The Tasmania Devils are expecting a sellout crowd of 5,000 when their VFL and VFLW teams run out onto Dial Park in Penguin for the first time this Saturday.
The club will host the Box Hill Hawks in a double header, with the VFLW match starting at 9:05am and the VFL clash to follow at 11:35am.
Devils head of marketing Ella Scott said the club was thrilled to be heading to the north-west of the state and encouraged fans to get their tickets now.
“We’re expecting a sellout, so that’ll be 5,000 through the gates at the complex there,” she told Pulse.
“We know that there’s been huge interest and attraction and we know that our north-west fans will come out in droves.”
“It’s incredibly exciting, and we lean into having multiple home venues, and we lean in at being in and amongst community.”
Scott said being able to travel to regional areas of the state was a real privilege for the team.
“I think it’s at the heart of what we do … we’re a team for everyone,” she said.
The trip holds special significance given the number of people connected to the region within the club.
Scott said there were five players from the north-west coast on the VFL list and seven on the VFLW list.
Chairman Grant O’Brien played in a premiership for Penguin and CEO Brendon Gale grew up in nearby Burnie.
“We’ve got obviously really strong ties and connections to the region and we’ve got a lot of very eager members and fans awaiting our arrival,” Scott said.
“I think it’s incredible that we can take footy to different communities across the state.”
The north-west trip comes on the back of a 61-point loss to Brisbane in the VFL and a 27-point loss to Collingwood in the VFLW.
Scott said the visit was already having an effect on local businesses with the club getting reports of shopfronts being transformed to show their support and businesses ordering more food for a busy couple of days.
The club is urging fans to buy tickets online or at the Dial Park box office on Friday between 12pm and 3pm if tickets aren’t sold out already, warning that poor internet connectivity at the ground could cause issues on game day.
“We’d expect to sell out before Saturday anyway,” Scott said.
The club has a packed schedule of events leading up to the matches.
On Friday, a pop-up meet and greet will be held at the Big Penguin from 10:30am to 11:30am, with giveaways and a chance to meet mascot Rum’un.
A business luncheon at The Pier in Ulverstone will then run from 12pm to 2:30pm, featuring O’Brien and Gale as guest speakers.
A members clubhouse meetup with finger food and a guest speaker will be held at Island State Brewing in Devonport from 5:30pm to 7:30pm.
The Devils will also have a presence at the Devonport Twilight Market from 4pm to 8pm, with merchandise and the membership team on hand.
