The North Hobart Football Club, nicknamed The Demons, is an Australian rules football club currently competing in the Southern Football League Premier Division. The club was a part of the Tasmanian Football League from the early 1900s until 2001, when it joined the Southern Football League. In 2009, North Hobart was invited into the second reincarnation of the statewide league, where it remained until 2013. After the 2013 season, its position in the league was effectively filled by the Hobart City Football Club. North Hobart returned to the Tasmanian State League in 2018. However, following the cessation of the TSL in 2024, the club rejoined the Southern Football League in 2025

In 2014, the North Hobart Football Club Inc. changed from an incorporated body to a company limited with 100% ownership of the Hobart City Football Club, with the Hobart City Demons now the trading name of North Hobart Football Club Ltd.Current details for the North Hobart F.C. Ltd. on Australian Business Register, 2013

On October 9, 2017 the paying members of the Hobart City Demons voted 371-118 in favour of returning the playing name of the club to the North Hobart identity for season 2018 and beyond.

Players to reach Australian Football League level include Paul Williams, Peter 'Percy' Jones, Daryn Cresswell, Chris Bond, James Manson, Jim Wright, Tony Pickett, Colin Garland and several other big names. In total 54 North Hobart players have moved on to play at VFL/AFL level.

In 2005, North Hobart was the first club inducted into the AFL Tasmania Hall of Fame as a Great Club.

Honours and achievements Club achievements

Tasmanian Football League Premierships (27): 1902, 1905, 1908, 1914, 1920, 1923, 1928, 1929, 1932, 1934, 1936, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1945, 1947, 1957, 1961, 1962, 1967, 1969, 1974, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1992 Runners-Up (17): 1896, 1897, 1912, 1921, 1922, 1925, 1930, 1931, 1933, 1935, 1937, 1948, 1951, 1956, 1960, 1965, 1968 Southern Football League (Tasmania) Premierships (1): 2003 Runners-Up (2): 2002, 2008 Women’s Premierships (3): 2022, 2023, 2024 Tasmanian State Premierships (12): 1914, 1920, 1923, 1929, 1936, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1945, 1961, 1962, 1969

Individual awards William Leitch Medallists 1932 – Len Pye 1934 – S. Sproule 1945 – E. Reid 1977 – Mick Hawkins 1993 – Darren Perry 1994 – Michael Maple 2003 – Brendon Bolton

George Watt Medallists 1954 – M. Cleary 1955 – A. Petersen 1957 – A. Gould (tied) 1958 – R. Large 1959 – S. Graham 1960 – K. Turner 1962 – Bruce Felmingham 1966 – W. Patmore 1968 – A. Patmore (tied) 1984 – Victor Di Venuto 1985 – Tony Kline 1993 – Ricky Darley 1995 – Jeremy Busch 2002 – Richard Robinson 2007 – Michael Hall

V. A. Geard Medallists 1968 – A. Caudwell (tied) 1972 – Leigh McConnan (tied)

D. R. Plaister Medallists 1979 – Gary Webster

TFL Leading Goalkicker Award

1903 – A. Walton – 18 1905 – T. Mills – 15 1906 – T. Mills – 13 1907 – W. Lee – 14 1908 – FiG. Cook – 24 1914 – S. Russell – 26 1920 – W. Jack – 25 1923 – L. Stevens – 26 1929 – Alan Rait – 92 1930 – Alan Rait – 112 1931 – Alan Rait – 85 1932 – Alan Rait – 102 1935 – Alan Rait – 84 1936 – Alan Rait – 98 1937 – Alan Rait – 62 1938 – T. Richardson – 75 1939 – Jack Metherell – 61 1940 – Jack Metherell – 69 1941 – Jack Metherell – 64 1945 – Ted Collis – 54 1956 – Noel Clarke – 80 1958 – Paddy Cooper – 45 1961 – Noel Clarke – 74 1962 – David Collins – 77 1967 – David Collins – 58 1982 – Brett Stephens – 92 1987 - Steve McQueen – 80 (Joint winner) 1992 – Byron Howard – 92 1995 – Byron Howard – 104 1997 – Byron Howard – 70

Southern Football League Leading Goalkicker

2001 – Robert Devine – 102 2002 – Robert Devine – 60 2008 – Robert Devine – 82

Individual records Most Senior games

268 – Don McLeod (1972–1986) 264 - Robert Devine (1997 - 2010)

Most overall games

341 - Robert Devine (264 senior games)

Most Goals:

689 - Alan Rait 651 - Robert Devine

Club records Club Record Attendance

19,425 – North Hobart 19.15 (129) v Clarence 17.15 (117) – 1969 TFL Grand Final at North Hobart Oval

