The 1954 Tasmanian Australian National Football League (TANFL) premiership season was an Australian Rules football competition staged in Hobart, Tasmania over fifteen (15) roster rounds and four (4) finals series matches between 17 April and 18 September 1954. Hobart Football Club began playing their home fixtures at North Hobart Oval from this season due to a dispute between them, the TANFL and the Tasmanian Cricket Association and its (at that time) more financially influential co-tenant, the Hobart Greyhound Racing Club (HGRC) over the high rental costs incurred to use the TCA Ground for football. Owing to the dispute between all parties the ground did not host any TANFL fixtures until Hobart resumed playing home matches there in 1961.
Participating Clubs
Clarence District Football Club
New Town District Football Club
Hobart Football Club
New Norfolk District Football Club
North Hobart Football Club
Sandy Bay Football Club
1954 TANFL Club Coaches
Les McClements (Clarence) Jack Rough (Glenorchy) Bill Williams (Hobart) Rex Garwood (New Norfolk) John Leedham (North Hobart) Gordon Bowman (Sandy Bay)
TANFL Reserves Grand Final
Nth Hobart 7.10 (52) v New Town 6.8 (44) – North Hobart Oval
TANFL Under-19's Grand Final
State Schools Old Boys Football Association (SSOBFA) Glenorchy 6.10 (46) v Buckingham 4.9 (33) – North Hobart Oval
State Preliminary Final
(Saturday, 25 September 1954) City: 5.4 (34) | 5.7 (37) | 11.10 (76) | 14.12 (96) Burnie: 1.1 (7) | 3.4 (22) | 4.5 (29) | 6.7 (43) Attendance: 4,500 at Devonport Oval
State Grand Final
(Saturday, 2 October 1954) City: 1.6 (12) | 5.10 (40) | 7.13 (55) | 9.16 (70) Hobart: 2.3 (15) | 3.3 (21) | 5.5 (35) | 6.10 (46) Attendance: 6,951 at York Park
Intrastate Matches
Jubilee Shield (Saturday, 12 June 1954) TANFL 19.14 (128) v NWFU 12.13 (85) – Att: 8,307 at North Hobart Oval
Jubilee Shield (Monday, 14 June 1954) TANFL 8.14 (62) v NTFA 7.11 (53) – Att: 8,069 at North Hobart Oval
Jubilee Shield (Saturday, 3 July 1954) NTFA 15.13 (103) v TANFL 13.6 (84) – Att: 9,413 at North Hobart Oval
Jubilee Shield (Saturday, 31 July 1954) NWFU 21.11 (137) v TANFL 11.12 (78) – Att: N/A at Devonport Oval
Inter-Association Match (Sunday, 13 June 1954) Queenstown FA 15.12 (102) v TANFL II 8.9 (57) – Att: N/A at Queenstown Oval (The Gravel)
Inter-Association Match (Sunday, 31 July 1954) Huon FA 14.16 (100) v TANFL II 11.16 (82) – Att: 1,200 at Geeveston Oval.
Interstate Matches
Interstate Match (Saturday, 10 July 1954) Tasmania 16.21 (117) v Australian Amateurs 9.10 (64) – Att: 10,357 at North Hobart Oval
Leading Goalkickers: TANFL
Ian Westell (Sandy Bay) – 68
Max Griffiths (New Town) – 42
E.Griggs (New Town) – 40
L.Sutton (North Hobart) – 37
Les McClements (Clarence) – 37
Medal Winners
Bruce Roe (New Norfolk) – William Leitch Medal
M.Cleary (North Hobart) – George Watt Medal (Reserves) Ray Young (New Norfolk) – V.A Geard Medal (Under-19's) C.Moore (North Hobart) – Weller Arnold Medal (Best TANFL player in Intrastate Matches) Gordon Bowman (Sandy Bay) – Lefroy Medal (Best Tasmanian player in Interstate Matches)
1954 TANFL Ladder
Round 1
(Saturday, 17 April & Monday, 19 April 1954) New Town 16.19 (115) v Clarence 10.6 (66) – Att: 3,912 at North Hobart Oval Sandy Bay 11.11 (77) v New Norfolk 6.17 (53) – Att: 2,221 at Boyer Oval Hobart 17.11 (113) v Nth Hobart 8.11 (59) – Att: 4,232 at North Hobart Oval (Monday)
Round 2
(Saturday, 24 April 1954) Hobart 14.20 (104) v New Norfolk 7.10 (52) – Att: 2,026 at North Hobart Oval Sandy Bay 23.18 (156) v New Town 19.14 (128) – Att: 3,017 at New Town Oval Nth Hobart 12.23 (95) v Clarence 2.8 (20) – Att: 1,382 at Bellerive Oval
Round 3
(Saturday, 1 May 1954) Nth Hobart 8.11 (59) v New Town 7.11 (53) – Att: 2,794 at North Hobart Oval Hobart 15.14 (104) v Sandy Bay 11.11 (77) – Att: 3,400 at Queenborough Oval Clarence 11.18 (84) v New Norfolk 12.3 (75) – Att: 1,416 at Bellerive Oval
Round 4
(Saturday, 8 May 1954) New Town 11.11 (77) v Hobart 5.10 (40) – Att: 2,953 at North Hobart Oval Sandy Bay 16.17 (113) v Clarence 4.15 (39) – Att: 1,440 at Queenborough Oval Nth Hobart 13.7 (85) v New Norfolk 8.12 (60) – Att: 970 at Boyer Oval
Round 5
(Saturday, 15 May 1954) Sandy Bay 13.12 (90) v Nth Hobart 12.15 (87) – Att: 4,301 at North Hobart Oval New Town 16.9 (105) v New Norfolk 11.17 (83) – Att: 1,576 at New Town Oval Hobart 11.15 (81) v Clarence 9.17 (71) – Att: 1,069 at Bellerive Oval