Peter Hudson

One of Tasmania’s greatest footballers Peter Hudson had called for Tasmanians to rally behind the state’s new AFL teams.

Hudson, a legend of the Australian Football Hall of Fame, was delighted with the recent announcement that Tasmania’s long held goal to join the AFL had been achieved.

“I just thought that when the announcement was made, that is as good as it gets,” he said.

“I was thrilled to bits… It had been talked about for so long that Tassie deserved to have a team and nobody can dispute that.”

Hudson chaired the taskforce under former premier Jim Bacon that first secured AFL matches in Tasmania, with Hawthorn playing its first home game in Launceston in 2001.

That number steadily grew to four and led to North Melbourne also reaching an agreement to play matches in Hobart.

“What a battle we had just to get one game down there,” Hudson recalls.

“There seemed to be lots and lots of hurdles along the journey… [It] all built up to where it is now and Tassie is going to get its team.”

Hudson believes a new stadium and high-performance centre in Hobart along with upgrades to facilities at UTAS Stadium in Launceston and Dial Park in Penguin will provide Tasmania’s teams with the necessary facilities to excel in the national competition.

Now is the time to put the “shoulder to the wheel.”

“The time for thinking is over, the time for getting on with it is now…

“I’d like to see every Tasmanian support it,” He said.

The four-time Coleman Medal winner plans to take up a foundation membership with the club and has urged others to follow suit.

“I would like to think everybody would think like that and if everybody does, well we are off to a flying start.”

“We are worthy but we’ve got to show by everyone getting behind it that we are really going to support it.”