HILLWOOD
Current Affiliation: Northern Tasmanian Football Association (NTFA) and precursors since 1985
Home Ground: Hillwood Recreation Reserve
Formed: 1927; disbanded 1970; reformed 1980
Colours: Light blue and maroon
Emblem: Sharks
Senior Post-War Premierships: East Tamar Football Association (ETFA) - 1955, 1959-60-1, 1964, 1966-7-8 (8 total); Tasmanian Amateur Football League Northern Division (TAFLND) - 1990, 1992 (2 total); NTFA Division One - 1999, 2000 (2 total)
Senior Competition Best and Fairest Player Awards: ETFA Best and Fairest - Keith Scolyer 1959, 1960 & 1962 (1 Medallist/3 Medals - records incomplete); W.C. Curran Medal - Todd Miller 1988; Graham Jarman 1989; Shane Bransden 1997; Justin Smith 2000 (4 total - records incomplete); TAFLND Division One Best and Fairest - Brendan McGee 1994 & 1996 (1 Medallist/2 Medals)
Most Games: 315 by Mark Donnelly
Once colourfully known as the Apple Snatchers, Hillwood nowadays boasts a less distinctive emblem, but is nevertheless still building on a proud tradition stretching back eight decades. For many years, the club was a highly successful member of the East Tamar Football Association, contesting ten grand finals between 1955 and 1969, for eight wins. However, when the ETFA merged with its West Tamar counterpart to form the Tamar Football Association in 1970 Hillwood found itself unable to continue, and spent the next ten seasons in recess. In 1980, the club finally took its bows in the TFA - and promptly lost 38 games straight, 25 of them by margins in excess of 100 points, before finally breaking through for a win in 1982 (see footnote 1). Two years later, in what was the EFA's last season, Hillwood reached the grand final, but lost to Bridgenorth by 39 points.
In 1985, Hillwood commenced in the Northern Division of the Tasmanian Amateur Football League, reaching a grand final three seasons later, and winning a premiership in 1990 with a 12.14 (86) to 10.10 (70) defeat of Longford. When the competition split into two divisions in 1992 the Sharks won the inaugural division one flag, downing George Town in the grand final by 13 points.
The northern amateur competition was replaced by the Northern Tasmanian Football Association in 1997. The Sharks won the division one premiership in the new competition in 1999 when they thrashed Longford by 97 points, 26.14 (170) to 10.13 (73). They then went back to back thanks to an 8.12 (60) to 2.8 (20) defeat of Scottsdale the next year.
Hillwood continues to compete in division one of the NTFA.
Where now?
or
Footnotes
1. See Australian Rules Football In Tasmania by John Stoward, page 122. Return to Main Text