As Hawks fan pile into UTAS Stadium for the third time in 2021, most Bombers fans will be geared up to watch their team play in their home state for the first time ever.

Prospect Vale based Essendon die-hard 83-year-old Victor Vella will be one of those fans, though his story is slightly different.

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Mr Vella is Essendon's longest serving Tasmanian-based member having chalked up his 50th year as a member in 2021.

While the chance to watch his beloved Bombers play in Launceston was one he was looking forward to, Mr Vella had a long and storied history with the team from Tullamarine.

Originally from Malta, Mr Vella moved to Melbourne in 1955 and was taken to his first AFL match between Essendon and Collingwood.

Mr Vella said, aside from finding Collingwood fans obnoxious, the Bombers' colours and their resemblance to a team back home had him hooked.

Without an education in AFL Mr Vella said there was not so much supporting going on at his first game rather trying to figure out what was going on.

"The shape of the football struck me. In Malta we only played soccer and I only ever had seen a round ball so when I saw this oblong ball I really thought it had become misshapen from over use," he said.

Since then Mr Vella's familiarity with the game and the Bombers has grown to the point where he has seen them win premierships, watched every game over a number of seasons and even sponsored the club.

Mr Vella did not move to Tasmania until 1999 and his devotion to Essendon almost stopped the move in its tracks.

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When he bought a house in the state from Melbourne the settlement date was set on Anzac Day.

Being a die-hard with a deep-seated hatred of the Pies, Mr Vella said there was no way he was going to miss the annual Anzac Day match between the teams.

"I rang up the solicitor and told a lie that I had a big problem and I just couldn't do settlement that day and I'd talk to them about it later," he said.

"I said, 'look, I just can't do it'. Then I was here three days later [after an extension] - Essendon won that one so it took me a few days to recover - and I forgot what I had told the solicitor. When I arrived he said, 'I hope your problems are sorted out' and I said, 'what problems? I couldn't come because of the footy'."

Hawthorn member Rosemary Edwards' 24-year membership may be dwarfed by that of Mr Vella, but she said her love of the Hawks went back to the late 60s after she became enamoured with star player Peter Crimmins.

Mr Vella and Ms Edwards' attendance records in Tasmania could not be further apart. Ms Edwards said she had become a member just before Hawthorn began routinely playing in Tasmania and in that time had hardly missed a game.

"I've only missed a couple ... There was one time I wasn't well," she said.

"They played Brisbane and I had to work that night and the weather was ghastly and I thought I really couldn't go to the football and go to work.

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