I started last week thinking the NTFA had dominated the North versus North-West representative footy battles and even said it in our morning meeting.
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I'd misread the association's media release and thought the NTFA were undefeated from six duels since 2004.
Having not lived in Launceston for long and not knowing the history, I figured that sounded right based on population size.
But with a second-look I gathered the NWFL were the dominant force and set myself for a week of hyping up the underdog story.
With the talk about the NTFA fielding a stronger team than previous years I sensed it might be their year.
But when game day arrived and with the knowledge I'd accumulated, I realised how hard it would be for the NTFA to win their representative matches on Saturday.
It wasn't a great surprise to see the under-18s and seniors both fall by about 40 points at Devonport Oval.
The former fell 11.9 (75) to 5.6 (36) while the seniors were defeated 12.12 (84) to 6.12 (48).
Due to the travel, I reported on the under-18s and didn't get to see much of the senior game but listening to the commentary, I could tell it was over at quarter-time with the North-West up by 33 points.
What became clear to me is it wasn't correct to call it a truly North versus North-West battle with a big discrepancy between the NTFA and NWFL.
Most of the North's best players are in the State League while the North-West no longer has TSL sides.
Launceston and North Launceston, who have won the past six TSL premierships between them, have the strongest crop of players in the North as they play in the highest recognised league.
Right now, based on the decentralised nature of the state and recent representative football history, the highest-standard competition is the TSL followed by the NWFL, NTFA and SFL.
It will be interesting to see what happens when the TSL disbands at the end of 2024 and players dissolve back into NWFL and NTFA teams.
You'd imagine there'll also be plenty that become part of the Tassie VFL team set to kick-off in 2025.
It seems we'd then get a more true reflection of the North's best in a representative game.
But in its current form, there could have been a more nuanced approach to promote a closer contest between the two rivals.
Perhaps the NTFA should have been allowed four Northern TSL players to play for them.
That would have matched the number of NWFL players that were selected in Tasmania's initial state men's squad earlier this month.
The same could be said for creating a more intriguing under-18 battle.
The NWFL have long had the upper hand in that too with North-West yet to lose to the NTFA since their first clash in 2001, according to Saturday's footy record.
You have to give credit to the North-West for putting their best foot forward each time representative football rolls around.
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NWFL under-18 coach Jayden Wicks summed up how much the Coast appreciated representative footy and also shared insight into obstacles the North-West face.
"It's really good to put us on the map (that) we are a good competition," he said.
"We probably don't get enough credit for that because there is the TSL.
"But I do think we have very good players up here that probably don't get the recognition because of travel, work and life.
"It's good to be able to put on a good show and if anyone saw the game, you saw how well they can link-up and they're decent-sized boys and they put the work in."
Meanwhile, talk about the NTFA missing out on spots in the state squad was a topic among the NTFA last week.
On the face of it, it seems unjust the NWFL would feature players in the squad and not the NTFA.
But I've come to understand the squad list is probably right considering the NWFL don't have a TSL team and Launceston and North Launceston are well-represented.
Another talking point was about playing a representative footy round-robin carnival at one venue in future years.
The hope is to feature the North, North-West and South which is what happened with the Women's All-Star Series last year played across the June long weekend.
NTFA director of representative football Geoff Skeggs and NTFA under-18 coach Addison Cosslett both spoke of the advantage a tri-series would have for youngsters.
"It works, it gives everyone across the state the opportunity to play and see each other and broaden their horizons," Cosslett said.
"It's definitely something that should be investigated and provides a good pathway for our 17 and 18 year olds to take that next step."
Skeggs noted it would be a great opportunity for AFL talent identification.
When the three regional competitions are bolstered by former TSL players, you'd hope it would be a highly-competitive carnival that would draw a large crowd.
NWFL v NTFA Seniors result:
NWFL: 6.5; 7.8; 12.10; 12.12 (84)
NTFA: 1.2; 2.7; 3.8; 6.12 (48)
NWFL goals: Jack Templeton 3, Kallum Kubicki 2, Bailey Boag 1, Keegan Lowe 1, Charlie Castles 1, Wyatt Kenny 1, Zak Marshall 1, Joshua Wolfe 1, Dylan Smith 1
NTFA goals: Jack Donnellan 2, Archie Wilkinson 2, Kyle Lanham 2
NWFL best: Dylan Smith, Lachlan Warren, Luke Russell, Braden van Buuren, Kallum Kubicki, Jade Smith
NTFA best: Jacob Singline, Hamish Leedham, Kyle Lanham, Jacob Boyd, Archie Wilkinson, Jack Tuthill
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