National Premier Leagues Tasmania Explained

Pixels:180px
Country:Australia
Confed:AFC
Teams:8
Levels:2
Domest Cup:Milan Lakoseljac Cup
Australia Cup
Premiers:Devonport City (2023)
Season:2023
Tv:NPL.TV
Website:NPL Tasmania
Current:2022 NPL Tasmania

The National Premier Leagues Tasmania is an Australian professional football league part of the National Premier Leagues, covering the state of Tasmania. The competition sits at step two overall in the Australian football league system, below the A-League and alongside other states' National Premier Leagues.

History

Prior to the NPL Tasmania the previous statewide league encompassing teams from all-over Tasmania had not taken place since 1999. The highest level of soccer being played in Tasmania was in two regional leagues in the North and South of the state.

The league was formed in 2012 by Football Federation Tasmania and the first season commenced in 2013. FFT referred to the league as the T-League during planning prior to the establishment of the league. Between 2012–2014 the league was known as the Victory League due to sponsorship by A-League club Melbourne Victory. In 2015 the league was officially known as the PS4 Victory League also for sponsorship reasons. In 2016, the league changed names again to National Premier Leagues Tasmania in line with other divisions within the NPL.

The initial clubs were awarded licences for league membership for three seasons between 2013–2015. In 2015 the FFT Board analysed the clubs on and off pitch. Based on this analysis six of the eight clubs in the NPL Tasmania were offered licences for an additional three seasons between 2016–2018. Glenorchy Knights and Launceston City were required to reapply for membership and compete with other clubs for the final two positions in the league in 2016.[1] Riverside Olympic, University, Clarence and New Town Eagles also applied for the two positions in addition to Glenorchy and Launceston City.[2] In August 2015 it was announced that Clarence United and Launceston City had been awarded the available licences between 2016–18.[3]

Up until 2017, the top teams in the league also qualified for a Tasmanian end of season finals series. Between 2013–15 the winner of the local finals series was awarded the Victory Cup. In 2013 and 2014 the top four teams participated in the finals series. In 2015 the finals series has been expanded to include the top six teams in the league as well as the champions of the Northern Championship and Southern Championship. In 2016, the end of season finals series cup was renamed the League Cup due to lapsing sponsorship arrangements,[4] and scrapped entirely after the end of the 2017 season.[5]

In 2019, the league expanded to nine teams. However, following the season, two clubs amalgamated bringing the league back to eight teams.[6]

Format

In late 2016, FFT announced they will expand the league to ten teams and introduce a promotion/relegation system. The winner of the 2018 Southern and Northern Championships were promoted into NPL Tasmania and to have the competition with ten teams for 2019, however Northern Rangers withdrew from the league leaving nine clubs. From the end of the 2019 season the winners of the Northern and Southern Championships will play-off against each other with the winner then automatically replacing the last placed finisher in the NPL Tasmania whilst the loser of the Northern and Southern Championships Play-off will play an additional play-off for a place in the NPL Tasmania in the following season against the second last NPL Tasmania club.[7] After 2019, two clubs merged lowering the league back to eight clubs.

The goal of the league is to consist of ten clubs geographically spread throughout Tasmania (although currently there are eight). The team on top of the table is considered the league champion and qualifies to play in the National Premier Leagues finals series against the champions of the other states.

Clubs

2024 clubs

ClubLocationGroundCapacityYears in league
Clarence ZebrasHowrahWentworth Park1,0002020–present
Devonport CityDevonportTassieCare Valley Road3,5002013–present
Glenorchy KnightsGlenorchyKGV Football Park4,0002013–2015; 2019–present
Kingborough Lions UnitedKingstonClennett's Lightwood Park1,0002013–present
Launceston CityProspectTassieCare Park1,0002013–present
Launceston UnitedNewsteadBirch Avenue5002023–present
Riverside OlympicRiversideWindsor Park1,0002019–present
South HobartSouth HobartSouth Hobart Oval2,0002013–present

