The 1998
TFL Statewide League premiership season was an
Australian rules football competition, staged across
Tasmania , Australia over eighteen roster rounds and six finals series matches between 4 April and 20 September 1998.
This was the thirteenth season of statewide football and the League was known as the Chickenfeed Super League under a commercial naming-rights sponsorship agreement with Chickenfeed Bargain Stores in Hobart worth A$350,000, with the
Australian Football League also injecting a further A$1 million into Tasmanian football this season in a bid to lift the sport from its financial problems.
The
North Launceston Robins renamed themselves as the Northern Bombers from this season and a new club,
Southern Districts Cats were admitted into the competition from this season.
1998 TFL Statewide League Season
General Information
Founded
12 June 1879 in
Hobart
Previous Names
TFA (1879–1886)
STFA (1887–1896)
STFL (1897)
STFA (1898–1905)
TFL (1906–1927)
TANFL (1928–1985)
TFL President
Mr Roger Hampson
Chief Commissioner
Mr
Michael Kent
Participating Clubs
Stadiums
1998 TFL Statewide League Season.
Premiers
Northern Bombers 14.16 (100) v Clarence 6.15 (51)
Minor Premier
Northern Bombers (5th)
Wooden Spooners
New Norfolk (10th)
Grand Final attendance
9,638 at
North Hobart Oval
Total Roster Series attendance
94,336 for 72 matches at 1,310
Total Finals Series attendance
25,327 for 6 matches at 4,221
Total aggregate attendance
119,663 for 78 matches at 1,534
Participating Clubs
TFL Club Debts
At the completion of the 1998 TFL Season it was disclosed as to the extent of the perilous financial situation the clubs in the competition had found themselves in.
The following is an official list of club debts released by the TFL to the Hobart Mercury.
Burnie Dockers ($735,819), Devonport ($709,067), New Norfolk ($431,858), Glenorchy ($267,897), North Hobart ($232,607), Northern Bombers ($167,570), Clarence ($153,441), Southern Districts ($80,000).
With the debt level continuing to rise, the League were continuing to raise the issue of cutbacks of participating clubs and changes to a possible Summer start in a bid to lift the flagging image of the TFL which was suffering from deep financial problems and poor attendances.
1998 TFL Statewide League Club Coaches
TFL Statewide League Reserves Grand Final
TFL Statewide League Colts (Under-19's) Grand Final
Leading Goalkickers: TFL Statewide League
Ken Rainsford (Devonport Power) – 94
Michael McGregor (Southern Districts) – 59
Mark Colegrave (Clarence) – 58
Jason Gibson (Northern Bombers) – 56
Medal Winners
Wayne Weidemann (Devonport Power) – William Leitch Medal
Brendon Bolton (Northern Bombers) – Darrel Baldock Medal (Best player in TFL Grand Final)
Matthew Armstrong (Northern Bombers) – TFL Coaches Award
Nick Barnes (Burnie Dockers) – George Watt Medal (Reserves)
Chris Gracogna (Northern Bombers) – V.A Geard Medal (Under-19's)
Andrew McLean (Northern Bombers) & Errol Bourne (Burnie Dockers) – Lefroy Medal (Best player/s Interstate match)
Interstate Matches
Interstate Match (Saturday, 6 June 1998)
1998 TFL Club Home Attendance Figures
Devonport: 16,585 for 9 matches at 1,842
Burnie Dockers: 16,273 for 9 matches at 1,808
Northern Bombers: 13,966 for 9 matches at 1,551
Clarence: 12,361 for 9 matches at 1,373
Southern Districts: 9,497 for 9 matches at 1,055
Glenorchy: 9,454 for 9 matches at 1,050
Nth Hobart: 8,494 for 9 matches at 943
New Norfolk: 7,706 for 9 matches at 856
1998 TFL Statewide League Ladder
Round 1
(Saturday, 4 April, Sunday, 5 April & Saturday, 11 April 1998)
Northern Bombers 20.16 (136) v New Norfolk 11.10 (76) –
Att : 1,340 at
York Park (4 April)
Nth Hobart 12.6 (78) v Southern Districts 9.19 (73) –
Att : 1,558 at
North Hobart Oval (5 April)
Burnie Dockers 13.10 (88) v Devonport 12.13 (85) –
Att : 3,152 at
Devonport Oval (5 April)
Clarence 18.4 (112) v Glenorchy 16.10 (106) –
