Whole new league of football crowd
By: MARK WORLEY
The two Tasmanian State League games marked a new era for football, which has returned to the statewide format eight years after the demise of the former state league.
But the biggest crowd of the day was for the second-tier Southern Football League game between Brighton and Lindisfarne played under lights at Pontville late yesterday afternoon.
SFL president Paul Harriss said he had heard reports of about 3000 people showing up for the twilight match.
Mr Harriss said he was thrilled with the attendance.
Also in the SFL, a bumper crowd of at
least 1000 people rolled into Shark Park to watch Dodges Ferry take on Kingborough.
``Crowd numbers have been up all over the grounds and as the southern statewide league teams head north for games I think we can pick up even more spectators,'' Mr Harriss said.
At KGV Oval, the return of statewide football was welcomed by a public keen to watch the duel between Launceston and Glenorchy -- last year's northern and southern champions.
The main stand was full and the ``wet area'' was packed.
Unofficial estimates of about 2000 fans made the boisterous crowd one of the highest attendances at a non-AFL or VFL match in Tasmania in recent years.
AFL Tasmania chairman Dominic Baker was there and was thrilled at the public support for the new league.
``I have got to say, I was pleasantly surprised by the size of the crowd when I got to the ground,'' Mr Baker said.
``I brought my son and we couldn't get a park anywhere near the oval.
``I saw people I knew in the crowd who I reckon haven't been to a football game for several years.
``The playing level was a step up from what people have seen for the past few years and the crowd was appropriately loud.
``It was a completely different atmosphere to what we have become used to.''
Glenorchy club president Colin Gardner was equally thrilled.
``There was a great feeling around the ground and it was a big step up from the crowd we have been getting for the past few years,'' Mr Gardner said.
At the other end of the state, perennial northern heavyweights Burnie and North Launceston battled it out in front of a sparse crowd at the spacious Aurora Stadium complex.
A disappointing crowd of rather less than 1000 people attended the game, which North Launceston won by 25 points.
But it was not only statewide league matches being played yesterday. Dozens of regional and country football associations also got their seasons started.
In the club bar at Dodges Ferry people stood three or four deep on the balcony overlooking the ground, while others preferred to stay in their cars or take up a perch on the back of a number of utes.
The crowd was happy to show its love for what Tasmanians call ``country footy''.
At the southern end of the ground, a loud group of former players and supporters set up their regular ``Southern Stand'' viewing position, beer cans in hand.
``We love our footy down here and come to every game,'' one said happily.
Last Modified on 09/04/2009 16:22