1997 TFL Statewide League season

1997 TFL Statewide League season
Teams
PremiersClarence
Minor premiersBurnie Dockers
1st minor premiership
Attendance
Matches played105
Total attendance128,183 (1,221 per match)
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The 1997 TFL Statewide League premiership season was an Australian rules football competition, staged across Tasmania, Australia over twenty roster rounds and six finals series matches between 12 April and 20 September 1997.

This was the twelfth season of statewide football and the League was known as the Cascade-Boags Draught Super League under a dual commercial naming-rights sponsorship agreement with both Cascade Brewery in Hobart and Boag's Brewery in Launceston.

At the conclusion of this season four clubs left the competition owing to severe financial problems.

Hobart, in debt to the tune of $450,000, were already advised by TFL executives that they would not be granted a renewed licence to continue on in the TFL after this season and decided to join the SFL from 1998, both South Launceston and Launceston continued to find onfield success minimal and were also servicing large debts that looked likely to continue to grow and promptly pulled out of the competition and rejoined the NTFL from 1998 whilst Sandy Bay, unable to find a merger partner, was wound up at season's end and became defunct.

Participating Clubs

1997 TFL Statewide League Club Coaches

TFL Statewide League Reserves Grand Final

TFL Statewide League Colts (Under-19's) Grand Final

Leading Goalkickers: TFL Statewide League

  • Byron Howard Jnr (Nth Hobart) – 70
  • Ken Rainsford (Launceston) – 61
  • Andrew Hering (Burnie Dockers) – 49
  • Jason Gibson (Nth Launceston) – 44

Medal Winners

  • Fabian Carelli (Devonport Power) – William Leitch Medal
  • Danny Noonan (Clarence) – Darrel Baldock Medal (Best player in TFL Grand Final)
  • Paul Hamilton (Glenorchy) – TFL Coaches Award
  • Ted Davis (Nth Launceston) & Brett Smith (Devonport Power) – George Watt Medal (Reserves)
  • David Kamaric (Glenorchy) – V.A Geard Medal (Under-19's)

Interstate Matches

Interstate Match (Saturday, 21 June 1997)

1997 TFL Statewide League Ladder

Pos Team Pld W L D PF PA PP Pts
1 Burnie Dockers 18 16 2 0 2108 1065 197.9 64
2 Clarence 18 15 3 0 2186 1273 171.7 60
3 Devonport Power 18 14 4 0 1932 1240 155.8 56
4 Glenorchy 18 13 5 0 1811 1242 145.8 52
5 New Norfolk 18 11 7 0 1741 1427 122.0 44
6 North Launceston 18 7 11 0 1752 1507 116.3 28
7 South Launceston 18 7 11 0 1206 1559 77.4 28
8 North Hobart 18 6 12 0 1482 1641 90.3 24
9 Launceston 18 5 13 0 1426 1907 74.8 20
10 Sandy Bay 18 5 13 0 1266 1833 69.1 20
11 Hobart 18 0 18 0 720 2918 24.7 0
Source: [citation needed]

Round 1

(Saturday, 12 April 1997)

Round 2

(Saturday, 19 April & Sunday, 20 April 1997)

  • Nth Hobart 11.12 (78) v Sth Launceston 9.8 (62) – Att: 839 at North Hobart Oval
  • Burnie Dockers 12.7 (79) v New Norfolk 8.7 (55) – Att: 1,098 at Boyer Oval
  • Glenorchy 10.12 (72) v Nth Launceston 10.11 (71) – Att: 903 at York Park
  • Devonport Power 19.13 (127) v Launceston 11.12 (78) – Att: 1,047 at Devonport Oval
  • Sandy Bay 29.14 (188) v Hobart 5.7 (37) – Att: 994 at Queenborough Oval (Sunday)
  • Bye: Clarence.

