The Tasmania Devils will play their first game in Penguin this weekend, with the club expecting a near sell-out crowd for its VFL and VFLW matches at Dial Park on Saturday.
Fewer than 1,000 tickets were left on Friday and Devils chief executive Brendon Gale said he expected them to be gone by the end of the day.
The ground has a crowd cap of about 5,000 to 6,000 people.
Gale said that was well beyond anything seen at local games in recent years.
Speaking to reporters at the Big Penguin on Friday morning, he urged fans to move quickly.
“Get in fast,” he said. “There’s opportunities to get tickets throughout the day online or actually at the venue today.”
Gale grew up in Burnie and said returning to the north-west coast with the Devils meant a lot to him.
Fans will be able to watch both the women’s and men’s teams on Saturday.
Gale said the men’s match was an important one, with the side chasing a finals spot.
“This is an eight-point game in some respects,” he said. “There’s a lot at stake.”
“Our women are growing and developing and we expect a really competitive performance tomorrow. It’s going to be a great celebration of football on the coast.”
Gale said he had not yet seen the ground, but had received positive reports about its condition.
He thanked the Central Coast Council, Mayor Cheryl Fuller and chief executive Vicki Brereton for helping bring the game to the coast.
The winter match is expected to be dry and Gale said some players would relish the conditions.
He also signalled the club wanted to keep playing on the coast beyond this year.
By 2028, the Devils will field AFL and VFL teams in both the men’s and women’s competitions.
Capacity limits mean AFL men’s home games are unlikely at Dial Park, although pre-season matches could be an option.
“We’ve got a whole range of content to offer and spread around the state, so definitely it’ll be in the mix,” Gale said.
“It’s a really good venue, one that’s about to undertake its own improvement as well.”
“It’ll be in the mix, but we can’t commit at this stage. But certainly it’ll be our intention.”
