Excitement is palpable on Tasmania’s North West coast, with AFL and regional clubs and associations driving the growth of the game off the back of the Tasmania Devils’ momentum.
Somerset is a shining example of that growth and the power of junior football.
Somerset Football Club President Curtis McGlone admits his club is stronger for the introduction of their first junior teams and is already looking to expand, including the addition of junior girls’ teams.
“These junior teams have changed the dynamic of our club, introducing these kids into the NWFL has been a great thing for our players on and off the field.”
The club also collaborated with the local school and AFL Tasmania to introduce Auskick and Superkick programs for the first time. It proved to be a winning combination, with over 60 participants taking part.
McGlone said the club were supported to enter juniors through AFL Tasmania’s new Junior Competition Manager, Kat Lee. A role that was introduced following the AFL’s landmark $360 million investment into Tasmania and the launch of the Tasmania Devils.
“We’ve received great support from AFL Tasmania and their staff in the area, helping us establish our junior teams and the way they’ve engaged with our players and on game day and we really appreciate it.
“We have new lighting here at Langley Park, between AFL Tasmania and the council the redevelopment of the building and changerooms is going to again allow this club to grow and we’ll be able to cater to an increase in numbers.”
The AFL’s $360 million investment into Tasmania includes $126 million for Game Development and Talent Pathways across the first decade of the club’s existence in the competition.
This has enabled a significant uplift in participation staff statewide to work with clubs and schools - including Participation and Programs Manager Payton Connell, who has presided over a major boost in participation programs across the North West.
The region is also leading the country in uptake of AFL’s new ‘Superkick’ program, with Tasmania’s smallest region accounting for an incredible 4% of the national total in 2024.
The introduction of Superkick, combined with increased funding in the women and girls’ space, has empowered community centres to prioritise all-girls environments, driving a surge in female participation in the region.
Some Auskick/Superkick centres now boast female participation rates above 45%, and the number of female Superkickers in the North West has more than doubled since this time last year.
Participation and Programs Manager Payton Connell said they’ve been able to achieve so much for the region.
“The additional funding and resourcing that we’ve received means we have a lot more staff capacity on the ground, so we can still support our traditional community centres, clubs and school programs but we can now reach smaller communities and run unique programs like all girls’ programs and all abilities programs, for kids that grow up with disabilities.
She said that in the junior space she’s seeing kids idolise players that don’t exist yet.
“The biggest role the Devils’ brand has played in the North West has been giving kids a real pathway and something to aspire to – that's helped boost engagement across the board and it’s also kids who have never really resonated with football or any form of sport before.
“On a surface level you can say that we’re running sport but on a deeper level we’re connecting communities and giving them a real sense of belonging because of the Devils brand.”
This growth is further supported by the launch of a North West Under-11 Girls Pilot Series, the expansion of schools’ football, and a suite of new initiatives, including holiday programs that engaged almost 150 ‘future Devils’ in Term 1 alone.
The excitement for the Tasmania Devils stretches well beyond club footy and into classrooms, with AFL Tasmania and the Tasmania Football Club engaging over 3,000 North West students in local schools.
The brand’s pull has made it easy to secure support from teachers, who are eager to help create inspiring moments for their students, reinforcing the Devils’ growing place in the heart of the North West community.