Just one Blue remains from the 22 that played in the 2011 TSL grand final.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Launceston's most recent State League success was a 12.14 (86) to 6.6 (42) win over Burnie at UTAS Stadium, a win which capped off a season marred by a solitary loss against the Dockers in the second week of finals.
Tassie medallist Tim Bristow is the only member of the team still playing at Launceston, having returned from the WAFL for the 2019 season.
AFL TALENT
Three currently-listed players played in the decider, with Launceston's Jackson Thurlow and Burnie's Robbie Fox now teammates at Sydney.
Docker Brody Mihocek narrowly missed out on becoming an AFL premiership player with Collingwood last season but has established himself in the Pies forward line, while Blue Jesse Lonergan (60 games with Gold Coast) and Burnie ruckman Jason Laycock (58 games with Essendon) both had distinguished AFL careers.
Lonergan is now playing for uncle Sam's SANFL club Woodville West-Torrens, while Laycock spent time at both Cygnet and New Norfolk in the SFL.
Burnie's Luke Shackleton played one game for Collingwood in 2004.
RELATED: Blues win 2011 flag
GOALKICKERS
Thurlow, Blues captain Scott Stephens and Brian Finch all kicked two for the Blues, while Rohan Baldock led all comers with three for the Dockers.
Stephens capped off his year by winning the fourth of his five club best-and-fairests and is now an assistant coach at rival TSL club North Launceston.
Back problems led to Finch's retirement in early 2012 after winning back-to-back Hudson medals, while Baldock made headlines in 2016 by kicking 200-plus goals for the season as captain-coach of Darwin Football League's South Burnie Hawks.
MOVING ON
Darrel Baldock medallist Nathan O'Donoghue spent two seasons at Bridgenorth before returning for a final stint at the Blues.
Gary Shipton has ended up as the same NTFA club after four years and three grand finals coaching Bracknell, where he played alongside Blues premiership ruckman Majak Miar.
Sonny Whiting, Joe Boyce and Jordan Harris are plying their trade in the NTFA's first division for Lilydale, Bridport and Evandale respectively, while Gene Savage brought up his 300th game last year with East Coast.
SCOREBOARD
- Launceston 1.4 5.5 7.11 12.14 (86)
- Burnie 2.0 2.4 5.5 6.6 (42)
- GOALS: LAUNCESTON: B. Finch 2, S. Stephens 2, J. Thurlow 2, J. Groenewegen , N. O'Donoghue , S. Whiting , J. Woolley , J. Lonergan , K. McCabe
- BURNIE: R. Baldock 3, C. Radford , K. Munday , H. Walters
- BEST: LAUNCESTON: N. O'Donoghue, G. Savage, S. Stephens, M. Miar, J. Harris, B. Green
- BURNIE: H. Walters, R. Fox, K. Munday, D. Banham, L. Shackleton, Z. Hislop