The East Launceston Football Club was an

Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...

club based in

Launceston, Tasmania Launceston () or () is a city in the north of Tasmania, Australia, at the confluence of the North Esk and South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River (kanamaluka). As of 2021, Launceston has a population of 87,645. Material was copied ...

, Australia.

History

The club was founded in 1948 as "Cornwall Football Club" and participated with limited success during its 38-year tenure in the Northern Tasmanian Football Association (NTFA) competition. The club, nicknamed the Demons, changed its name to East Launceston in the late 1950s and was to play in two NTFA Grand Final's for a premiership win in 1967 and a 44-point loss to Launceston in the 1969 decider. Success was to again elude the club after this and they made their last finals appearance during the 1985 NTFA finals series. East Launceston continued to ply their trade in the NTFA until they were announced as a shock inclusion as one of two clubs from the NTFA (the other being northern powerhouse, North Launceston) to join the new TFL Statewide League competition in January 1986. After a dismal pre-season, the Demons, who were required to adopt an alternate playing uniform and colours owing to a clash with already established club North Hobart, began their new venture at TFL level with a shock win over

Hobart Hobart ( ; Nuennonne/Palawa kani: ''nipaluna'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Home to almost half of all Tasmanians, it is the least-populated Australian state capital city, and second-small ...

at KGV Football Park on the opening day (playing in a Tasmanian state training uniform). However, after three thrashings in the first seven rounds, the Demons were to record their final win in their own right over North Launceston at

York Park York Park is a sports ground in the Inveresk and York Park Precinct, Launceston, Australia. Holding 19,000 people – the largest capacity stadium in Tasmania, York Park is known commercially as University of Tasmania Stadium and was formerly ...

on 18 May, but after a 99-point home loss to Glenorchy the following week, the club announced on 26 May that they would be amalgamating with fellow Launceston-based club, City-South to continue on as the

South Launceston Football Club The South Launceston Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently competing in the Northern Tasmanian Football Association. They were formed through a merger between City-South and East Launceston in 1986, clubs in the former ...

Summary

*Home ground –

*Established – 1948 as Cornwall Football Club *Playing colours – Navy blue and red *Emblem – Demons *Club theme song – "It's a Grand Old Flag" (Tune: "

You're a Grand Old Flag "You're a Grand Old Flag" is an American patriotic march. The song, a spirited march written by George M. Cohan, is a tribute to the U.S. flag. In addition to obvious references to the flag, it incorporates snippets of other popular songs, includ ...

") *Affiliations – NTFA (1948–1986), TFL Statewide League (1986)

Premiership titles

NTFA premierships *1967 TFL Statewide League premierships * Nil

Tasmanian State Premiership The Tasmanian State Premiership was an Australian rules football tournament which was contested at the conclusion of the season, initially between the reigning Tasmanian Football League (TFL/TANFL) and Northern Tasmanian Football Association (18 ...

s *Nil

Individual medal winners

Tasman Shields Trophy winners * 1949 – Max Rees * 1961 – Eddie Thomas * 1962 – Darrell Pitcher Hec. Smith Memorial Medal winners * 1967 – Peter Webb * 1969 –

John Burns John Elliot Burns (20 October 1858 – 24 January 1943) was an English trade unionist and politician, particularly associated with London politics and Battersea. He was a socialist and then a Liberal Member of Parliament and Minister. He was ...

* 1981 –

Paul Reinmuth Paul Anthony Reinmuth (27 March 1954 – 6 December 2018) was an Australian rules footballer who played for Hawthorn Hawthorn or Hawthorns may refer to: Plants * '' Crataegus'' (hawthorn), a large genus of shrubs and trees in the family R ...

Competition leading goalkickers

NTFA leading goalkickers * 1957 – Roy Ringrose (50) * 1958 – Roy Ringrose (55) * 1980 – Paul Wharton (59) TFL Statewide League leading goalkickers * Nil

Club records

Club record score * 22.14 (146) v City-South at

in 1958. Club record games holder * David Thomson (206)

Club record match attendance

* 10,498 – East Launceston v North Launceston at

for the 1967 NTFA Grand Final.

References

*{{cite book, last=Devaney, first=John P., title=The Full Points Footy Encyclopedia of Australian Football Clubs, year=2008, publisher=Lulu.com, isbn=978-0-9556897-0-3, page=157 Australian rules football clubs in Tasmania Australian rules football clubs established in 1948 1948 establishments in Australia 1986 disestablishments in Australia Sport in Launceston, Tasmania Tasmanian Football League clubs Australian rules football clubs disestablished in 1986