{"id":880598,"date":"2026-09-05T06:24:24","date_gmt":"2026-09-05T06:24:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/880598\/"},"modified":"2026-09-05T06:24:24","modified_gmt":"2026-09-05T06:24:24","slug":"tasmania-devils-vfl-semi-final-ends-in-disappointment-with-essendon-up-101-points-to-74","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/880598\/","title":{"rendered":"Tasmania Devils’ VFL semi-final ends in disappointment with Essendon up 101 points to 74"},"content":{"rendered":"

The finals dream has ended for the Tasmania Devils in their inaugural VFL season, going down by 27 points in a slippery match against Essendon in North Hobart.<\/p>\n

Essendon got to a strong start early in the match, though the Devils worked to narrow the gap to just 8 points going in to the second half.<\/p>\n

However, the Dons, who were on a seven-game win streak, proved too strong to overcome, finishing with 101 points to the Devils’ 74.<\/p>\n

\"Among<\/p>\n

Tasmanians came out in droves despite the wet weather to cheer on the Devils at North Hobart Oval. (ABC News: Kate Nickels)<\/p>\n

Speaking after the game, Tasmania Devils ruckman Cam Owen said it was a disappointing way to end the season.<\/p>\n

“But I suppose behind that is a massive feeling of gratitude. Just really grateful for the opportunity we got this year and really proud of the boys as well for the season that we had,” Owen said.\"A<\/p>\n

Cam Owen says the disappointment will not last long, making way for the pride the club feels. (ABC News)<\/p>\n

“We just weren’t brave enough with the ball and lacked that bit of polish going forward, which, against the AFL-aligned teams, especially when they have 18 of them, they just make you pay for that.”<\/p>\n

A year ago, the club had no players or playing jumper, and was working hard to convince players from across the country to make the jump to the southern state.<\/p>\n

\"Two<\/p>\n

The Dons, who were on a seven-game winning streak, proved too strong to overcome for the Devils. (ABC News: Kate Nickels)<\/p>\n

Owen said the club would continue to hold its head high, seeing what it had achieved.<\/p>\n

“Twelve months ago we didn’t have a team.<\/p>\n

“Now it’s turned into a top-four finish and packing out home crowds and taking it up to the competition.”<\/p>\n

He said the team’s “grit and determination” was “second to none”.<\/p>\n

“I don’t think we lose any fans after playing each week because we show that really Tassie brand of footy.”<\/p>\n

\"Crowd<\/p>\n

The Devils played to a sellout crowd. (ABC News: Kate Nickels)<\/p>\n

Optimism on dreary day<\/p>\n

As gates opened at North Hobart on Saturday, the enthusiasm from fans decked out in green, donning raincoats and racing to get undercover seats, wasn’t to be dampened.<\/p>\n

\"Tasmanian<\/p>\n

Lee and Lucy Edwards have full confidence the Devils have what it takes to get a win over the Bombers. (ABC News: Kate Nickels)<\/p>\n

For Lee and Lucy Edwards, there was nowhere else they would rather have been.<\/p>\n

“I don’t care \u2014 rain, hail or shine, let’s go,” Ms Edwards said before the match.<\/p>\n

“We played really well earlier in the year in York park when it rained cats and dogs, and we got over the line there.”<\/p>\n

Mr Edwards said for the club to make it this far in their first season was an achievement in itself.<\/p>\n

“For a new team, this is fantastic. Tassie go on, come on!”<\/p>\n

Decked out in her beanie and wet weather gear, Devils fan Ann Sigley was hoping she had a secret weapon with her in the stands \u2014 a bear in hand-knitted kit, named “mini Rum’un”.<\/p>\n

She said it took her four days to make the mini mascot, which is just one in her AFL collection.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Ann Sigley spent several months making a little Rum’un to show support for the Devils. (ABC News: Kate Nickels)<\/p>\n

Tasmania Devils daring to dream<\/a><\/p>\n

The Devils weren’t supposed to make the VFL finals. They were barely even supposed to be in the league.<\/p>\n

“He shouts loud,” she said, with a smile. “Goes up in the air a few times.”<\/p>\n

Among the sea of green, there were a few flickers of red and black. One of the brave Bombers supporters was Wynyard man Manassa Walker.<\/p>\n

He said he was feeling confident going into the match, with the Essendon side including 18 AFL listed players, including former Devil, Jackson Artemis.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Manassa Walker from Wynyard is not scared to be surrounded by a sea of green and hopes the Bombers come away with a win. (ABC News: Kate Nickels)<\/p>\n

Mr Walker said, with a few Wynyard boys in the Tassie side he would also be barracking for them, but ultimately he was a “bomber at heart”.<\/p>\n

It was a similar sentiment shared by James Rogerson, who, wearing a Devils jumper and a Bombers scarf, was in for a win either way.<\/p>\n

“I think football wins for the day,” he said.\"A<\/p>\n

The dreary weather wasn’t enough to stop droves of passionate supporters attending the clash. (ABC News: Kate Nickels)<\/p>\n

He said the Devils making it into a semi final, played at home, was a feat in itself.<\/p>\n

“It’s well above expectations, I think.<\/p>\n

“They’re doing really well. They’ve really gelled together as a team after only one pre-season together. I think they’re doing really well.”<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

The Davis family rugged up for the wet weather so they could cheer on the Devils. (ABC News: Kate Nickels)<\/p>\n

For the young Davis family, watching their team was the perfect way to start the morning.<\/p>\n

Daughter Sophie said she never doubted that the Devils would make it to to the semi finals.<\/p>\n

“Of course. They’re the Devils!”<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Sophie Davis is among the thousands of Tasmanians supporting the Devils at North Hobart Oval today. (ABC News: Kate Nickels)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The finals dream has ended for the Tasmania Devils in their inaugural VFL season, going down by 27…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":880599,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[64,63,21452,3028,38433,339102,449927,77691,11094,85,8539,2801,53432,238779,24342],"class_list":["post-880598","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-bombers","tag-essendon","tag-home-final","tag-jeromey-webberley","tag-north-hobart-oval","tag-robbie-fox","tag-semi-finals","tag-sports","tag-tas","tag-tasmania","tag-tasmania-devils","tag-tassie-devils","tag-vfl"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/880598","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=880598"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/880598\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/880599"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=880598"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=880598"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=880598"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}