The People Who Love the Game

Behind the scenes of one of Nikki’s photo shoots :)

The People I Am Meeting

I have started interviewing people in Tasmanian football.

Writing their stories down.

Something has surprised me.

Almost no one has said no.

One person said, not at the moment, which I understand completely.

Everyone else has said yes.

They say it gently, almost embarrassed to be asked, as if someone has finally asked about them, not the ladder, not the fixtures, not the politics.

Just them.

What I am seeing

These are good people.

They care about kids they barely know.
They worry about their clubs.
They argue because they want things to be better.

They love the game.

In a quiet, stubborn way.

They are not chasing headlines.
They are not chasing titles.

They just keep showing up.

And without them there is no football here.

Nikki’s photos

Nikki’s photos make this real.

You can see pride. Fatigue. Kindness. Hope.

Not glamour. Not branding.

Just Tasmanian football, as it really is.

In 2022 I started this on Facebook with Nikki also taking the photos. We called it Football Faces Tasmania. (FFT) on purpose really but we just got too busy. Those interviews have been reposted on this blog.

Why this matters to me

After so many years in meetings as President of South Hobart FC, sitting in rooms where decisions are made, I know how easy it is for these people to be invisible.

Not invited.
Not consulted.
Not heard.

But they are the ones holding everything together.

This series is my way of saying, we see you.

And also of keeping a record, for our kids and theirs, of who carried Tasmanian football in these years.

What comes next

I have so many interviews coming.

From Ulverstone to Riverside, from Launceston to Kingborough, from big clubs to tiny ones, referees, presidents, media people, quiet committee workers whose names never appear anywhere.

People you know. People you should know.

If there is someone involved who cares deeply about football here, tell me.

I will ask them.

Because their story matters.

If I haven’t reached out yet, it is only because I still have a day job.

I will get to as many people as I can, because you, your club, your association and your story all matter.

I hope I do these shared stories justice. I am proud to tell them.