SFL out to dethrone the north as the powerhouse of Tasmanian football ahead of their Tri-Series showdown at North Hobart Oval on Saturday
The SFL has hit back at the “fighting words” from the north this week ahead of their regional football Tri-Series decider on Saturday. What was said.
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The gauntlet has been thrown in the lead-up to the 2025 regional Tri-Series “grand final” between the SFL and NTFA at North Hobart on Saturday with the former’s president David O’Byrne saying a victory to the south would confirm it as the new powerhouse of Tasmanian football.
The SFL boss said it would be “enormous” to get the win over the NTFA, which beat the NWFL in game one, two weeks before the SFL travelled to Penguin to beat the northwest in game two.
O’Byrne said footy pride was on the line.
“The north versus south rivalry is back, and it’s a positive rivalry,” O’Byrne said.
“But bragging rights for state footy are back on the line – we are almost turning back the clock really to the good old days of regional rivalry.
“To win this game would be enormous for the south.”
The job was only half done.
“We had a young team that went up to the NorthWest and played in tough weather conditions, and everyone said we wouldn’t beat them (NWFL),” O’Byrne said.
“In fact, some of the cheeky locals up there referred to it as our B-team, and we beat them — both women and men won, which was fantastic.”
The north is now in the crosshairs.
“For the past decade the Launceston football community has been bragging about how they have the best teams and best players in the state,” O’Byrne said.
“Well this will be the true judge of that. We get to play them at North Hobart Oval at full strength, so we will give it a really good crack.”
With tickets to the game capped at $5, O’Byrne has revealed why he brought back the heritage representative jumper for the 2025 regional tri-series.
Until this year, southern representative teams had worn the mid-blue jumper with yellow V.
In a case of what’s old is new again, O’Byrne made the change to the darker royal blue with yellow V worn by southern rep teams in the 1970s and early 1980s.
“Sometimes people forget about the rich history of Tassie football, and want to get something new, a newer model or new design,’” he said.
‘We should really celebrate our football heritage and value it and respect it and celebrate it.
“It’s a way to pay our respects to all those players who wore that jumper representing the south against the north and north-west.
“For the Premier League, it’s the first opportunity to have a really good, proper rep series in 20 years.”
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