National Premier Leagues Tasmania
The National Premier Leagues Tasmania is an Australian semi-professional soccer league covering all regions of Tasmania. The league is a subdivision of the National Premier Leagues and commenced in 2013 with eight teams. Nationally the league sits below the A-League and above the Tasmanian regional championship competitions (with whom promotion and relegation will exist from the 2019 season onwards).
Founded | 2012 |
---|---|
Country | Australia |
Confederation | AFC |
Number of teams | 8 |
Level on pyramid | 2 |
Domestic cup(s) | Milan Lakoseljac Cup FFA Cup |
Current premiers | Devonport City |
Website | NPL Tasmania |
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.
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 will be promoted into NPL Tasmania and the competition will expand to ten teams in 2019. 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.[6]
From 2019 onwards, the league consists of ten clubs geographically spread throughout Tasmania. 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
2020 clubs
Club | Location | Ground | Capacity | Years in league |
---|---|---|---|---|
Clarence Zebras | Clarence | Wentworth Park | 5,500 | 2020–present |
Devonport City | Devonport | Valley Road | 1,200 | 2013–present |
Glenorchy Knights | Glenorchy | KGV Park | 4,000 | 2013–2015; 2019–present |
Kingborough Lions United | Kingston | Lightwood Park | 1,000 | 2013–present |
Launceston City | Prospect | Buckby Land Rover Park | 1,000 | 2013–present |
Olympia | Warrane | Warrior Park | 1,000 | 2013–present |
Riverside Olympic | Launceston | Windsor Park | 1,000 | 2019–present |
South Hobart | South Hobart | South Hobart Ground | 4,500 | 2013–present |
Honours
Season | League | Final Series | National Premier Leagues Finals representation | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Name | Winner | Runner-up | Name | Winner | Runner-up | ||
2013 | Victory League | South Hobart | Devonport City | Victory Cup | South Hobart | Devonport City | South Hobart – Runners-up |
2014 | Victory League | South Hobart | Hobart Zebras | Victory Cup | South Hobart | Northern Rangers | South Hobart – Quarter Finalist |
2015 | PS4 Victory League | Olympia Warriors | South Hobart | Victory Cup | Olympia Warriors | Hobart Zebras | Olympia Warriors – Semi Finalist |
2016 | PS4 NPL Tasmania | Devonport City | Hobart Zebras | League Cup | South Hobart | Devonport City | Devonport City – Quarter Finalist |
2017 | PS4 NPL Tasmania | South Hobart | Olympia Warriors | League Cup | South Hobart | Olympia Warriors | South Hobart – Quarter Finalist |
2018 | PS4 NPL Tasmania | Devonport City | South Hobart | Not Held | Devonport City – Quarter Finalist | ||
2019 | Devonport City | Olympia Warriors | Not Held | Devonport City – Quarter Finalist | |||
2020 | none 1 |
Notes:
- 1 NPL finals series cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia.[7]
For details of winners pre-NPL (1910–2012):
Records
- Most League titles: 3, South Hobart & Devonport City
- Most points in a season: 62, Devonport City, 2019 season
- Most wins in a season: 20, Devonport City, 2019 season
- Most goals scored in a season: 91, Devonport City, 2019 season
- Most consecutive wins in a season: 13, South Hobart, 2017 season
- Biggest win: Olympia Warriors 14 – 0 Glenorchy Knights, 21 June 2015
- Highest scoring game: Olympia Warriors 14 – 0 Glenorchy Knights, 21 June 2015
All time table
Updated as of Round 5 of 2020 season
Position | Team | Played | Won | Draw | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goals +/- | Points | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | South Hobart | 155 | 116 | 15 | 24 | 568 | 178 | +390 | 363 | 3 | 2 | 2 | |
2 | Devonport City | 155 | 101 | 14 | 40 | 442 | 222 | +220 | 317 | 3 | 1 | 1 | |
3 | Hobart Zebras | 150 | 87 | 30 | 33 | 438 | 211 | +227 | 291 | 2 | 3 | 2 | |
4 | Olympia Warriors | 155 | 89 | 18 | 48 | 430 | 238 | +194 | 283 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
5 | Kingsborough Lions | 155 | 42 | 23 | 90 | 249 | 429 | −180 | 149 | ||||
6 | Northern Rangers | 126 | 38 | 26 | 62 | 256 | 305 | −49 | 140 | 2 | |||
7 | Launceston City | 155 | 40 | 18 | 97 | 230 | 464 | −234 | 138 | 1 | |||
8 | Glenorchy Knights | 92 | 22 | 8 | 61 | 144 | 321 | −177 | 77 | ||||
9 | Clarence United | 87 | 8 | 9 | 70 | 66 | 401 | −335 | 33 | ||||
10 | Riverside Olympic | 28 | 5 | 2 | 21 | 29 | 79 | −53 | 17 | ||||
11 | Clarence Zebras | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 10 | -6 | 3 | ||||
- Notes
Northern Rangers currently play in second tier.
Hobart Zebras and Clarence United merged to form new club Clarence Zebras in 2020.
Top scorers
Season [8] | Player | Club | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
2013 | Brayden Mann | Devonport City | 26 |
2014 | Brayden Mann | South Hobart | 31 |
2015 | Brayden Mann | South Hobart | 29 |
2016 | Brayden Mann | Devonport City | 24 |
2017 | Jakub Sklenar | Olympia Warriors | 28 |
2018 | Brayden Mann | Devonport City | 38 |
2019 | Mathew Sanders | Hobart Zebras | 31 |
References
- Simeon Thomas-Wilson (13 May 2015). "Two clubs battling for Victory League licences in Tasmania". The Mercury. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
- Rob Shaw (16 June 2015). "Riverside moves for Victory League licence". The Examiner. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
- Walter Pless (4 August 2015). "Clarence United replace Glenorchy Knights in Victory League". Walter Pless. Archived from the original on 17 April 2016. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
- "CEO Update August 9". Football Federation Tasmania.
- Andrew Mathieson (10 August 2018). "League Cup's end confirmed". The Advocate. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
- Shaun McManus (10 December 2016). "Promotion and relegation in plan for 10-team NPL Tasmania competition". The Hobart Mercury. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
- "Coronavirus forces FFA Cup to be cancelled". The World Game. SBS. 7 July 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
- "Tasmania Past Seasons Tables and Results". Soccer Australia.