David HardingNorth Hobart's still the home of Tasmanian football
February 26th 2010 05:21
In the 1990s then struggling AFL club Fitzroy were attempting to call Tasmania home, and play games on a regular basis at the venue, before an Anzett Cup came in 1999 the last game the venue held an AFL game was the 1992 when the Lions took on the Bombers in Round 17 of that season, the Bombers would win 11.14.80 to Fitzroy 10.17.77 in front of 10,265 people, in fact Fitzroy would host two AFL Premiership Season matches in each of 1991 and 1992 but, due to the uncompetitive nature of Fitzroy at the time (including a 157-point belting by Hawthorn, the club's worst ever defeat) crowds were lower than expected and the cash-strapped Lions pulled out of the experiment at the end of 1992. The crowd of the Round 6 1991 game saw 13,335 people attend the game, and saw the Lions smashed.
There were numerous other Foster's Cup and Ansett Cup pre-season matches held there during the 1990s at North Hobart, the largest crowd for any of these matches was over 19,300 in 1996 for a Hydro Challenge pre-season practice match between the previous season's Grand Finalists, Carlton and Geelong which was won by Carlton. In 1999 the venue would host Essendon and North Melbourne in a pre-season game.
North Hobart even host the historic 1990 Tasmanian State of Origin win over Victoria a feat last achieved back in the 1960s by Tasmania. This venue has also hosted other notable events during it's life Cricket, Association Football (soccer), ANZAC Day sports events and athletics have all been staged there at various times. Australia played Hungary in soccer, and two World Records were established at North Hobart in athletics when Betty Cuthbert set a new world record for the 220-yard sprint on 7 March 1960 and Ron Clarke knocked off Vladimir Kuts (USSR) 5000m record on 16 January 1965.
In 1959 the Dr Billy Graham religious Crusade set an all-time attendance record for the ground with a crowd in excess of 25,000 attending, and in 1987, thousands attended a Military Tattoo at the ground.
North Hobart is still hosting games of association football, the Southern Tasmanian Premier League is played there, also the youth friendly between Tasmania and Brisbane Roar was played there as well. North Hobart will always in some people's hearts be the some of the states football, even though now Bellerive holds the TSL Grand Final, KGV Oval now has the SFL Grand Final, but there is still statewide football at the venue and soon night football will make an impact when the ground gets lighting.
There is still a bright future for North Hobart oval, should the ground's surface still survive any attacks of rain the venue will be able to sustain finals, and start to bounce back. The lights and further upgrades could see the ground assist Tasmania in any future AFL bids.
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