Round 3

(Saturday, 26 April 1997)

Round 4

(Saturday, 3 May & Sunday, 4 May 1997)

  • Launceston 27.18 (180) v Hobart 5.9 (39) – Att: 615 at North Hobart Oval
  • New Norfolk 12.13 (85) v Glenorchy 12.11 (83) – Att: 1,478 at Boyer Oval
  • Sth Launceston 10.6 (66) v Sandy Bay 5.5 (35) – Att: 442 at York Park
  • Nth Launceston 16.7 (103) v Clarence 10.19 (79) – Att: 1,026 at Bellerive Oval (Sunday)
  • Devonport Power 9.7 (61) v Burnie Dockers 6.11 (47) – Att: 1,842 at Devonport Oval (Sunday)
  • Bye: Nth Hobart

Round 5

(Saturday, 10 May & Sunday, 11 May 1997)

  • New Norfolk 16.10 (106) v Nth Hobart 7.11 (53) – Att: 1,267 at North Hobart Oval
  • Glenorchy 20.15 (135) v Sandy Bay 5.12 (42) – Att: 1,317 at KGV Football Park
  • Nth Launceston 24.22 (166) v Hobart 6.3 (39) – Att: 648 at York Park
  • Burnie Dockers 10.17 (77) v Clarence 9.13 (67) – Att: 2,071 at West Park Oval
  • Launceston 18.9 (117) v Sth Launceston 8.9 (57) – Att: 832 at Windsor Park (Sunday)
  • Bye: Devonport Power.

Round 6

(Saturday, 17 May & Sunday, 18 May 1997)

  • Nth Hobart 18.10 (118) v Sandy Bay 7.8 (50) – Att: 958 at North Hobart Oval
  • Clarence 30.22 (202) v Hobart 2.8 (20) – Att: 738 at Bellerive Oval
  • Glenorchy 13.22 (100) v Sth Launceston 5.10 (40) – Att: 601 at York Park
  • Devonport Power 17.16 (118) v New Norfolk 8.13 (61) – Att: 1,434 at Devonport Oval
  • Nth Launceston 21.11 (137) v Launceston 15.9 (99) – Att: 1,407 at Windsor Park (Sunday)
  • Bye: Burnie Dockers

Round 7

(Saturday, 24 May & Sunday, 25 May 1997)

  • Devonport Power 11.18 (84) v Nth Hobart 12.10 (82) – Att: 947 at North Hobart Oval
  • Nth Launceston 13.14 (92) v New Norfolk 10.7 (67) – Att: 939 at Boyer Oval
  • Launceston 13.12 (90) v Sandy Bay 11.11 (77) – Att: 425 at York Park
  • Burnie Dockers 20.14 (134) v Sth Launceston 8.4 (52) – Att: 1,635 at West Park Oval
  • Glenorchy 15.14 (104) v Clarence 10.16 (76) – Att: 1,974 at KGV Football Park (Sunday)
  • Bye: Hobart.

Round 8

(Saturday, 31 May & Sunday, 1 June 1997)

Round 9

(Saturday, 7 June & Sunday, 8 June 1997)

  • Nth Hobart 17.7 (109) v Nth Launceston 9.6 (60) – Att: 1,017 at North Hobart Oval
  • New Norfolk 12.5 (77) v Sth Launceston 6.11 (47) – Att: 620 at York Park
  • Devonport Power 19.18 (132) v Sandy Bay 8.8 (56) – Att: 1,244 at Devonport Oval
  • Burnie Dockers 35.28 (238) v Hobart 0.1 (1) – Att: 618 at North Hobart Oval (Sunday)*
  • Clarence 20.18 (138) v Launceston 11.15 (81) – Att: 712 at York Park (Sunday)
  • Bye: Glenorchy.

Note: Burnie records the greatest margin of victory in TFL history of 237 points.

Round 10

(Saturday, 14 June 1997)

Round 11

(Saturday, 22 June 1997)

Round 12

(Saturday, 28 June & Sunday, 29 June 1997)

  • Sth Launceston 14.12 (96) v Hobart 10.2 (62) – Att: 484 at North Hobart Oval
  • Clarence 15.11 (101) v Devonport Power 11.9 (75) – Att: 1,749 at Bellerive Oval
  • New Norfolk 19.11 (125) v Sandy Bay 11.4 (70) – Att: 768 at Boyer Oval
  • Burnie Dockers 22.17 (149) v Nth Launceston 6.8 (44) – Att: 1,132 at York Park
  • Glenorchy 19.16 (130) v Nth Hobart 14.8 (92) – Att: 1,585 at North Hobart Oval (Sunday)
  • Bye: Launceston

Round 13

(Saturday, 5 July & Sunday, 6 July 1997)

Round 14

(Saturday, 12 July 1997)

Round 15

(Saturday, 19 July & Sunday, 20 July 1997)

  • Sandy Bay 17.10 (112) v Sth Launceston 10.16 (76) – Att: 631 at North Hobart Oval
  • Launceston 16.11 (107) v Hobart 8.6 (54) – Att: 482 at Windsor Park
  • Clarence 17.8 (110) v Nth Launceston 12.7 (79) – Att: 813 at York Park (Sunday)
  • Burnie Dockers 12.10 (82) v Devonport Power 11.9 (75) – Att: 5,590 at West Park Oval (Sunday)
  • Bye: Glenorchy, North Hobart & New Norfolk.

