Devils to debut on Coast

THE North-West Coast will get the first chance to see the new-look Tasmanian Devils in action, with Penguin to host the state’s first home under-18 game.

The Devils, returning to the yet to be renamed TAC Cup full-time this year, will play their first home game at Penguin’s Dial Sports Complex against the Calder Cannons on Sunday, April 14.

The Devils’ football manager Craig Notman said hosting the first game on the North-West Coast was a win for the region following the withdrawal of Devonport and Burnie from the TSL.

“With the two state league clubs going we are trying to have a real major focus from a talent point of view and with a great facility we saw it as a really great opportunity to throw our first game up there,” Notman said.

“It is one the boys from up that way are pretty excited about.

“Having the facility at Penguin, it is top notch and I think the travelling side will be pretty surprised to rock up to a venue with a surface and facilities such as that. It will be a great one to see them roll into, it will be great.”

Being on a Sunday, Notman said the match will be a standalone fixture.

“We just wanted to try and give as much exposure to the kids as we can and give plenty of footy people the opportunity to see the kids rolling around so that will be a good one,” he said.

The Devils’ first two games will be against the Sydney Swans Academy at Blacktown on March 30 followed by a clash with the NT Thunder in Melbourne on April 7.

Both these games will count towards the Devils’ standing on the TAC Cup ladder, however the NT and the other academy sides, the Swans, GWS Giants, Brisbane Lions and Gold Coast teams, will only play a handful of games against TAC Cup teams. A squad of 30 Allies players are already in training for the under-18 national championships mid-year, but this squad will increase to 50 following the opening few rounds of the season.

“We are hopeful we will get a few additions to the group of six we’ve got at the moment,” Notman said. “I’m pretty confident we’ve got a few more to slot into that group.”