UTAS Stadium’s biggest ever pre-game entertainment show warmed up the crowd for Launceston’s first night-time home and away AFL game.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Footy fans waited in long queues to enter the ground more than an hour before the first bounce of the Hawthorn versus St Kilda contest.
Fans were treated to a low-scoring scrap of a contest between the teams, before Hawthorn broke away in the last quarter to win by 35 points.
The pre-game festivities brought a touch of glamour to the occasion.
Hawthorn's Tasmanian operations manager David Cox spearheaded the pre-game entertainment, which featured ARIA award-winning singer Samantha Jade and the “biggest” AFL fireworks display ever.
Mr Cox said he had never seen so many people at a Launceston AFL game so long before the first bounce.
“It was a phenomenal atmosphere and everyone was dancing in their seats for Samantha Jade,” he said.
“We had such a large number so early and it was a great indication about how much people were looking forward to the show.
“This was our marquee game for the year so put an emphasis on making it a bigger pre-game event.”
Kath and Alice Andrews were two fans who entered the stadium early for the game.
Ms Andrews said she took her nine-year-old daughter Alice to an interstate Saints game every year.
The Melbourne natives were impressed with the atmosphere at UTAS Stadium.
“We’re a long-time Saints supporting family and every year we choose one new destination [to see a game],” Ms Andrews said.
“This was our new destination, because we hadn’t been to Launceston before.
“We’ve been impressed by the number of people who travelled and the Saints community here.
“We went to the pre-Saints function at the [Invermay] bowls club and it was the best function like that we’ve been to.”
Alice said there were “way more saints supporters than I thought there would be”.
However, not everyone was impressed with the evening’s pre-game entertainment.
We’ve done everything to show we have the credibility and skills to [host night games in Launceston].
- Hawthorn's Tasmanian operations manager David Cox
Social media users took to Facebook to criticise the fireworks display for only lasting about a minute and a half.
Mr Cox defended the length of the display.
“It’s an expensive exercise to bring fireworks over from the mainland and one-and-a-half minutes is about right,” he said.
“There was a number of different partners who shared the cost for the display.”
Mr Cox believes the first Saturday night AFL game played in Launceston was successful enough to warrant more evening fixtures in the future.
“We’ve done everything to show we have the credibility and skills to [host night games in Launceston],” he said.
“Everyone was really loving the vibe and the atmosphere.”
Hawthorn will next play in Launceston in round 11 against Port Adelaide on Saturday, June 2.
It will be the second of four home and away games played at UTAS Stadium in 2018.
All three remaining games are afternoon fixture