Round 16

(Saturday, 26 July & Sunday, 27 July 1997)

Note: Final TFL match ever staged at Queenborough Oval.

Round 17

(Saturday, 2 August & Sunday, 3 August 1997)

Round 18

(Saturday, 9 August 1997)

Round 19

(Saturday, 16 August 1997)

  • Burnie Dockers 9.15 (69) v Glenorchy 2.9 (21) – Att: 1,249 at KGV Football Park
  • Clarence 23.18 (156) v Sandy Bay 11.14 (80) – Att: 1,222 at Bellerive Oval *
  • New Norfolk 28.21 (189) v Hobart 4.5 (29) – Att: 713 at Boyer Oval
  • Nth Hobart 16.11 (107) v Launceston 11.8 (74) – Att: 418 at Windsor Park
  • Devonport Power 14.14 (98) v Nth Launceston 12.10 (82) – Att: 1,006 at Devonport Oval
  • Bye: Sth Launceston.

Note: Sandy Bay Football Club's final match in its history.

Round 20

(Saturday, 23 August 1997)

  • Nth Hobart 18.12 (120) v Hobart 11.6 (72) – Att: 1,826 at North Hobart Oval *
  • Glenorchy 14.10 (94) v Devonport Power 9.8 (62) – Att: 1,016 at KGV Football Park
  • Clarence 12.9 (81) v New Norfolk 11.5 (71) – Att: 1,045 at Boyer Oval
  • Sth Launceston 8.18 (66) v Nth Launceston 8.11 (59) – Att: 901 at York Park *
  • Burnie Dockers 21.19 (145) v Launceston 6.8 (44) – Att: 1,091 at West Park Oval *
  • Bye: Sandy Bay.

Note: Hobart, Launceston & Sth Launceston Football Club's all play their final TFL matches.
North Launceston play their final match as the Robins, the club becomes known as 'Northern Bombers' the following year.

Elimination Final

(Sunday, 31 August 1997)

  • Glenorchy: 5.4 (34) | 12.4 (76) | 16.9 (105) | 22.11 (143)
  • New Norfolk: 0.4 (4) | 3.5 (23) | 7.5 (47) | 12.9 (81)
  • Attendance: 2,518 at North Hobart Oval

Qualifying Final

(Saturday, 30 August 1997)

  • Clarence Roos: 2.2 (14) | 6.9 (45) | 11.12 (78) | 19.17 (131)
  • Devonport Power: 3.3 (21) | 5.3 (33) | 7.4 (46) | 12.4 (76)
  • Attendance: 1,931 at North Hobart Oval

First Semi Final

(Saturday, 6 September 1997)

  • Glenorchy: 2.3 (15) | 5.4 (34) | 14.5 (89) | 22.9 (141)
  • Devonport Power: 2.3 (15) | 3.7 (25) | 6.9 (45) | 7.11 (53)
  • Attendance: 1,615 at Devonport Oval

Second Semi Final

(Sunday, 7 September 1997)

  • Burnie Dockers: 3.0 (18) | 9.3 (57) | 10.3 (63) | 14.4 (88)
  • Clarence: 0.4 (4) | 0.4 (4) | 2.8 (20) | 2.8 (20)
  • Attendance: 1,010 at West Park Oval

Preliminary Final

(Sunday, 14 September 1997)

  • Clarence: 5.4 (34) | 8.8 (56) | 11.10 (76) | 15.15 (105)
  • Glenorchy: 1.2 (8) | 6.5 (41) | 7.7 (49) | 10.9 (69)
  • Attendance: 3,593 at North Hobart Oval

Grand Final

(Saturday, 20 September 1997)

  • Clarence: 8.1 (49) | 11.3 (69) | 19.6 (120) | 20.9 (129)
  • Burnie Dockers: 3.1 (19) | 9.6 (60) | 11.9 (75) | 18.14 (122)
  • Attendance: 9,053 at North Hobart Oval

Source: All scores and statistics courtesy of the Hobart Mercury, Launceston Examiner and North West Advocate publications.