Tasma Lapham is one of the great characters of the Tasmanian State League.
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You only have to hear of the impact the 80-year-old has had on the North Launceston players to realise why she's being awarded with a Medal of the Order of Australia on Australia Day.
"The players will come to me and they say Tasma 'come on, get out there and tell us what to do'," the Invermay resident said.
"They said 'because you bloody well know more about it than us players do'.
"I said 'ah you're joking'.
"They said 'we're not joking, we're asking you to come and do it because honestly no matter what you've done catering or anything - you've been so successful. People have talked about you for your whole life'."
As her son Dale said, the Bombers' players and coaches, from juniors to seniors, treat Mrs Lapham like their own mother.
The well-respected figure, who has given more than 40 years of service to North Launceston, is renowned for how well she ran the club's catering services.
Whether it was for club events or external functions she was there making it happen.
Hungry mouths couldn't wait to tuck into hot meals such as a roast or lasagne.
The Examiner has previously reported Mrs Lapham and her catering team raised more than $800,000 across a decade.
Her fundraising efforts didn't stop there.
She ran the club's bingo competition at the casino each Wednesday and raised about $70,000 per year across nearly three decades.
"I just feel it's good for the club to start with and you can make friends with people," she said of why she volunteered for so many years.
"It's amazing how many people even now say to me, and they're older than I am, Tasma we can't get out of our brain what you ever did.
"To think you were so young and you took it on."
The committed Bomber has been recognised by her club numerous times.
She was made a club legend in 2018.
"I got a shock, I went up to them and said I don't think (I deserve it) and they said you deserve this about five times over," she said.
The OAM recipient explained only two women had ever been made club legends.
Another highlight for Mrs Lapham was when she was awarded Tasmanian Volunteer of the Year as part of the AFL 150 Years' celebrations in 2008.
She was involved in pre-match festivities and awarded at a formal dinner.
Mrs Lapham first got involved with the Bombers when her son started playing juniors there.
She fondly remembers the club's welcoming atmosphere at the time.
"The older players at the time when Dale was young, they were so good," she said.
"They wanted to help all the time. They'd come up and they'd say Tasma 'could we go and help Dale and all the other kids'."
Her strong connection to the Bombers has continued beyond her volunteering days.
The club's most dedicated supporter doesn't miss a game and catches the bus with the players to away matches in Hobart.
She sits right at the front next to the driver.
It's no surprise she's looking forward to another footy season.
"My word, I am," she said.
Tasma Lapham list of achievements:
North Launceston Football Club
- Founder, Tasma Lapham Trophy, since 2018. volunteer member, 1977-2015.
- Volunteer, Under 19s team, 1984-1986. Junior club volunteer, 1977-1983.
- Life member, senior club, 1996. Life member, junior club, 1982.
Tasmanian Vigoro
- Secretary, Kingswear Club Committee, 1960s. Former player.
- Life member, 1970s-1980s.
Sport Other
- Former Volunteer Administrator, City South Football Club.
Community
- Former Honorary Justice of the Peace. Former fundraiser, Launceston City Council.
Awards and Recognition include:
- Legend Inductee, North Launceston Football Club, 2018.
- Tasmanian Volunteer of the Year, AFL 150 Years' Celebrations, 2008.
- Centenary Medal, 2003.
- 5000 hours of Voluntary Work award, International Year of Volunteers, Launceston City Council, 2001.
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