The final roster for an expanded statewide soccer league has been ticked off by Launceston’s biggest club.
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Following concerns expressed by the presidents of reigning champion Devonport and newcomer Riverside Olympic, Launceston City’s director of football Roger Mies felt Football Federation Tasmania’s hand was dictated by geography.
As a veteran of previous state league incarnations, Mies believed having nine away games in Hobart, one in Devonport and two derbies at Riverside is a reasonable expectation from City’s 24 NPL Tasmania fixtures.
“I agree with where Rod Andrew and Stuey McCarron are coming from but can see the other side,” he said. “With two-thirds of the teams from Hobart, of course there’s going to be a bit of travel for the Northern sides.
“We met with FFT following last season about the inequity in travel for the Northern teams, but nothing has really changed to address this. We can only hope that FFT genuinely address this issue for coming seasons.
“We would of course prefer less travel but just hope it does not get to the point as with previous state leagues in the late ’90s where we were the only Northern team so every second week we were travelling down South which was a big commitment for everyone. Compared to that, this is not so bad.”
Following the decision of Northern Rangers to pull out of the competition, respective Northern and Southern Championship winners Riverside and Glenorchy take the league to nine teams with 27 rounds.
League expansion
Midweek fixtures and more night games are a major feature of the expanded NPL Tasmania competition in 2019.
Following the promotion of respective Northern and Southern Championship winners Riverside Olympic and Glenorchy Knights and the withdrawal of Northern Rangers, the league will consist of nine teams with two-thirds in the South.
With the finalised fixture released by Football Federation Tasmania on Tuesday, the season will be played across 27 rounds, running from March 1 to September 7 with each team playing 24 matches, 12 each home and away, with three byes.
The Launceston-based teams will each have nine games in Hobart with Olympic hosting two of the three derbies and travelling to Devonport twice.
Both also begin their campaigns on the road with the capital hosting all four round 1 fixtures including a KGV triple-header on March 2.
New Olympic head coach Alex Gaetani’s first home match will be on March 9 against fellow newcomers Glenorchy Knights with City’s new boss Peter Sawdon enjoying home comforts for the first time four days later with the visit of champions Devonport Strikers.
The teams’ first statewide derby will be at Prospect on the evening of Wednesday, March 20.
The season will kick-off with big guns Olympia and South Hobart facing off under the Friday night lights of Warrior Park.
The same teams will feature in an ANZAC Day double-header at North Hobart Oval also featuring Hobart Zebras and Glenorchy.
Football Federation Tasmania said the roster features less simultaneous kick-offs in a bid to maximise the exposure and opportunities for fans to attend and follow games.
Two midweek rounds have been scheduled for March following the success of such time-slots in mainland competitions.
FFT chief executive Matt Bulkeley embraced the competition’s new-look make-up.
“The 2019 season will provide football fans with more opportunities than ever before to catch the exciting top-flight action,” he said.
“The inclusion of Riverside and Glenorchy will add a fresh new dimension to the NPL and it is a wonderful opportunity for the players at both clubs to test themselves at a higher level.
“It’s fantastic for Tasmanian football that we have aspirational clubs at either end of the state ready to take the step up to the NPL."
Bulkeley said the feature matches on the past two Anzac Days have been a great success and was delighted to offer fans and players a double-header.
Four fixtures will be played simultaneously on the afternoon of Saturday, September 7, to conclude the competition with Clarence landing the final-round bye.
