Tsunami survivor Trisha Squires will take on the top job at AFL Tasmania, becoming the first ever female AFL state chief executive.

Ms Squires was the 2006 Young Australian of the Year for her work in the aftermath of the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami, an event which claimed the life of her husband, Melbourne Demons footballer Troy Broadbridge.

She had previously served as chief executive for the REACH foundation and has most recently been AFL Tasmania's partnerships and community engagement manager.

Ms Squires said she was honoured to have the opportunity.

"Football in Tasmania is proud, passionate, and an important pillar of the local community. I am dedicated to improving the game on all levels throughout the state," she said.

"I'm intimately aware of the opportunities of Tasmanian football. I look forward to working hard with the entire football family to ensure we have a bright and prosperous future."

Ms Squires takes over the CEO role immediately from Rob Auld, who resigned to become the AFL's new national head of game development.

The changeover has come at a difficult time for the Tasmanian State League, with the Burnie Dockers struggling to field a team and the withdrawal of Devonport from the competition late last year.

The Boxing Day tsunami in 2004 is believed to be the deadliest tsunami in history, killing more than 230,000 people across 14 countries.