Club Record Score

TFL 37.24 (246) vs. South Launceston 2.5 (17) in 1991 at North Hobart Oval

Senior Coaches

1911 – George Morrissey 1912-1913 – Edward Russell 1914-1915 – Charlie Dunn 1919 – Edward Russell 1920 – Charlie Dunn 1921 – Joe Rutter 1922 – Jack Dunn 1923 – Percy Martyn 1924 – Les Stevens & Jack Gardiner 1925 – Jack Gardiner 1926 – Fred Williams & Jack Gardiner 1927 – Fred Mutch 1928-1929 – Jack Dunn 1930 – Alby Bonnitcha & Jack Dunn 1931 – Bruce McGregor 1932-1933 – Roy Cazaly 1934 – Len Pitchford 1935 – Alan Rait 1936-1937 – Cecil Pettiona 1938-1941 & 1945 – Jack Metherell 1946 – Arthur O'Brien & Dinny Kelleher 1947-1948 – Jack Metherell 1949 – Roy Quinn 1950 – Vern Rae 1951-1953 – Les McCankie 1954-1959 – John Leedham 1960-1964 – Darrell Eaton 1964 – Max Kelleher & Byron Howard Snr 1965-1966 – Dick Grimmond 1967-1971 – John Devine 1972-1973 – Vin Crowe 1974-1975 – John Devine 1976 – Ross Price 1977-1978 – Ian Bremner 1979-1980 – John Chick 1981 – John Devine 1982-1983 – John Thurley 1984-1986 – Darryl Sutton 1987-1989 – Garry Davidson 1990 – Roland Crosby 1991-1992 – Mark Yeates 1993-1994 – Andy Bennett 1995-1996 – Ricky Hanlon 1997-1998 – John McCarthy 1999 – Darryn Perry 2000 – Darren Trevena 2001-2002 – Steven Bozicevic 2003-2005 – Brendon Bolton 2006-2007 – Brent Williams 2008-2009 – Matthew Geappen 2010-2011 – Clinton Brown 2011-2013 – Lance Spaulding 2014-2015 - Michael McGregor 2016-2017 - Kane Richter 2018-2020 - Richard Robinson 2021- 2022 - Clinton French 2022–present - Adam Bester

Famous Matches

1967 Grand Finals In 1967 TANFL Season North Hobart went on to win the premiership after winning just once in their first eight games of the season. The team won nine of their last 11 games to finish fourth on the ladder, before going on to beat New Norfolk by 5 points in the Semi-Final, followed by a 9 point victory over an inaccurate Clarence team in the preliminary final. The team then went on the beat Glenorchy by 14 points in front of 17,523 in the TANFL Grand Final.

1967 TANFL Grand Final

Glenorchy 2.5 2.12 3.13 8.16 (64)

North Hobart 3.3 6.5 9.8 11.12 (78)

Result: North Hobart won by 14 points

After winning the TANFL Premiership, the club qualified to compete against NWFU Premiers Wynyard in the 1967 Tasmanian State Premiership Final at West Park Oval in Burnie. The match turned out to be one of the most controversial is Tasmanian football history.

1967 Tasmanian State Premiership Final

Wynard 1.1 9.7 10.9 13.14 (92)

North Hobart 3.8 5.11 11.17 12.19 (91)

Result: No Result

One of the most controversial games in Australian rules football history, the match was declared no result and the premiership was withheld after fans invaded the field and eventually took down the goal posts, preventing North Hobart full-forward David Collins from taking a kick after the siren which would likely have won or tied the game for North Hobart.

1987 TFL Grand Final Nth Hobart: 2.4 (16) | 13.7 (85) | 20.16 (136) | 23.20 (158)

Glenorchy: 5.4 (34) | 10.6 (66) | 12.8 (80) | 16.10 (106)

Attendance: 17,094 at North Hobart Oval

The 1987 Grand Final saw North Hobart hoping to end a premiership drought extending back to 1974, Glenorchy aiming for a hat-trick of TFL premierships. The match was eerily similar to the Second Semi Final clash between the same sides two weeks earlier with Glenorchy getting out a fast start and North Hobart reeling them in and racing away with match. North Hobart booted a Grand Final record 11.3 (69) in the second quarter to go into half-time 19-points to the good of the Magpies, then inflicting further damage in the third quarter by racing out a 56-point lead at the final change. This was the beginning of a dominant era for North Hobart who went on to win four premierships in the space of six seasons.

1991 TFL Grand Final

North Hobart: 2.5 (17) | 5.7 (37) | 7.9 (51) | 12.14 (86) Nth Launceston: 2.2 (14) | 7.7 (49) | 7.11 (53) | 8.12 (60) Attendance: 13,112 at North Hobart Oval

References

External links

Official website