AFL Tasmania today announced the ninth induction into the Tasmanian Football Hall of Fame’s ‘Memorable Game’ category, at West Park Oval, Burnie. The game to be inducted is the Tasmanian State Grand Final of 1963 between the Burnie Tigers and North Launceston Robins, played at York Park (Aurora Stadium).
Members of the Burnie Tigers 1963 Tasmanian State Premiership team will celebrate the 50th anniversary of their achievement, this year. They were the first team from Burnie to become State premiers during a time when North West football dominated.
Before State League football, the Intrastate Series was the highest level of Tasmanian football providing a pathway for selection in the Tasmanian team that competed at Australian National Carnivals.
The Burnie side made Tasmanian Football history by winning the State final after a massive build up along the North West coast - with the expectation that the Tigers would at last prevail. The game attracted a crowd of 6,500 at North Launceston’s home ground. The Burnie Tiger’s win (by 24 points) was the highpoint of their 6 year period of domination of North West football.
AFL Tasmania’s Chief Executive Officer Scott Wade said ‘What we love about the Tasmanian Football Hall of Fame is the opportunity it offers to engage with our football history and meet participants from many different eras and levels of the game - being here at West Park today listening to former ‘greats’ reminisce about this game is fantastic.’
The memorable 1963 State Final, placed Burnie at the pinnacle of Tasmanian football for the first and only time in their history under the coaching guidance of John Heathcote.
The official induction of the ‘Memorable game’ will take place on 5 July at the Tasmanian Football Hall of Fame Gala Dinner at Wrest Point.
Last Modified on 04/06/2013 17:31