Hawthorn coach and honorary Tasmanian Sam Mitchell is confident his club will have a major role to play in his adopted state's new-look AFL landscape.
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Fresh from watching his team equal the biggest win - of 116 points - and restrict West Coast to the lowest score - of 4.2 (26) - seen at UTAS Stadium, Hawks' long-serving player and coach outlined their hopes once a Tasmanian team joins the competition.
"I definitely think there will be a role for Hawthorn in Tassie ongoing," Mitchell said.
"I've been coming here for 20 years or thereabouts and I think that the role of Tasmania in Hawthorn and the role of Hawthorn in Tasmania is too good to throw away. That would be my line.
"I think we've done a lot of really good work in the community in Tassie and it's been really good for Hawthorn. That partnership that's been happening for such a long period of time has grown the image of the state in a great way and certainly Hawthorn are proud to wear Tasmania on the sponsorship spots on our jumpers and gear."
Mitchell's history with the Launceston venue formerly known as York Park dates back half his 40 years. His 41 appearances there puts him joint seventh (with Grant Birchall, seven behind leader Shaun Burgoyne) and he sits joint fourth (with Luke Hodge) for most disposals in a game with 44 against St Kilda in 2016.
Asked how he saw Hawthorn sharing the Tasmanian AFL market, the four-time premiership player and 2012 Brownlow Medallist said: "I'm a little bit torn with this because now that they've been given a licence I think of them as the enemy to be honest.
"We're going to be playing against them and I think it will be a great rivalry.
"I think we've got 8000 members in Tassie and I'm really going to be doing everything in my power to keep them as Hawks fans. So as much as we're excited by a new Tassie team of course, I'd be more excited to keep our 8000 fans and be able to fill whatever stadium it is because we obviously love playing here.
"Whatever stadium we end up playing against them (in) down here, I hope there will be at least 8000 Tassie people that are still going to be supporting the Hawks."
Mitchell, who made 307 appearances for Hawthorn between 2002 and '16 plus 22 in 2017 for Sunday's opponents West Coast, said there were several reasons to explain the Hawks' strong record in Launceston.
Despite a record of 2-8 this season, both Hawthorn victories have come at UTAS Stadium (beginning with a 19-point defeat of North Melbourne in round three) and they also came within a kick of Adelaide in round six.
Historically, the Hawks have won 56 of 77 matches at the ground - the best win percentage of the 16 teams to have played there.
"I think we play the ground well but also it's just such a level of comfort and homeliness in Tassie," Mitchell explained.
"When we play here we stay at the same hotel, we eat the same food, see the same people, have the same masseurs and stuff so there's a level of comfort here.
"It's obviously a tough travel, particularly from Perth for West Coast, and I think some of our better games are usually here and (this) was no different."
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