Tasmania is said to be Australia’s forgotten state, ignored by mapmakers, Commonwealth Games swimsuit designers, movie directors and Australia Day themed biscuits. And in sport, Tasmania is an afterthought at best. There is no top-flight football here: no AFL side, no A-League franchise and certainly no NRL or Super Rugby teams. As a result, the Tasmanian competitions have become the lifeblood of local sport.

I’ve come to Hobart not to visit Mona, nor to climb Mount Wellington, nor to shop at Salamanca Markets. I’m here for the football, to see South Hobart FC take on Tuggeranong United in the first round of the FFA Cup. It’s at these local games where you find the most wonderful of football anoraks; the obsessives who meticulously record every detail about their local team or league. Why do they do it? Who knows, but thank God they do. They make excellent hosts.

Walter Pless picks me up from the airport in the morning. I recognise him from the white Goal Weekly cap that sits comfortably on his head, his round glasses resting snugly underneath the brim. Walter was born in Croatia to Austrian parents, and came to Tasmania as a child. He’s played for Glenorchy Knights (his website lists them as Croatia-Glenorchy), Caledonians, Metro, Rapid and the University of Tasmania. When his playing career finished he coached at several clubs, before covering the local game as a journalist for over 30 years. He is synonymous with football around these parts: ask someone about Tasmanian football and they’ll say “I dunno mate” or “speak to Walter Pless.”

It seems appropriate that South Hobart lead the return of Tasmanian football to the national stage. Their website – Playing the World Game Since 1910 – says it all. They are one of the oldest clubs in the country, and as historian Ian Syson has noted, Tasmania hosted one of the first recorded football matches in Australia back in 1879. This, surely, speaks to the heart of what the FFA Cup is about. Football fans should know about little South Hobart, and they should be aware of Tasmania’s important role in the game’s history.

As Walter drives us into town from the airport, we pass Olympia’s home ground before taking a detour to South Hobart Oval, which has been home to South Hobart FC since 1910. Walter grew up watching football at this ground, and he takes a few photos as we wander along the wooden terraces in the old grandstand. The place is rough around the edges and the pitch slopes alarmingly towards the Derwent River, and it creaks and groans with the weight of history. Walter tells me George Best played here in an exhibition match, before pointing to the spot in the centre circle where he interviewed Gary Lineker in 1993, when he came as part of the Nagoya Grampus Eight touring side. “They call this place ‘Washington Street’ or ‘D’Arcy Street’ now,” laughs Walter, exaggerating the apostrophe between the D and the A. “But it’s always been South Hobart Oval to me.”

An army band helped with the national anthem. Photograph: Robert Prezioso/Getty Images Photograph: Robert Prezioso/Getty Images

A lack of appropriate lighting means sentimentality is trumped by functionality, and tonight’s match has been moved across town to the bigger, newer KGV Park in Glenorchy, the home of Football Federation Tasmania. It has none of the soul or romance of South Hobart Oval, but the pitch is spotless and flat owing to the synthetic turf that was laid in 2012. There is a small, box shaped grandstand on the halfway line, a simple, dressing-sheds-under-the-terraces arrangement, and it overlooks rows of little houses. The backdrop to the grandstand is a wall of low, sloping mountains blackened by the evening gloom and shrouded in mist. It’s freezing. This is proper Cup football weather.

I’m here early, and a Billy Connolly lookalike with long silver hair fiddles with the PA system. “One-two, one-two, check-check, check-check,” he ventures nervously into the microphone before warbling a few bars of the national anthem around the ground. “Play something original,” yells a woman from the canteen, and suddenly All Fired Up by Pat Benatar blasts through the speakers.

Of course, it’s not all about South Hobart, and it’s a happy twist of fate that they’ve drawn Tuggeranong United in round one. Of all the participating states and member federations in the FFA Cup, Tasmania and the ACT are the only two without an A-League representative. Like South, Tuggers are excited to carry the torch not just for their own club but for their entire region.

The visitors arrived here on Monday, and are looking resplendent in their green and white hooped jerseys. I quickly fall in love with their logo. It’s out a different era, like one of those brilliantly wacky crests in the old North American Soccer League. There are many failed experiments at using cartoon footballs in club logos, but Tuggers get it just right with slinky-soccer-ball. It advances at you kookily from a slight angle: ball ball ball ball ball BALL! It’s as if you’ve stepped into an episode of The Mighty Boosh and sat down to watch the FFA Cup with Vince Noir and Howard Moon.

Last weekend weekend, Tuggeranong United spectacularly emerged from a five-game losing streak in their local league, beating Monaro Panthers 5-1. That mini-slump is ancient history now, and the boys look confident and ready. South also had a big win over Northern Rangers FC here at KGV, and this match promises to be a cracker.