Att : 1,455 at
Bellerive Oval (11 April)
Round 2
(Saturday, 18 April 1998)
Round 3
(Saturday, 25 April & Sunday, 26 April 1998)
Clarence 18.13 (121) v Southern Districts 14.12 (96) –
Att : 1,510 at
Bellerive Oval
Burnie Dockers 15.13 (103) v New Norfolk 8.11 (59) –
Att : 846 at
Boyer Oval (Sunday)
Northern Bombers 20.15 (135) v Nth Hobart 4.5 (29) –
Att : 993 at
York Park (Sunday)
Devonport 18.14 (122) v Glenorchy 14.8 (92) –
Att : 1,537 at
Devonport Oval (Sunday)
Round 4
(Saturday, 2 May & Sunday, 3 May 1998)
Round 5
(Saturday, 9 May 1998)
Round 6
(Saturday, 16 May & Sunday, 17 May 1998)
Clarence 30.21 (201) v New Norfolk 4.8 (32) –
Att : 1,494 at
Bellerive Oval
Burnie Dockers 18.17 (125) v Nth Hobart 11.11 (77) –
Att : 1,425 at
West Park Oval
Glenorchy 15.20 (110) v Southern Districts 16.8 (104) –
Att : 2,038 at Huonville Recreation Ground (Sunday)
Northern Bombers 14.22 (106) v Devonport 5.9 (39) –
Att : 2,149 at
Devonport Oval (Sunday)
Round 7
(Saturday, 23 May & Sunday, 24 May 1998)
Round 8
(Saturday, 30 May & Sunday, 31 May 1998)
Round 9
(Saturday, 13 June 1998)
Round 10
(Saturday, 20 June & Sunday, 21 June 1998)
Round 11
(Saturday, 27 June 1998)
Burnie Dockers 20.9 (129) v Clarence 17.16 (118) –
Att : 1,336 at
Bellerive Oval
Glenorchy 11.18 (84) v New Norfolk 8.13 (61) –
Att : 1,130 at
Boyer Oval
Northern Bombers 20.18 (138) v Southern Districts 11.12 (78) –
Att : 865 at
York Park
Devonport 26.15 (171) v Nth Hobart 5.14 (44) –
Att : 1,089 at
Devonport Oval
Round 12
(Saturday, 4 July & Sunday, 5 July 1998)
Round 13
(Saturday, 11 July, Sunday, 12 July, Saturday, 18 July & Sunday, 19 July 1998)
Southern Districts 13.7 (85) v Glenorchy 11.16 (82) –
Att : 1,018 at
KGV Football Park (11 July)
Clarence 15.11 (101) v New Norfolk 9.6 (60) –
Att : 962 at
Boyer Oval (12 July)
Burnie Dockers 15.9 (99) v Nth Hobart 12.9 (81) –
Att : 734 at
North Hobart Oval (18 July)
Northern Bombers 15.10 (100) v Devonport 14.15 (99) –
Att : 3,889 at
York Park (19 July)
Round 14
(Saturday, 25 July & Sunday, 26 July 1998)
Round 15
(Saturday, 1 August & Sunday, 2 August 1998)
Round 16
(Saturday, 8 August 1998)
Round 17
(Saturday, 15 August 1998)
Southern Districts 14.14 (98) v Clarence 12.12 (84) –
Att : 1,052 at
Bellerive Oval
Burnie Dockers 11.12 (78) v New Norfolk 8.7 (55) –
Att : 599 at
Boyer Oval
Northern Bombers 15.13 (103) v Nth Hobart 7.5 (47) –
Att : 1,592 at
York Park
Devonport 14.14 (98) v Glenorchy 11.10 (76) –
Att : 1,339 at
Devonport Oval
Round 18
(Saturday, 22 August & Sunday, 23 August 1998)
Elimination Final
(Saturday, 29 August 1998)
Clarence Roos: 1.4 (10) | 8.10 (58) | 14.15 (99) | 19.18 (132)
Southern Districts: 2.2 (14) | 4.2 (26) | 5.5 (35) | 11.7 (73)
Attendance : 2,243 at
North Hobart Oval
Qualifying Final
(Sunday, 30 August 1998)
Devonport Power: 2.1 (13) | 7.4 (46) | 8.8 (56) | 11.18 (84)
Burnie Dockers: 2.3 (15) | 4.4 (28) | 5.4 (34) | 8.5 (53)
Attendance : 5,576 at
Devonport Oval
First Semi Final
(Saturday, 5 September 1998)
Clarence Roos: 7.2 (44) | 8.3 (51) | 13.5 (83) | 17.10 (112)
Burnie Dockers: 2.0 (12) | 5.4 (34) | 6.4 (40) | 11.6 (72)
Attendance : 2,041 at
North Hobart Oval
Second Semi Final
(Sunday, 6 September 1998)
Northern Bombers: 3.3 (21) | 8.5 (53) | 8.8 (56) | 14.13 (97)
Devonport Power: 2.2 (14) | 3.4 (22) | 4.7 (31) | 6.8 (44)
Attendance : 3,892 at
York Park
Preliminary Final
(Sunday, 13 September 1998)
Clarence Roos: 0.5 (5) | 4.7 (31) | 10.12 (72) | 12.13 (85)
Devonport Power: 3.3 (21) | 4.4 (28) | 4.6 (30) | 7.8 (50)
Attendance : 1,937 at
North Hobart Oval
Grand Final
(Sunday, 20 September 1998)
Northern Bombers: 2.8 (20) | 5.11 (41) | 10.14 (74) | 14.16 (100)
Clarence Roos: 0.4 (4) | 0.8 (8) | 4.12 (36) | 6.15 (51)
Attendance : 9,638 at
North Hobart Oval
Source: All scores and statistics courtesy of the Hobart Mercury, Launceston Examiner and North West Advocate publications.
TANFL/TFL Statewide League/TSL seasons