
AFL Tasmania chief executive Trisha Squires said the first game played by the team in Tassie would be a historic moment.
“What we want to see is as many people turn up to the game and get behind the women’s team,” Ms Squires said.
We are really keen to see it happen, we would love to see the first AFLW game played at the spiritual home of football
— NICK HEATH
FOR nearly a century, North Hobart Oval was Tasmania’s field of dreams, now the push is on to make it the home of the state’s joint AFLW team.
The North Melbourne-Tasmania Kangaroos will enter the competition next season, and there is a groundswell of support for the team’s first game and training base to be the spiritual home of Tasmanian football.
But first there needs to be a $500,000 upgrade of the three sets of change rooms at the venue to make them female friendly.
The Hobart City Council has applied for $250,000 of State Government funding through the Levelling the Playing Field program aimed at making Tasmanian sporting venues female friendly, with the council and AFL Tasmania to round out the balance.
General manager Nick Heath said the council was right behind a return of top flight football to North Hobart Oval.
“We are really keen to see it happen, we would love to see the first AFLW game played at the spiritual home of football,” Mr Heath said.
“We have met the deadline for the Levelling the Playing Field funding for an application for North Hobart because we think it would be fantastic for the first AFLW game played at North Hobart Oval.
“The main issue is the change rooms as we’ve spent a bit over $3 million on that ground in upgrading the playing surface, the lights and scoreboard.
“It is now really just getting the application through for the change rooms.”
The North Hobart Football Club president Craig Martin said the club had been in “positive” talks with the State Government, AFL Tasmania and the Kangaroos about the ground hosting the game.
Mr Martin said it was a nobrainer to schedule the game where so much of Tasmanian football history was created.
“It would be absolutely brilliant,” Mr Martin said.
“I don’t want to disparage other venues but I think a lot of people quite rightly still believe North Hobart is the spiritual home of footy in the state.
“It is just a fantastic venue and so close to the CBD of Hobart.
“It is close to the restaurant strip in Elizabeth Street in North Hobart.
“Can you imagine in February, a nice, warm summer’s evening, people go for a meal and a drink up there in North Hobart and then just walk down to the ground?
“It would be absolutely sensational and great for the city.”
The State Government pledged $300,000 to the club to upgrade the kiosk near the terraces during the last election.
The main opposition is be- lieved to be Kingston’s Twin Ovals.
Mr Martin said with the upgrades to the kiosk and the change rooms, the North Hobart Oval would be good to go.
“I think all the parties agree it is the best venue,” he said.
“It is central, obviously there is no cricket played there, which pretty much rules out Blundstone and KGV Oval, we have been given some very positive feedback about North Hobart being the venue.”
AFL Tasmania chief executive Trisha Squires said North Melbourne’s recommendations would be factored into where the Roos play.
“What we want to see is as many people turn up to the game and get behind the women’s team because that is going to be really important and the first game that is played in Tassie I think is an important moment in time for Tassie footy,” Ms Squires said.
“Certainly North Hobart Oval is one of those top preferences of grounds here, definitely.”
A North Melbourne spokesman said North Hobart Oval was “one of a number of preferences” for games in southern Tasmania.
The AFL is yet to release any dates for next season’s AFLW competition.
SOMETIME early next year, a football team with the word Tasmania in its name will run on to the field in a legitimate AFL competition – a first for our footy-mad state.
That first game by the North Melbourne Tassie Kangaroos in the AFLW will be a significant moment in our state’s sporting history.
And what better way to mark the occasion than to ensure it happens at North Hobart Oval, the ground where the greatest of Tasmania’s footy memories was created, on June 24, 1990 when the famous “Map” downed Victoria in front of 18,651 fans.
That 33-point victory gave us the confidence as a state that one day we could field our own team in the men’s national competition, a dream that lives on today – and by most accounts is closer than ever to actually coming true. But it’s more than just one game that makes North Hobart so meaningful, of course. As sports editor Brett Stubbs reminds us on page 9 today, it was also the venue for the 1979 grand final between Glenorchy and Clarence, a contest that drew what remains the biggest crowd ever to a footy game in Tassie: 24,968. North Hobart Oval is indeed football’s spiritual home in Tassie. And as such it would be the perfect venue in late summer early next year to debut a women’s team wearing blue-and-white jumpers with the words “Tassie Kangaroos” emblazoned on them.
It would also be a great afternoon out: with the Oval being so close to the North Hobart restaurants and bars you can just imagine what an event this could be.
But it’s far from a done deal. As our reporting explains today, the decision on where to play that first game is up to the North Melbourne Football Club and
What better way to mark this latest significant moment in our sporting history than to ensure it happens at North Hobart Oval.
the AFL. They will decide the venue on a number of factors, not the least of which will be cost.
A North Melbourne spokesman said North Hobart was just one of a number of possible venues. The other southern key contender is understood to be the Twin Ovals in Kingston, and there is no doubt the North Melbourne administrators will do all they can to ensure the managers of both venues cut them the best possible commercial deal. And, look, there is nothing wrong with the Twin Ovals. It’s a terrific venue with a first-class playing surface that has seen it become the go-to ground for footy in Hobart when Blundstone Arena is off-limits over summer due to cricket.
But this first game will be a historic occasion. It demands a historic venue. And there’s none better when it comes to Tassie footy than North Hobart, with both its history and its historic grandstands.
There remains another sticking point too: the changerooms at North Hobart need some urgent work to make them female-friendly. The State Government has been asked to stump up half the $500,000 cost, with the remainder shared by the Hobart City Council and AFL Tasmania. We hope this happens quickly.
Hobart City Council general manager Nick Heath says the council is “really keen” to see the first game played at the venue. He should back in that talk with a sharp commercial offer to North Melbourne.
And then, deal done, it will be up to all Hobartians to get out and support the Roos women as they write another chapter in the grand history of Tassie footy.