Hobart Football Club
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| Full name | Hobart Football Club |
| Nickname | Lions |
| Strip |
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| Founded | 19 December 1944 |
| Sport | Australian rules football |
| League | Southern Football League (Tasmania) |
| First season | {{{firstseason}}} |
| Ground | TCA Ground |
| Club song | Hobart Forever Boys! (Tune:'Anchors Aweigh') |
| President/Chair | Philip Baker |
| Coach | Andrew Lamprill |
| Captain | Daniel Gray |
| 2006 | 4th |
Hobart Football Club is an Australian Rules Football club based in Hobart, Tasmania.
Contents |
[edit] Club history
The Hobart Football Club was formed at a meeting at The Continental in Hobart on 19 December 1944, and became a playing member of the Tasmanian Football League in 1945. Hobart played under the emblem 'Tigers' and wore a Black & Gold playing strip. The Tigers lost every game in its first season under coach Cecil Geappen and were similarly unsuccessful in 1946. In 1947 Hobart made the Grand Final but were beaten by North Hobart.
The club were to become a prominent finallist over the following 20 years, missing out only twice between 1947-1966, along the way collecting six TFL premierships, a State Premiership and losing four grand finals.
In 1966 Hobart defeated Glenorchy by 1-point in a thrilling Grand Final before 16,699-people. However, hard times were to hit the Tigers, with the club finishing on the bottom of the ladder from 1967-1971. In 1972 Hobart were languishing at the foot of the ladder midway through the season (and copping enormous press criticism) before staging a monolithical comeback to win all bar one game from that point and making it to the Preliminary Final before losing to New Norfolk by 4-points.
[edit] Appleton's Army Of 1973
After a similarly poor start to 1973, Hobart under coach Allan Appleton managed to scrape together enough wins to scrape into the Final Four. After a series of exciting wins during the finals series, the Tigers were to face up to the might of the Rod Olsson led Sandy Bay.
The Seagulls, on the back of Premierships in 1971 and 1972 had won 20 consecutive matches in 1973 (28 in a row since 1972) and were considered the hottest premiership favourites in TFL history.
So confident of success were Sandy Bay, that their banner read "21 Today! 21 Today!" and they had organised a Premiership Dinner for several hundred people at the new Wrest Point Casino for that evening.
Hobart came out and put relentless pressure on Sandy Bay, and as history would have it, Appleton's Army stunned the 14,720-people on Grand Final Day. Sandy Bay were to crack in monumental circumstances as Hobart raced away to win the 1973 premiership by 20-points in the greatest boilover in Tasmanian football history.
Hobart were to have more finals appearances during the 1970s but problems were on the horizon.
In 1978 and 1979 the Club were to, once again, finish last, but turned it all around the following year under new coach Paul Sproule to firstly take out the Winfield Statewide Cup, beating Clarence in the Grand Final at North Hobart Oval
Hobart also won the TFL Premiership over Glenorchy by 35-points in front of 17,111-fans which to this day is the largest crowd to ever witness Hobart play.
1981 saw a further finals appearance but with legendary TFL & AFL full forward Peter Hudson coming out of retirement to boot 14-goals in the last three quarters for Glenorchy the Tigers were to bow out in the 1st Semi Final.
1982 saw the Club enter more dark times with the TFL forcing the club to leave the TCA Ground under new ground rationalisation plans for the League, Hobart were forced to play at Glenorchy's King George V Park until 1986, whereby the club finished last between 1982-1985, before a rejuvination under new coach Peter Hudson in 1986 in the first year of Statewide football resulting in a finals appearance where the Tigers were beaten by 70-points by North Hobart in the Elimination Final 1987 saw Hobart play all of its home matches at the North Hobart Oval and continue on in fine fashion making the finals.
Firstly defeating the Burnie Hawks in the Elimination Final at King George V Park on a thundery afternoon, the Tigers were up against the might of Clarence the following week at the same venue in the 1st Semi Final.
In an enthralling game which was tight from the outset, Hobart's Alastair Lynch (who later went onto have a stirring AFL career with Fitzroy and the Brisbane Lions) was felled by Clarence's Greg Farquhar deep into to time on and was stretchered from the field. Tiger full-forward (and the TFL's all-time greatest goalkicker) Wayne Fox took the resultant free kick, but the field umpire incorrectly failed to pay the manadatory 15-metre penalty after Farquahar was reported.
As history would have it, Fox struggling to get the distance on the kick missed slightly, seconds later the siren sounded and Hobart went down by 4-points with Tiger fans roaring their enormous displeasure at the umpires after the match.
