Hailing from the remote Flinders Island off the North-East coast of Tasmania brothers, Flinders, 11, and Tasman, 9, Goss do not have many opportunities to watch AFL games in the flesh.

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With Flinders being an avid Bombers supporter and Tasman passionate about his Hawks, last Sunday proved to be the perfect storm for their first live experience.

The boys' parents Trish and Duke Goss was hell-bent on getting them to see the game but with no road between their hometown just north of Whitemark and UTAS Stadium, a problem foreign to most presented itself.

Ms Goss said she wanted to provide her kids with the chance to get to the game, saw some charter flights landing on the island and thought, "why not us"?

Though the process was not simple, Ms Goss was able to secure safe passage via charter flight from Lady Barren to Bridport ahead of the game on Sunday.

Ms Goss said the only way she was able to get her boys on the flight was to organise for a plane-load of six to attend the game, so she set about rallying the troops.

Close friend 12-year-old Ziggy Killengray was instantly on board and by Saturday the plane was full. Ms Goss had recruited fellow Flinders Islanders Richard Mollineaux and Brett Wheatley and his daughter Jordan, 11.

Even though the charter and tickets were eventually secured, further barriers stood in the way of the footy-mad travellers making it to the game - their local footy team was playing on the Saturday and they were loathed to miss it.

Strings were pulled and arrangements were made and eventually a Sunday morning flight was slated for the team who arrived in Launceston with time to spare.

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Flinders and Tasman said seeing the AFL game at UTAS Stadium had consolidated their love for "the Aussie game".

Both Flinders and Tasman, and friend Ziggy, said they hoped to grow up to be AFL players and were keen to keep playing junior footy on their path to the big-time.

Though the trip remained a highlight for the intrepid travellers when they headed to school on Monday straight off the plane and into the week, Ms Goss said the devotion to go to the game was a testament to the appetite Tasmanians have for AFL.

With concerns about the viability of an AFL team in Tasmanian stemming in some part from grassroots level participation, could what this tiny band of travellers represent prove to be one of the strongest cases for the ongoing sustaining of a state-based team.

Ms Goss, who is also treasurer of the local Flinders Island Junior Football Club said grassroots engagement on the island was at an impressive level.

"Despite the remoteness, in getting all the kids on Flinders Island together we've been able to get two teams aged from nine to 16," she said.

Ms Goss said if an island with a population of about 900 could get a two junior teams together, grassroots football in the state was as healthy as ever.

At the Flinders Island Junior Football Club, a renewed enthusiasm for football had abounded the club as it pushed to raise money to purchase new equipment and install a scoreboard - something it does not have.

The junior club has also never been part of the AFL's regular halftime Auskick program and most of the players have had little to no training or coaching.

Tasmanian football board chairman Jim Wilkinson said upstart and growing junior teams like those at the Flinders Island Junior Football exemplified why Tasmania's case for an AFL team remained strong.

"What we're endeavouring to do is lift the participation rate in football throughout Tasmania," he said.

"We're widening the base of the pyramid and numbers have increased even since 2019 - of both males and females.

Premier Peter Gutwein, one of Tasmania's biggest proponents for a state based AFL team, said the junior club represented the passion and eagerness for AFL across the state.

Mr Gutwein said a Tasmanian AFL team would provide kids in remote communities a better chance at playing at the highest level.

"A team of our own would not only give kids like those on Flinders Island something to rally around and support, it would also give them a talent pathway to play top class footy - which is something our aspiring young players deserve," he said.

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