Op-ed: Keep Hawthorn and grow Launceston's AFL content: Armitage

April 2026

UTAS Stadium - Image: City of Launceston

Tasmania is entering a new AFL era, and that should mean growth for the whole state, not a quiet downgrade for Northern Tasmania.

Launceston has earned its place on the national football map, and the AFL calendar here should expand as the Devils arrive, not shrink.

The starting point is simple: keep what already works.

Hawthorn is currently contracted to play four premiership‑season matches per year in Launceston through to at least the end of 2027.

The next deal should be negotiated early, with a clear commitment that Hawthorn’s presence continues beyond 2027, alongside multiple Devils home games and additional AFL content in the North.

The economic evidence for elite AFL in Launceston is compelling.

Independent analysis reported Hawthorn’s Northern Tasmania matches generated $20.8 million in direct expenditure in 2022 and $23.6 million in total economic impacts, supporting 96 direct and indirect jobs.

That’s beds filled, meals served, taxis booked and shifts created during the quieter winter months, exactly when many local operators rely on major events to stay afloat.

It’s also not just locals going through the gates.

Around 16 per cent of roughly 57,000 attendees in 2022 travelled from interstate or overseas, spending an average of $1,074 each.

The largest spending categories were food and drink ($6.1m) and accommodation ($5.4m), underlining how strongly AFL weekends support hospitality and tourism in Northern Tasmania.

Then there’s the infrastructure reality.

UTAS Stadium is undergoing a $130 million redevelopment, scheduled for completion in 2027, with a planned capacity of about 17,500.

Investments like that should come with a clear ambition: keep the stadium busy with top‑tier sport and events, not sitting idle by default.

Hobart’s Macquarie Point stadium is progressing, but that should not become a magnet that pulls content away from the North. Reporting suggests it may not host AFL fixtures until around 2031, making established venues like UTAS Stadium critical in the years ahead. and valuable long after.

A fair outcome is achievable: lock in Hawthorn long‑term, schedule multiple Devils home games in Launceston, and build a bigger statewide AFL footprint with AFLW, pre‑season fixtures and community programs.

That’s how Tasmania grows, with two thriving AFL centres, not one winner and one bystander.