ROSTER
Round 1
Friday, March 1, 8pm: Olympia v South Hobart (Warrior Park)
Saturday, March 2, 12pm: Clarence v Riverside Olympic (KGV)
Saturday, March 2, 2.15pm: Hobart Zebras v Devonport (KGV)
Saturday, March 2, 4.30pm: Kingborough v Launceston City (KGV)
Glenorchy bye
Round 2
Wednesday, March 6, 6.45pm: South Hobart v Kingborough (Darcy Street)
Thursday, March 7, 8pm: Hobart Zebras v Clarence (KGV)
Saturday, March 9, 2pm: Devonport v Olympia (Valley Road)
Saturday, March 9, 4pm: Riverside Olympic v Glenorchy (Windsor Park)
Launceston City bye
Round 3
Tuesday, March 12, 6pm: South Hobart v Hobart Zebras (Darcy Street)
Wednesday, March 13, 6.30pm: Launceston City v Devonport (Prospect Park)
Wednesday, March 13, 8pm: Kingborough v Clarence (Lightwood Park)
Wednesday, March 13, 8.15pm: Glenorchy v Olympia (KGV)
Riverside Olympic bye
Round 4
Wednesday, April 3, 7pm: Olympia v Clarence (Warrior Park)
Saturday, March 16, 2.15pm: Devonport v Glenorchy (Valley Road)
Saturday, March 16, 4.30pm: Launceston City v South Hobart (Prospect Park)
Saturday, March 16, 2.30pm: Kingborough v Riverside Olympic (Lightwood Park)
Hobart Zebras bye
Round 5
Sunday, March 17, 2.15pm: Hobart Zebras v Olympia (North Hobart Oval)
Wednesday, March 20, 6pm: Clarence v Glenorchy (KGV)
Wednesday, March 20, 6.30pm: Launceston City v Riverside Olympic (Prospect Park)
Devonport and South Hobart bye
Round 6
Saturday, March 23, 1.30pm: Riverside Olympic v Devonport (Windsor Park)
Saturday, March 23, 2.30pm: Clarence v South Hobart (KGV)
Saturday, March 23, 4.30pm: Launceston City v Glenorchy (Prospect Park)
Saturday, March 23, 6pm: Kingborough v Hobart Zebras (Lightwood Park)
Olympia bye
Round 7
Friday, March 29, 8.15pm: Glenorchy v South Hobart (KGV)
Saturday, March 30, 2.30pm: Devonport v Clarence (Valley Road)
Saturday, March 30, 4.15pm: Olympia v Riverside Olympic (Warrior Park)
Saturday, March 30, 4.30pm: Hobart Zebras v Launceston City (KGV)
Kingborough bye
Round 8
Friday, April 5, 8.15pm: Glenorchy v Kingborough (KGV)
Saturday, April 6, 1.30pm: Riverside Olympic v Hobart Zebras (Windsor Park)
Saturday, April 6, 4.30pm: Launceston City v Olympia (Prospect Park)
Sunday, April 7, 2.15pm: South Hobart v Devonport (Darcy Street)
Clarence bye
Round 9
Wednesday, April 10, 8pm: Kingborough v Olympia (Lightwood Park)
Saturday, April 13, 2.15pm: Riverside Olympic v South Hobart (Windsor Park)
Saturday, April 13, 2.30pm: Devonport v Kingborough (Valley Road)
Saturday, April 13, 4pm: Clarence v Launceston City (Wentworth Park)
Sunday, April 14, 2.30pm: Hobart Zebras v Glenorchy (KGV)
Round 10
Thursday, April 25, 1.30pm: Glenorchy v Olympia (North Hobart Oval)
Thursday, April 25, 4.15pm: Hobart Zebras v South Hobart (North Hobart Oval)
Saturday, April 27, 4.30pm: Devonport v Launceston City (Valley Road)
Saturday, April 27, 6pm: Kingborough v Clarence (Lightwood Park)
Riverside Olympic bye
Round 11
Saturday, May 4, 2.15pm: Devonport v Hobart Zebras (Valley Road)
Saturday, May 4, 3pm: Clarence v Riverside Olympic (Wentworth Park)
Saturday, May 4, 4.30pm: Launceston City v Kingborough (Prospect Park)
Sunday, May 5, 2.15pm: South Hobart v Olympia (Darcy Street)
Glenorchy Knights bye
Round 12
Saturday, May 18, 2pm: Olympia v Devonport (Warrior Park)
Saturday, May 18, 4.30pm: Glenorchy v Riverside Olympic (KGV)
Saturday, May 18, 6.45pm: Hobart Zebras v Clarence (KGV)
Saturday, May 18, 8pm: Kingborough v South Hobart (Lightwood Park)
Launceston City bye
Round 13
Friday, May 31, 8.15pm: Glenorchy v Clarence (KGV)
Saturday, June 1, 2.15pm: Kingborough v Devonport (Lightwood Park)
Saturday, June 1, 2.15pm: Riverside Olympic v Launceston City (Windsor Park)
Sunday, June 2, 2.30pm: Olympia v Hobart Zebras (Warrior Park)
South Hobart bye
Round 14
Saturday, June 8, 2.15pm: Glenorchy v Devonport (KGV)
Saturday, June 8, 2.15pm: Riverside Olympic v Kingborough (Windsor Park)
Saturday, June 8, 4.30pm: Clarence v Olympia (Wentworth Park)
Sunday, June 9, 2.15pm: South Hobart v Launceston City (Darcy Street)
Hobart Zebras bye
Round 15