Former Sydney Swans and South Melbourne legend Mark Browning was to take over the reigns at Hobart as Captain-Coach in 1988.
Attendances were continuing to rise and the onfield results continued to improve with the club heading the ladder midway through 1988 after defeating North Hobart by 114-points at North Hobart Oval before losing 6 out of it's last 7 matches to incredibly, miss the finals.
The Tigers were solid throughout most of the 1989 season and made a barnstorming finish to make the Grand Final against North Hobart, at one stage leading by 40-points in the second quarter of the decider before the Demons raced away to win the premiership by 30-points.
In 1990 Hobart were to finally have their revenge, and assembling arguably their greatest ever squad, the Tigers won their first five matches of the season before suffering from a mid-season slump.
Hobart started to hit form after a strong win over Clarence at Bellerive Oval, then going on a rampage with a series of strong wins leading into the finals series.
The Tigers lost the Qualifying Final to North Launceston at Aurora Stadium before recording exciting victories over Sandy Bay and Clarence before facing North Launceston again in the Grand Final.
After a tight first three quarters where both sides were level at the three-quarter time, Hobart produced arguably their most dominant quarter of football in their history, given the level of the competition at that time, booting 10-6 to 1-2 in the last quarter to win by 58-points.
After two further finals appearances in 1991 & 1992, the latter producing another Grand Final loss to North Hobart, this time by 28-points. The Tigers were to never again make a TFL finals appearance.
Former Melbourne player Simon Eishold was appointed Coach in 1993 but resigned before the season started and Greg Lane was given the nod as coach, during mid-season club legend Wayne Petterd was to take over the job after Lane resigned.
From 1993 Hobart Football Club were to flounder badly on the field, and in 1994 suffer from disastrous financial problems off field after running into massive problems with the Australian Taxation Office, also suffering from a large drop in attendances - Hobart's average home crowds from 1993-1996 fell to just over 920 - as on field performances remained poor.
Wayne Petterd resigned as coach after a big loss to Launceston at the TCA Ground in 1996 and former Clarence legend and William Leitch Medallist Gary Williamson became the club's last TFL coach.
An exodus of more the 40 players from the Tigers Senior & Reserves sides over the summer of 1996-1997 as doubts grew about the longterm viability of the club and player dissatisfaction with the board saw Hobart sink to its knees.
Hobart were to field a very young side for the 1997 season, but failed to win a match in either the Senior or Reserves competition, with the Under 19's making it to the 1st Semi Final.
The TFL had already decided to axe the club after 53-seasons in the League, the Hobart Tigers final TFL appearance was on 23 August 1997 where the Tigers lost 11.6 (72) to North Hobart 18.12 (120) before 1864-fans at North Hobart Oval
[edit] Hobart Joins The Southern Football League
1998 saw Hobart join the SFL under coach Ray O'Rourke. As a prerequisite of joining the League the club were forced to abandon their traditional jumper and Tigers emblem because of Kingston already laying claim to that emblem in the League.
1999 saw Hobart, under Steven Gilbee take out their first SFL Premiership by defeating Brighton by 51-points at Huonville Recreation Ground before 3896-fans on Grand Final day. Hobart won a club record 18 wins for that season.
Hobart's 2000 campaign got underway in fine style winning 15 out of their first 16 matches for the season before enormous injury problems plagued the side late in the season.
Hobart finished minor premiers but were defeated by New Norfolk by 1-point in the 1st Qualifying Final, later defeating Cygnet by 70-points in the 2nd Semi Final the following week before bowing out to eventual premier Kermandie in the rain at Pontville Oval in the Preliminary Final by 8-points.
The club continued to find heartbreak in finals, bowing out to Brighton in the 1st Semi Final in 2001 by 1-point.
The club failed to make the finals in 2002 and coach Steven Gilbee retired as player and coach, with the club giving him a stylish send off and a 55-point win over Glenorchy in the final roster match.
Hobart signed Michael 'Jock' McGregor as coach in 2003 and the club had a rollercoaster season, winning several matches early in the season before winning just two out of its final ten matches going into the finals.
Hobart rallied to defeat Glenorchy and New Norfolk, then Clarence by 1-point in an epic Preliminary Final at North Hobart Oval.
Grand Final day was a disastrous one for Hobart, who had three hard finals matches in the lead-up, including only a five day break between matches, whereby, its opponent North Hobart were well rested and were able to add listed Tasmanian Devils players to its line up on the day.
The result saw North Hobart win by a record 110-points in front of just 4,289-people at North Hobart Oval.
