In underage rep teams, the north are quite competitive.

I'm not sure if there is a higher drop out rate, but from what has  occurred  in underage football I'd expect the Launceston teams to be more competitive.

I think it was Rangers, but a few years back they had a very good concept for underage development that wasn't available in any club in the  south, apart from Morton's Soccer School which costs a lot of money.

In underage rep football, the north west   have been less competitive. Yet Devonport's senior NPL team has had some very good recent seasons. I think crack players like Brayden Mann and Michael Holden are products of local youth programs on the coast.

@decentric

Yes it appears the northern rep teams are competitive, The person I spoke to was talking more along the lines of the level above when it comes to state representative stuff.

Again I'm only repeating an opinion spoken to me by someone who was state level as a youth, I'm not sure for certain myself.

One of the really  good things the state league has done, is involve Launceston and Devonport teams in Hobart matches.

I don't  know what Anguosi and Tassie Mad think, but the northern  teams have been a breath of fresh air in the south. Some one eyed southern supporters don't  seem to mind them. 

About 30 supporters in each  of six southern clubs hate the guts of all the other one eyed supporters of the other  southern clubs.

This animosity doesn't seem to extend to Launceston City, Northern Rangers and Devonport. Games have a more pleasant atmosphere for the neutral. Refs aren't booed all the time by one eyed supporters.

Southern clubs don't seem to mind losing against northern clubs as much as they do when they lose to each other.

It'll be interesting to see once pro/rel comes in if that drives the northern clubs further. Might give LC and NR abit more of a kick in the pants.

I assume the rivalry down south is one of the major driving forces for those clubs.

I think it's great they're involved. The North-South divide in Tasmania is quite large, so it's interesting to see the different styles of play and obviously the benefits from higher-quality opposition. It can only be better for the game

And re your previous point on Borough youth development, there are indeed quite a few players who I played with in U-17s and U-19s who have progressed to NPL- Louis Verdouw comes to mind. He was always miles ahead of the rest our team

p and r can cure cancer I see?

Victoria Morton's posting augurs well for Tasmanians on national soccer stage

Posted 49 minutes ago

The election of a Tasmanian to a new association representing soccer clubs in the National Premier League (NPL) may help pave the way for local clubs entering the competition.

South Hobart FC president Victoria Morton is one of eight board members of the newly formed Association of Australian Football Clubs (AAFC).

She was elected as deputy chairperson at the association's inaugural annual general meeting.

"We want to have representation for smaller states and the fact I came from Tasmania may have in fact been helpful," she said.

A key objective of the association is pursuing the development of a national second-tier competition in which Tasmanian clubs would participate.

A meeting in Brisbane on July 15 will determine how a second-tier competition would look.

If successful, it is likely one or more existing clubs would take part in the new competition, rather than a composite Tasmanian team.

"I'm not in favour of creating a new franchise," she said.

"Hopefully among the clubs down there there's enough potential and energy from a club, or even two, that would like to get into the second tier of football."

It is believed South Hobart, Olympia Warriors FC and Devonport are all interested in playing in a new national competition.

Football Federation Tasmania agrees that a newly formed state team is not the way forward.

"It would not be our intention for Tasmania to be represented by a state team in any second-tier competition," CEO Mike Palmer said.

The governing body wants more detail before fully backing a national second tier.

"Before we would fully endorse a national second tier we would seek to understand the costs associated with any proposal and how it would be sustainable," Mr Palmer said.

But first, the AAFC needs a seat at the table with the Football Federation of Australia (FFA).

It is hoping to gain representation at the FFA Congress, alongside bodies representing referees and Futsal.

"Before we even think about a second division, we need a voice at the highest level," Ms Morton said.

A-League consortium goes to ground

Tasmanian representation in a national B-League or A2 would be independent of any future Tasmanian A-League team.

Last year it was revealed a consortium headed by Melbourne property developer Harry Stamoulis wanted to place an A-League team in the state.

Hobart City Council general manager Nick Heath told the ABC the "door isn't shut" on a rectangular stadium being built on the Domain.

The consortium presented council with concept plans for a 15,000-seat stadium earlier this year, but has since gone to ground.