As spectators search for spare seats and vantage points, the Tasmanian Billy Connolly has begun his unique stream of consciousness style of ground announcing. “Just reminding you all as we do at all South Hobart games, that this is a racism free zone,” he rambles. “So … keep it critical but keep it nice.” The crowd giggle awkwardly, and he continues to list the great prizes we can win if we enter the raffle.

I wander over to the colourful marquees behind the goals in search of a feed. On offer are hamburgers, lamb kebabs and sausages, and I order a hamburger. “You want sauce luv?” one of the ladies asks as she squirts tomato sauce between the two slices of white bread. I pick up a bag of mixed lollies, the whole lot costs me $5, and I feel like I’m back at my primary school swimming carnival again. It’s great.

Fans keep warm – and show their support – on a cold night. Photograph: Robert Prezioso/Getty Images Photograph: Robert Prezioso/Getty Images

With around 1,300 people surrounding the pitch, the Tasmanian Army Band helps a local woman deliver a tidy rendition of the national anthem, marches off the field to the strains of Waltzing Matilda, and the match is underway.

South’s first-choice goalkeeper is out due to suspension, but his replacement Mark ‘Monkey’ Moncur is an instant fans favourite. He is extravagantly proportioned, and his all-white outfit stretches snugly over his body. His friends behind the goal yell “he’s got a body like an Adonis” encouragingly, and he grins back at them. And he’s 39, which seems preposterous. Nobody is 39 years old in sport anymore. Tonight, this bloke is hope to park footballers everywhere. Age and girth prevents him from being the quickest on ground, but he makes some decisive saves throughout the match.

South have more possession and play some attractive passing football, but Tuggeranong defend valiantly and create a few decent chances of their own. They play on the break, waiting for an opportunity to pounce. Their No6, Sean Kiddey takes long throw-ins like Rory Delap, and that creates some havoc for South’s defence. Both teams are willing in the tackle, and when a Tuggeranong defender clatters into a South midfielder right in front of the grandstand, the locals are on their feet. “Give ‘im a card!” comes the shout yell, but the referee ignores their protests.

South’s midfield are linking well, but the No10 Andy Brennan is clearly the star of the team. He is tall, athletic and confident, and as a left winger he’s in full view of the grandstand for the first half. When the ball is delivered to him the crowd collectively draw a sharp breath in anticipation, and then yell “Go Andy!” and “Take ‘em on Andy!” So he does, and he gets a few decent crosses in, but the Tuggeranong defence are rock solid.

Andy Brennan (right) of South Hobart is his team’s clear star. Photograph: Robert Prezioso/Getty Images Photograph: Robert Prezioso/Getty Images

After waves of attack in the first half, it’s not until the 69th minute that South are able to break the deadlock. Hugh Lundy’s cross is whipped in from the right, and it’s turned in by Kiddey for an own goal. The parochial crowd goes nuts. At home, with a one goal lead, it’s South’s game to lose.

As the clock ticks over, there is a sense of inevitability about the result, but Tuggeranong don’t give up hope. They continue to press in search for an equaliser, and with just five minutes remaining, one of Kiddey’s long throw-ins is headed home by Zac Munster. 1-1.

Extra time is scrappy as players tire and go down with cramp. The crowd jostle in anticipation, although maybe they’re just trying to keep warm. Tuggeranong look the most likely, but that decisive final touch is lacking, and the score remains locked at 1-1. And so we go to penalties, the cruelest way to end a football match.



Tuggeranong players celebrate their victory on penalties. Photograph: Robert Prezioso/Getty Images Photograph: Robert Prezioso/Getty Images

South are first to the spot and the first to miss, but Tuggeranong also botch one to level things up. After 10 penalties they’re square at four goals apiece, but when Caleb Ludlow misses South’s sixth penalty kick, all Harry Petit has to do is score and Tuggeranong are through. He lines his shot up quickly, with almost carefree abandon. Picking his spot, he takes a few strides forward and casually buries the ball into the bottom left hand corner of the net. It’s an incredible turnaround, and the visitors are delirious. The goalscorer is quickly and customarily flattened as his team-mates, the coaches and the support staff rush to congratulate him.

There are few surprises as St Albans, Perth Glory and Adelaide United beat Parramatta United, Newcastle Jets and Wellington Phoenix in the other matches. The story of the night is Tuggeranong’s snatch and grab victory. It’s the first time in over half a century that an ACT team have progressed in a national Cup tournament, and a potential clash with an A-League opponent looms for the Round of 16. Walter emerges from the crowd of people behind the goal, chuffed with the photos he’s captured of the shootout. He rushes off to file his photographs and get in amongst the mixed zone. It’s a cruel ending for the Tasmanians, but the magic of the Cup makes for great drama.