Tasmanian sides to play Queensland in representative football in 2023

Tasmania will host Queensland at North Hobart Oval on Saturday, July 1, in a men's and women's double-header.

Head of AFL Tasmania Damian Gill confirmed the Tasmanian State League competition will have a bye round to maximise player availability.

"Hopefully wearing The Map does enough to get a lot of players keen to come out and play against a state like Queensland - I think the last time we played them was 2010 and they touched us up," he said.

"We're hoping a lot of Tasmanians are itching to go and turn the tables on Queensland.

"There's been a lot of enthusiasm behind the scenes within clubs and players about getting rep footy back, it's something we've been looking at for a little while now.

"Queensland were equally keen so it was just good timing and we were able to bring it together with men and women, which was important."

READ MORE: Riverside hosts Westbury in Cricket North women's round seven

It will be the first women's representative match since 2016, while the men played an under-25s clash against a composite Vic Metro team at UTAS Stadium in 2019.

The last time a senior Tasmanian side took to the field was 2017, when they faced the NEAFL at Bellerive Oval, with Gill saying the break between matches was due to "no logical opposition".

Next year's matches will see six under-23 players play on each side in order to feature the state's up-and-coming talent at the top level.

"We wanted to do rep footy the classic way, the only caveat around that is making sure that we have some of that best emerging talent ... but I think naturally that would happen anyway," Gill said.

"This game is a really important game for showcasing that next wave of talent coming through right across the state and for men and women, I'm really excited about it."

AFL Tasmania are working through the selection process in order to get the best team on the park, with Gill believing a nomination system will be the way to go.

Announcements of the sides' coaches are expected to be made in "the next couple of weeks", with the selected mentors encouraged to get Tasmania's best players involved.

Although most players will come from the TSL, Gill emphasised North-West talent, as well as other local-league players, won't be ruled out.

"We will also cast the net wide so if someone does emerge, the coaches will have that flexibility to pick someone, particularly with the NWFL who of course don't have a North-West TSL presence," Gill said.

"I think it's important that we allow their talent to stand up and show their wares and put their hand up for selection."

READ MORE: Tennis: Regional pride on line in 2022 North v North-West Challenge

For the women's match, both state bodies will work closely with AFLW clubs to provide opportunities for those that take the field but AFLW-listed players will not be eligible.

Gill confirmed the Women's All-Star Series, which pits region against region, will be played before the representative game to assist selection.

"They'll be able to really strut their stuff, put themselves forward for selection for Tasmania and hopefully run out against Queensland on July 1 if they play really well," he said.

AFL Tasmania are hoping the representative match-ups will not be a one-off, even floating the idea of a return fixture in the Sunshine State in 2024.

"This time they are coming down to us, maybe the year after we will look to go up to them and I think it's really important in filling that bracket of the talented players that have finished their Devils and still want to have a crack or aspire to be something in footy," Gill said.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: