As the NTFA premier division grand final returns to UTAS Stadium, the association have gained a new fan - the Hawthorn Football Club.
The pair have announced a collaboration and partnership around shared visions for football in Northern Tasmania.
"We have a shared vision with the NTFA and it's really about the growth of the game here in Tasmania," Hawthorn's Tasmanian general manager David Cox said.
"It's specifically about not just participation in the game but also around the ongoing support and growth of the volunteers and the officials and administrators that keep the game alive."
Designed to hit the ground running if the Hawks stay in Tasmania beyond this season, the collaboration features four "key planks" according to Cox.
- Leveraging expertise working with government and through government - event management, policies and grand funding.
- Using the Hawks brand to drive visitation to NTFA games through fixture alignment.
- Add value to NTFA's existing health and wellbeing program.
- Capitalise on Hawthorn's coaching and mentoring expertise.
Cox said the potential for face-to-face training with new Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell is on the table.
"[Sam's] been playing here for 15-16 years, so he wants to make himself as available as possible.
"It may be in filmed coaching seminars or Zoom programs that we can deliver, not just to senior coaches but junior coaches as well."
NTFA president Scott Rigby added: "it would be fantastic, just to provide that mentorship because we've got some fantastic individuals and clubs in our competition.
"Just to be able to leverage off someone like the Hawthorn Football Club, who is definitely the most popular club in the state, is fantastic."
Another aspect of the partnership is the potential for the NTFA to play curtain-raiser matches to AFL games, something that hasn't occurred a long time.
"It was pretty exciting a couple of years ago when we were having those conversations but it's even more exciting now because it's a real possibility particularly now because NTFA is back on UTAS Stadium," Rigby said.
The collaboration's first order of business is Saturday's grand final, which sees South Launceston take part in all three match-ups, taking on Bracknell in the seniors after playing Longford in both under-18s and reserves.
Entertainment will be provided by local band The Embers, while two junior sides will battle it out in a giant volleyball game for funding and Hawthorn club mascots will be in attendance.
Josh Partridge
As a sports-mad fan who loves to remain challenged, sports journalism always seemed the path for me and it's allowed me to do things I never thought possible. A keen racquet sports player, I'm experienced in that field, allowing me to do my job at a strong standard.
As a sports-mad fan who loves to remain challenged, sports journalism always seemed the path for me and it's allowed me to do things I never thought possible. A keen racquet sports player, I'm experienced in that field, allowing me to do my job at a strong standard.