In 2004 Hobart were relatively uncompetitive for the greater part but scraped into the finals, playing Kingborough (Kingston) in the Elimination Final at North Hobart Oval losing by 25-points.
This was to be the final match Hobart Football Club would play in its traditional colours.
[edit] Tigers Or Lions? - The Big Split
After five seasons without their beloved Tiger identity, Hobart's financial members and supporters emplored with new president Philip Baker to make every effort possible during 2003 to regain the former emblem and former playing strip. Upon hearing the news that every effort would be made to fight the League and Kingborough over the denial of Hobart's true identity, membership almost doubled from the previous year.
However, there were rumblings within the club mid-season in 2004 that moves were afoot to change the colours of the club and align itself with AFL powerhouse Brisbane Lions.
Many supporters were clearly angry and crowd attendances plummeted during the season. Late in the season a group of Senior players and outgoing coach Micheal McGregor were making statements in the press agitating for change, which threatened to split an already fractured club even further.
In a bloody coup of which split the club permanently down the middle - and to this day the hatred and bitterness is still extremely evident - a meeting on 1 December 2004 saw the club elect to adopt a Brisbane Lions playing jumper and use the Lions logo for the future of the club. A large number of long-time supporters walked away in disgust and have never returned, whilst some past players have returned to the club to assist, it has to be said, the relationship between all parties is extremely strained and at times very bitter, and an almost apartheid atmosphere exists between pro-Tiger and pro-Lions fans.
The Lions first season was a poor one missing the finals and winning few games, including a 60th Anniversary Commemoration match at the TCA Ground on 14 May against Glenorchy in which Hobart would don their original Tiger jumpers for the last time.
A better than normal crowd attended, but many old Tiger fans elected to boycott the match in protest which was won by Glenorchy by 24-points. 2006 was a more productive one after mid-season dramas with the club's sacking of coach Ian Wilson after a player revolt, 1990 Hobart premiership player and former Melbourne Demons AFL player Andrew Lamprill took over as coach and the Lions made a gradual improvement, making it to the 1st Semi Final before losing to New Norfolk at Boyer Oval.
[edit] Home Ground, Club Records & Achievements
TCA Ground 1945-1982 and 1998-present; King George V Park 1983-1986 North Hobart Oval 1987-1997
- Formed: 19 December 1944
- Colours: Maroon, Gold & Blue (Formerly Black & Gold)
- Nickname: Lions (2005-2007) Tigers (1945-1997)
- Club Song: "Hobart Forever Boys!" (Tune: Anchors Aweigh)
- Tasmanian State Premierships
- Winfield Statewide Cup Champions
- Southern Football League Premierships
- Southern Football League Runners-Up
- William Leitch Medallists
- Darrel Baldock Medallists
- 1990 Michael Winter
- V.A Geard Medallists
- D.R.Plaister Medallists
- 1986 Simon Sproule
- TANFL/TFL Statewide League Leading Goalkicker
- SFL Leading Goalkickers
- 1999 Dale Hall (88)
- Record Home Attendance - TANFL
- 8,760 v New Town on 14 June 1949 at TCA Ground
- Record Home Attendance - TFL Statewide League
- 3,931 v Clarence on 5 May 1990 at North Hobart Oval
- Record Finals Attendance - TANFL
- 17,111 v Glenorchy on 22 August 1980 in the TFL Grand Final at North Hobart Oval
- Record Finals Attendance - TFL Statewide League
- 16,563 v North Hobart on 16 September 1989 in the TFL Grand Final at North Hobart Oval
- Record Finals Attendance - Southern Football League
- 4,289 v North Hobart on 20 September 2003 in the SFL Grand Final at North Hobart Oval
- Hobart FC Club Record Score
- TFL 31.17 (203) v South Launceston 15.21 (111) on 25 August 1990 at Aurora Stadium
- SFL 36.14 (230) v Channel 10.6 (66) on 7 April 2000 at TCA Ground
- Hobart FC Club Record Quarter
- TFL 13.3 (81) v North Launceston (4th Quarter) on 19 July 1986 at Aurora Stadium
- SFL 14.3 (87) v Channel (4th Quarter) on 7 April 2000 at TCA Ground
[edit] External links
Premier League:
Brighton Robins Clarence Roos Glenorchy Magpies Hobart Lions Kingborough Tigers Lauderdale Bombers New Norfolk Eagles North Hobart Demons
Regional League:
Central Hawks Channel Saints Claremont Magpies Cygnet "The Port" Dodges Ferry Sharks Huonville Lions Kermandie Robins Lindisfarne Blues Sorell Eagles Triabunna Roos
