The Southern Football League will be a big hit with footy fans this season, says league boss David O’Byrne
Southern Football League president David O’Byrne has declared there is a lot of “excitement” ahead of the new look season. He gives an insight into what he’s looking forward to.
The new format for the Southern Football League is set to be a smash hit, says SFL president David O’Byrne, with the intrastate representative games to increase interstate rivalries and shape the future of the state’s VFL team.
The demise of the Tasmanian State League re-shaped football into regional competitions, with the former TSL teams joining the traditional SFL teams to form a two-tiered southern competition.
O’Byrne said both the Premier League and Community Leagues would deliver in spades for footy fans.
“There is a lot of excitement about the new SFL,” O’Byrne said.
“We’ve see a lot of chatter around player movement, coach appointments and what it is going to look like.
“There is so much that is positive and optimistic about football in the south and once people get back into the habit of going to the football seeing their club and their players and their family members playing, the rivalries will be back it will be a very exciting time.”
Two representative games are scheduled for the SFL, one against the NWFL on the North-West Coast on the June long weekend, and the other against the NTFA in Hobart later in the month.
“We will see some really even competition both in the Premier League and Community League, and I am excited about representative football,” O’Byrne said.
“I think that will become a really important part of the future of the Tasmanian landscape, once the VFL and AFL men’s and women’s teams fall into place.
“That intrastate rivalry through the representative series will be very exciting.
“I am really keen to get the season started and get the new structure up and about, because once people start to see it and experience it, they will love it.”
The new-look SFL is off to a flying start even before a ball is kicked in 2025 by landing a major sponsor for the next three years.
“We are very excited we are able to partner with Hobart Airports – they clearly see the value of local and community football and the amount of people with engage with in our clubs and league on a week to week basis,” O’Byrne said.
“It really gives us a great start to the new era of football in the south.”
Originally published as The Southern Football League will be a big hit with footy fans this season, says league boss David O’Byrne
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