Hobart Football Club intending to field stand-alone reserves side in 2023

The Hobart Football Club have provided an update on its future just two weeks out from the start of the Southern Football League season.

Hobart Football Club president Josh Munting. Picture: Kenji Sato

Those calling for a restructure of Tasmanian football have had more fuel added to their fire with another proud club set to disappear from senior competition in 2023.

After months of speculation, the Hobart Football Club is set to begin discussions with SFL officials this week around its intentions to field a stand-alone reserves side this season and remove itself from the senior division just two weeks out from their first game.

Hobart played in a senior elimination final just three years ago, pictured here Lindisfarne's Dane Bailey is tackled by Tigers’ Lachlan Plumber. Picture: Zak Simmonds

Despite seven new players committing to the club on Monday night, taking the total number to around 20, club president Josh Munting said he intended to begin dialogue with the league around removing themselves from the senior competition for this season with the plan to form a subcommittee that would work to see them return to senior football in 2024.

“The feel at Monday’s training was fantastic with a number of returning players, as well as a number of new players, willing to step up and support our club,” Munting said.

“We will look to provide an indication to the SFL later in the week and I’m optimistic the club will be in a position to field a stand-alone reserves side, similar to the position taken by the Brighton Football Club in 2019.”

Longtime senior player Dylan Huxley has taken over the coaching reigns from Alex Gilmour. Picture: Zak Simmonds

Home to former and current AFL players including Ian Stewart, Alastair Lynch, Aaron Hall and Jeremy Howe and boasting 10 senior premierships, the Tigers have been in a state of turmoil since early February following the announcement that former senior coach Alex Gilmour was standing down due to “personal reasons”.

The club then appointed longtime senior player Dylan Huxley as his replacement but have been unable to build numbers up to a point where they will be able to field two sides this season.

With a number of senior contracted players informing the club they would not return over the summer, The Mercury understands Hobart will allow those players to play football elsewhere this season on the condition they are playing or in consideration to play regular senior football for their new club in 2023.

Former captain Brad Joseph is one player believed to be playing elsewhere this season. Picture: Linda Higginson

Hobart hasn’t been the only club in a state of struggle throughout the summer with 2016 Tasmanian State League (TSL) premiers Glenorchy set to field just a senior side in the state’s top flight football competition this year and longtime SFL-powerhouse New Norfolk also believed to have seen lower player numbers than usual early in the pre-season.

There has been no indication however from either the Eagles or the league that they won’t field two teams.

The SFL season is set to kick-off on Good Friday with Hobart originally scheduled to face Cygnet in the opening round.