Honours

SeasonLeagueFinal seriesNational Premier Leagues
Finals representation
Name Winner Runner-up Name Winner Runner-up
2013Victory LeagueDevonport CityVictory CupDevonport CitySouth Hobart – Runners-up
2014Victory LeagueSouth HobartHobart ZebrasVictory CupSouth HobartNorthern RangersSouth Hobart – Quarter-finalist
2015PS4 Victory LeagueOlympia WarriorsSouth HobartVictory CupOlympia WarriorsHobart ZebrasOlympia Warriors – Semi-finalist
2016PS4 NPL TasmaniaDevonport CityHobart ZebrasLeague CupDevonport CityDevonport City – Quarter-finalist
2017PS4 NPL TasmaniaSouth HobartOlympia WarriorsLeague CupOlympia WarriorsSouth Hobart – Quarter-finalist
2018PS4 NPL TasmaniaDevonport CitySouth HobartDevonport City – Quarter-finalist
2019NPL TasmaniaDevonport CityOlympia WarriorsDevonport City – Quarter-finalist
2020NPL TasmaniaDevonport City
2021NPL TasmaniaGlenorchy Knights
2022NPL Tasmania
2023NPL Tasmania

Records

All time table

Updated as of Round 10 of 2024 season

width=5Positionwidth=160 Teamwidth=50 Playedwidth=50 Wonwidth=50 Drawwidth=50 Lostwidth=50 Goals forwidth=50 Goals againstwidth=50 Goals +/-width=50 Pointswidth=50 1stwidth=50 2ndwidth=50 3rdwidth=50 4th
1South Hobart 237166 31 40799 283 +516529344
2Devonport City 237 1672347 684 280 +404 5246 2 1
3Olympia Warriors 206101 22 83 504371 +133 3251 2 1 2
4Kingborough Lions 2378733 117 463 581−1182941 3
5Hobart Zebras150 87 30 33 438 211 +227 2912 3 2
6Glenorchy Knights 174 76 20 78 352397−45 2481 1 1 1
7Launceston City 23769 27 141 339 625−2862341
8Northern Rangers 126 38 26 62 256305−49 1402
9Clarence Zebras 87 25 9 53 156219−63 85
10Riverside Olympic 111 14 12 85 119387−268 54
11Clarence United 87 8 9 70 70 401 −331 33
12Launceston United 31 0 2 29 26 146 −120 2
Playing in the NPL Tasmania
Playing in Northern or Southern Championship Tasmania
Club has been disestablished or merged into another club

Top scorers

width=80Season[8] width=140Playerwidth=140 Clubwidth=65 Goals
2013Brayden Mann Devonport City 26
2014Brayden Mann South Hobart 31
2015Brayden Mann South Hobart 29
2016Brayden Mann Devonport City 24
2017Jakub Sklenar Olympia Warriors 28
2018Brayden Mann Devonport City 38
2019Mathew Sanders Hobart Zebras 31
2020Alex Walter Glenorchy Knights 14
2021Brody Denehey Devonport City 22
2022Roberto Fernandez Garrido Devonport City 27
2023Roberto Fernandez Garrido Devonport City 28

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Two clubs battling for Victory League licences in Tasmania . The Mercury. Simeon Thomas-Wilson. 9 July 2015. 13 May 2015.
  2. Web site: Riverside moves for Victory League licence. The Examiner. Rob Shaw. 16 June 2015. 9 July 2015.
  3. Web site: Clarence United replace Glenorchy Knights in Victory League. Walter Pless. 4 August 2015. 5 August 2015. Walter Pless. https://web.archive.org/web/20160417053442/http://www.walterpless.com.au/2015/march/clarence-united-replace-glenorchy-knights-in-victory-league.html. 17 April 2016. dead.
  4. Web site: CEO Update August 9. Football Federation Tasmania.
  5. News: League Cup's end confirmed. The Advocate. Andrew Mathieson. 10 August 2018. 8 September 2018.
  6. Web site: Hobart Zebras and Clarence set to merge in NPL Tasmania. Rob Shaw. September 3, 2019. The Examiner.
  7. News: Promotion and relegation in plan for 10-team NPL Tasmania competition. 10 December 2016. 10 December 2016. The Hobart Mercury. Shaun McManus.
  8. Web site: Tasmania Past Seasons Tables and Results. Soccer Australia.