Friday, June 14, 8pm: Hobart Zebras v Kingborough (KGV)
Saturday, June 15, 4.30pm: Clarence v South Hobart (Wentworth Park)
Saturday, June 15, 2.15pm: Devonport v Riverside Olympic (Valley Road)
Saturday, June 15, 4.30pm: Glenorchy v Launceston City (KGV)
Olympia bye
Round 16
Saturday, June 22, 2.15pm: Olympia v Riverside Olympic (Warrior Park)
Saturday, June 22, 2.30pm: Clarence v Devonport (Wentworth Park)
Saturday, June 22, 4.30pm: Launceston City v Hobart Zebras (Prospect Park)
Sunday, June 23, 2.15pm: South Hobart v Glenorchy (Darcy Street)
Kingborough bye
Round 17
Saturday, June 29, 2.15pm: Devonport v South Hobart (Valley Road)
Saturday, June 29, 4.30pm: Glenorchy v Kingborough (KGV)
Saturday, June 29, 4.30pm: Launceston City v Olympia (Prospect Park)
Sunday, June 30, 2.15pm: Hobart Zebras v Riverside Olympic (KGV)
Clarence bye
Round 18
Friday, July 5, 8pm: Glenorchy v Hobart Zebras (KGV)
Saturday, July 6, 2.15pm: Riverside Olympic v South Hobart (Windsor Park)
Saturday, July 6, 4.30pm: Launceston City v Clarence (Prospect Park)
Saturday, July 6, 6pm: Kingborough v Olympia (Lightwood Park)
Devonport bye
Round 19
Friday, July 12, 8.15pm: Olympia v Glenorchy (Warrior Park)
Saturday, July 13, 4.30pm: Clarence v Kingborough (Wentworth Park)
Saturday, July 13, 4.30pm: Launceston City v Devonport (Prospect Park)
Sunday, July 14, 2.15pm: South Hobart v Hobart Zebras (Darcy Street)
Riverside Olympic bye
Round 20
Friday, July 19, 8.15pm: Olympia v South Hobart (Warrior Park)
Saturday, July 20, 2.15pm: Riverside Olympic v Clarence (Windsor Park)
Saturday, July 20, 2.15pm: Kingborough v Launceston City (Lightwood Park)
Sunday, July 21, 2.15pm: Hobart Zebras v Devonport (KGV)
Glenorchy Knights bye
Round 21
Saturday, July 27, 2.15pm: Devonport v Olympia (Valley Road)
Saturday, July 27, 2.15pm: Riverside Olympic v Glenorchy (Windsor Park)
Saturday, July 27, 4.30pm: Clarence v Hobart Zebras (Wentworth Park)
Sunday, July 28, 2.30pm: South Hobart v Kingborough (Darcy Street)
Launceston City bye
Round 22
Saturday, August 3, 2.15pm: Devonport v Kingborough (Valley Road)
Saturday, August 3, 2.30pm: Glenorchy Knights v Clarence (KGV)
Saturday, August 3, 2.30pm: Riverside Olympic v Launceston City (Windsor Park)
Sunday, August 4, 4.15pm: Olympia v Hobart Zebras (Warrior Park)
South Hobart bye
Round 23
Saturday, August 10, 2.15pm: Devonport v Glenorchy (Valley Road)
Saturday, August 10, 2.15pm: Riverside Olympic v Kingborough (Windsor Park)
Saturday, August 10, 4.30pm: Olympia v Clarence (Warrior Park)
Saturday, August 10, 4.30pm: Launceston City v South Hobart (Prospect Park)
Hobart Zebras bye
Round 24
Friday: August 16, 8.15pm: Kingborough v Hobart Zebras (Lightwood Park)
Saturday, August 17, 2.15pm: Devonport v Riverside Olympic (Valley Road)
Saturday, August 17, 4.15pm: Glenorchy Knights v Launceston City (KGV)
Sunday, August 18, 2.15pm: South Hobart v Clarence (Darcy Street)
Olympia bye
Round 25
Saturday, August 24, 2.30pm: Clarence v Launceston City (Wentworth Park)
Saturday, August 24, 2.30pm: Hobart Zebras v Glenorchy (KGV)
Saturday, August 24, 5pm: Olympia v Kingborough (Warrior Park)
Sunday, August 25, 2.15pm: South Hobart v Riverside Olympic (Darcy Street)
Devonport bye
Round 26
Saturday, August 31, 2.15pm: Riverside Olympic v Olympia (Windsor Park)
Saturday, August 31, 4.15pm: Launceston City v Hobart Zebras (Prospect Park)
Sunday, September 1, 2.30pm: Clarence v Devonport (Wentworth Park)
Sunday, September 1, 8.15pm: South Hobart v Glenorchy (Darcy Street)
Kingborough bye
Round 27
Saturday, September 7, 2.15: Kingborough v Glenorchy (Lightwood Park)
Saturday, September 7, 2.15: Olympia v Launceston City (Warrior Park)
Saturday, September 7, 2.15: South Hobart v Devonport (Darcy Street)
Saturday, September 7, 2.15: Hobart Zebras v Riverside Olympic (KGV)
Clarence bye
Rob Shaw
Heralding the impact of Tasmanian sport without saying "punching above its weight" is not as easy as it sounds.
Heralding the impact of Tasmanian sport without saying "punching above its weight" is not as easy as it sounds.
