Hobart Football Club

History

The Hobart Football Club was formed at a meeting at The Continental in Hobart on 19 December 1944 and became a playing member of the Tasmanian Football League (TFL) in 1945 as a direct continuation of the former Cananore Football Club which participated in the TFL from 1908-1941.

The club was a playing member of the TFL from 1945-1997 when it had its licence cancelled by the TFL due its perilous financial position and ongoing poor onfield performances.

Hobart's finest era was from 1947-1966 when they made the finals in all bar three years, earned five minor premierships and took out six TFL premiership titles in 1950, 1954, 1959, 1960, 1963 and 1966 and the 1959 State Premiership from ten grand final appearances during that era.

From 1967-1985 Hobart would find success rare, taking out an incredible win in the 1973 decider against the previously unbeaten Sandy Bay and the 1980 Winfield Statewide Cup and TFL premiership in the same season, between 1967-1985 the club finished last on eleven occasions, second last on two other occasions.

In 1986 the TFL switched to a new Statewide format and this seemed to reinvigorate the club with strong recruiting and good junior players coming through the system, the Tigers were to enter another strong period in their history under legendary coaches Peter Hudson (1986-1987) and Mark Browning (1988-1992), the Tigers participated in six finals series in seven years and participated in three grand finals and earned its last major premiership title in 1990 over North Launceston.

After losing the 1992 TFL Grand Final to North Hobart, Hobart would never again be a dominant force in Tasmanian football, the resignation of coach Mark Browning after the season ended saw the club have four senior coaches in twelve months and eventually Hobart were to announce in 1994 that they were servicing debts of $450,000 as the Tigers very future looked to be spiralling out of control.

After five consecutive poor seasons and with continuous financial losses and poor attendances and an exodus of forty players from the club, the TFL discontinued Hobart's playing licence in 1997 to participate in the competition after that season and attempted to force the club into a three-way merger with Sandy Bay and North Hobart which ultimately failed to materialise.

Hobart's final TFL match was on 23 August 1997 at North Hobart Oval when they were defeated by North Hobart by 48 points.

In 1998 Hobart were given approval to join the relatively new Southern Football League, a competition formed only two years earlier involving clubs from the defunct Southern Amateurs and Huon Football Association.

As a prerequisite of entering the competition Hobart were required to cease using their Tigers emblem and black and gold playing uniform, instead opting to wear a predominently Old Gold strip with black numbers and simple "HFC" emblem on the chest.

After an initially tough start in their first season winning only four matches, Hobart were to sign former premiership player Steven Gillbee as playing coach and with a return of many former players in 1999, this would herald a return of the club as a power.

Hobart went on to record minor premierships in 1999 and 2000, winning their first, and to date, only SFL premiership in 1999 along with eight finals series appearances from 1999-2008 under Steven Gillbee, Michael McGregor, Andrew Lamprill and Todd Lewis but premiership success would continuously elude them.

After a fractious decision by the club to adopt the Brisbane Lions emblem, colours and playing strip for four seasons from 2005-2008, Hobart were accepted to join the new Tasmanian State League from 2009-2013 and began playing in their traditional Tigers playing strip once again but success was to elude Hobart both on and off the field in the TSL, with continuous financial losses, lack of on-field success and an AFL Tasmania decision to force a merger between them and North Hobart as a new Hobart City club, Hobart Football Club voted to withdraw from the TSL at the end of the 2013 season, the Tigers final match in the top tier of Tasmanian football saw them suffer a 35 point loss to Glenorchy in August 2013 at the TCA Ground.

As a result of the Tigers resignation from the TSL and return to the SFL the club lost almost its entire playing list to other TSL clubs. With the SFL also banning the club from recruiting other players from within the SFL during their first season it resulted in a player shortage which almost sent them into extinction.

After two difficult seasons returning to SFL level Hobart were able to rebound in 2016 and make their first finals appearance since 2008 but were defeated by New Norfolk by 38 points in the Elimination Final at Boyer Oval.

Affiliations

Home grounds

Club

Aattendance records

Record Home Attendance – TANFL

Record Home Attendance – TFL Statewide League

Record Finals Attendance – TANFL

Record Finals Attendance – TFL Statewide League

Record Finals Attendance – Southern Football League

Record Scores

Club Record Score

Club Record Quarter

Most Goals In A Match (individual)

Club record games holder

Medal Winners

William Leitch Medal Winners

Darrel Baldock Medal Winners

George Watt Medal Winners

Major V. A. Geard Medal Winners

D. R. Plaister Medal Winners

Competition Leading Goalkickers

TANFL/TFL Statewide League Leading Goalkicker

SFL Leading Goalkickers

Senior Coaches

The Hobart Football Club has had thirty-three senior coaches in its seventy two year history.

The longest serving coach is Mal Pascoe, who coached the club for a period of nine seasons from 1959–1965 and again from 1978–1979.

Pascoe is also the leading premiership coach with Hobart, having coached the club to three flags in 1959, 1960 and 1963.

Jack Sullivan 1947, 1949 and 1950 along with Mal Pascoe 1959, 1960 and 1963 and Mark Browning 1989, 1990 and 1992 have all coached Hobart in three Grand Finals – the most by any Hobart senior coach.

Senior Best and Fairest Winners