Hawthorn will play its last AFL match in Launceston against the Sydney Swans next year, ending the club’s run of home games in northern Tasmania that began in 2001.
The Round 21 match at UTAS Stadium appears in the 2027 fixture the club released on Thursday. Its date and start time are yet to be confirmed.
Hawthorn chief executive Ash Klein said the club looked forward “to giving our Tasmanian fans a fitting farewell to Launceston with four huge home games at UTAS Stadium”.
“We are thrilled to unveil another blockbuster fixture for the 2027 AFL season,” he said.
“Off the back of a record-breaking year where over 90,000 members rode the bumps with a grin, our members and fans have another incredible slate of home games to look forward to.”
The Hawks’ final Launceston season starts against the GWS Giants on Sunday, May 9 at 12:30pm. They then host St Kilda on Saturday, May 29 at 1:15pm.
The Gold Coast Suns visit in Round 18 before the Swans match in Round 21 closes out the Hawks’ time in Launceston.
In May, the AFL confirmed Hawthorn’s arrangement to play home games in Launceston would end when the Tasmania Devils enter the competition in 2028.
At the time, Hawthorn said it was “extremely disappointed in the AFL’s decision to force an end to our relationship with Launceston and northern Tasmania post 2027”.
The club pointed to 25 years of investment in the state.
It said its presence had delivered “an undeniable benefit to the Launceston and Tasmanian economy, strong attendance at AFL games and a loyal following of Tasmanian members”.
AFL chief operating officer Tom Harley thanked Hawthorn at the time for its contribution to football in Tasmania.
“With the Tasmania Devils entering the AFL competition in 2028, it is appropriate that the Devils become the primary focus for football in the state, giving Tasmanians their own team to support on the national stage,” he said.
Hawthorn said it would look to move its Launceston games back to Melbourne after 2027.