"Our door remains open to any proposal, but we are yet to hear back from the consortium since the initial briefing," Mr Heath said.

All eight of Tasmania's NPL clubs are members of the AAFC.

The AAFC represents the interests of more than 30,000 male and female players across 100 NPL clubs across the country.

Victoria Morton's posting augurs well for Tasmanians on national soccer stage - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

It is believed South Hobart, Olympia Warriors FC and Devonport are all interested in playing in a new national competition.

In Hobart the worst thing is that if any of Olympia, Zebra or South Hobart, were the only Hobart club selected to play in HAL2, the supporters from the other two clubs would either boycott games they played, or turn up to support the visiting team!

Hobart Domain is a very windy area on top of a big hill, that would be considered a mountain by standards in Oz.

Vicky Woods/Morton is a smart operator, no doubt. Nevertheless, South have not got  their house in order yet. Football Fed Tas has let them exist for four years in the men's state league without entering a women's team in the state league.

There is little underage development in the club outside her husband, and senior NPL South coach, Ken Morton's Soccer School. His programme is high quality, but not many can afford it.

So we should have one club: Australia

Where do you draw the line?

Heart supporters were people who didn't jump on the one Melbourne team so trying to unite every Tasmanian for one team is a moot effort anyhow. And what if later on down the track a second team is introduced?

Clubs don't need 100% of support. They only have to be viable. As the only A League club for the region they'll have effectively a monopoly on the corporate backing for the code and the elite fans. The squabbling between a few thousand core fans from wearing one set of colours or the next is small change in the scheme of things

There isn't  that level of support where one eyed fans can stop going to games and not effect attendances.

There  aren't a few thousand hard core fans, more like a few hundred. We need all of them on board. They would be the vocal supporters too, who generate ground atmosphere.

Tasmania’s ALeague aspirations took a hit the moment it was revealed they were from Tasmania.

Absolutely nothing wrong with that. That's what football is (should be) all about - rivalry, pride, LOYALTY. 

Not enough left of it in the modern game. 

Poor little Tassie! SA has been through all this long ago. When the NSL started, you would get local Croatians turning up to support Melbourne Knights against Adelaide City. In 2003 it was feared that Adelaide United would be merely a continuation of Adelaide City, and that former Hellas fans wouldn't support them because United weren't "Greek" enough. United managed to rise above all this, though, and managed to represent the whole SA soccer community in a national competition.

When a team steps up to the A League it attracts a casual following that you don't see at the state levels

Some people like to point out the attendances of 100 or 200 at state league games and use it as reason why these teams should never be in the A League. But they are forgetting mainstream appeal / coverage, big name signings, big away teams etc... All the glitz and glamour that is part of the elite scene

The key to Tasmania is not to unite the 100 or 200 fans of each team behind a single brand. Its about establishing a professional presence that will get the backing of commercial partners and investors. It is also about tapping into the tens of thousands who do not go to the state games week in / week out but are elite followers

We saw this with MV. Not just those who didn't want to support the one and only choice (ie- Heart fans). But also those who didn't want to walk away from South Melb etc.. But equally we did see a lot of commercial movement and casual backing


The advantage of picking "real" clubs is it paves the way for second teams, and also multiple tiers. As more options are introduced you'll see a gradual shuffle at the commercial / fan level

If an artificial club is established and it fails, you end up with another Gold Coast. A region marked as a dead zone and waiting years for the radioactive waste to clear before anybody dares enter again

If a real club fails, there are other ready made clubs that can step in or out as required. Success and failure comes at a team level instead of a region level

Hope you are right if we ever get a team.

A few good points made in this post.

Kingborough boy through and through but if I still lived back home I'd turn up to any club on the national stage in a flash

Same boat as you angusozi.

I live in Launceston, and I'm excited by the prospect of Devonport putting their hand up to participate in a national second division.

I'd like to see Borough achieve more success, because they do more work on developing local players.

Others try to buy success.

I'd love to see Devonport get a HAL 2 team as well.

Agreed. I've commented on this earlier, I really hope it pays of for us soon