An often-heard complaint about the AFL fixturing for games in Launceston is, 'look at the teams playing, why would I go to that?'.
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It is a phrase which the Tasmania Devils will hope to kill.
UTAS Stadium's long-term tenants Hawthorn have commonly played weak opposition and/or teams based in far-away states like Western Australia and Queensland.
Fremantle, for example, have played 13 games at the venue, which is one more than St Kilda. A team that previously called Launceston home.
Brisbane and Port Adelaide are next on the list and Gold Coast - a club that have never reached finals - have played six roster season games in their 13-year history, which is more than Sydney and as many as Essendon, Carlton, Geelong, Richmond, Melbourne and Collingwood combined.
Tasmania Football Club chair Grant O'Brien again insisted that the Devils would be playing four games in Launceston when they join the AFL in 2028 and said the change in dynamic will revitalise crowd numbers.
"It's planned at this stage whilst there are 11 home games envisaged, there'll be four of those roster games played in Launceston ... and there'll be seven games at this stage played in Hobart," he said.
"We know the economic benefit that comes when games are played and that will be off the charts compared to what we've experienced historically.
"Because you haven't had the Collingwoods playing here, you haven't had the Essendons, Carltons and Richmonds playing here against a local team.
"So we expect that the economic benefit will outstrip the benefit that Launceston has seen, for instance, with Hawthorn."
The Hawks play St Kilda, GWS, Fremantle and North Melbourne in this year's AFL home and away season.
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