This year the AFL is celebrating the 30-year history of the competition which has produced more AFL and AFLW players than any other in recent decades, the NAB League (formerly TAC Cup).
Tasmania has been involved in the competition in various capacities since 1995, and to celebrate the competition’s milestone, we will take a look back at some of their most notable campaigns over the years.
The 1996 TAC Cup season was Tasmania’s second in the competition, and it came after a tough debut the year prior. Playing under Tasmanian football legend Chris Fagan, the Tassie Mariners claimed just two wins from 18 games in the 1995 season to finish in last place on the ladder.
Fast forward one year, and a supremely talented group was able to flip the script and shock the competition. They finished the season with an 11-7 record and a fifth-place finish which, prior to the current 2022 season, was Tasmania’s highest final ladder position for a boys side in their history in the competition. The campaign included a dominant 51-point win over eventual runners-up Eastern Ranges, as well as victories over traditional powers Calder and Oakleigh. While they eventually fell to the Ballarat Rebels in the first round of the finals, the year was a reminder to the rest of the country of Tasmania’s footballing quality.
Fagan was once again charged with coaching the side, and he has since gone on to coach at the highest level, with 125 games and counting under his belt as head coach of the Brisbane Lions. When looking at the complete squad at his disposal, it’s easy to see why the Mariners enjoyed so much success.
L-R: Russell Roberston, Brodie Holland, Ben Beams
Among his players, 13 of the 50-player squad would go on to be on an AFL list, with Russell Robertson (228 games, 428 goals for Melbourne), Brodie Holland (155 games for Fremantle & Collingwood) and Ben Beams (119 VFL games for Tasmania and Sandringham) among the most notable. Also on the playing list was Brendon Bolton, who would enjoy 82 AFL games as an AFL head coach between Hawthorn and Carlton.
1996 TASSIE MARINERS SQUAD |
|||||||
| Coach: Chris Fagan | Captain: Jeremy Brereton | ||||||
| No. | Player | No. | Player | No. | Player | No. | Player |
| 1 | Phil Jones | 14 | Tim Green | 27 | Michael Graves | 40 | Jamie Tubb |
| 2 | Ben Beams | 15 | Jason Savage | 28 | Tim Pears | 41 | Mark Harwood |
| 3 | Jason Britten | 16 | Jeremy Parker | 29 | Adrian Brand | 42 | Sam Clear |
| 4 | Chris Jones | 17 | Marcus Cugino | 30 | Luke Speers | 43 | Damien Smith |
| 5 | Cameron Blight | 18 | Joel Careless | 31 | Ross Kurth | 44 | Arrin Butler |
| 6 | Brodie Holland | 19 | Justin Wood | 32 | Clint Cornish | 45 | Aaron Hilder |
| 7 | Brendon Bolton | 20 | Nick Fooks | 33 | Matthew Geappen | 46 | Mark Taylor |
| 8 | Craig Millar | 21 | Leigh Brockman | 34 | Adam Bester | 47 | Gissel Brandon |
| 9 | Nathan Foale | 22 | Daniel McAllister | 35 | Russell Robertson | 48 | Chris Weildon |
| 10 | Matthew Bernes | 23 | Gerard Oakford | 36 | Aaron Vince | 49 | Todd Stevenson |
| 11 | Andrew Fitzallan | 24 | Gerrard Bennett | 37 | Tim Gordon | 50 | Patrick Wiggins |
| 12 | Jeremy Brereton | 25 | Brad Philpott | 38 | Kurt Heazlewood | ||
| 13 | Nathan Wells | 26 | James Penwright | 39 | Paul Allison | ||
Results
| G1 | Mariners | DEF. | Western Jets | April 7 |
| G2 | Mariners 15.16 (106) | DEF. | Eastern Ranges 8.7 (55) | April 13-14 |
| G3 | Mariners 11.13 (79) | DEF. BY | Prahran Dragons 15.14 (104) | April 20-21 |
| G4 | Mariners 18.13 (121) | DEF. | Gippsland Power 7.4 (46) | April 27-28 |
| G5 | Mariners 14.7 (91) | DEF. BY | NSW/ACT Rams 16.10 (106) | May 4-5 |
| G6 | Mariners 11.7 (73) | DEF. | Ballarat Rebels 10.8 (68) | May 11-12 |
| G7 | Mariners 19.8 (122) | DEF. BY | Geelong Falcons 24.14 (158) | May 18-19 |
| G8 | Mariners 16.8 (104) | DEF. BY | Dandenong Stingrays 23.10 (148) | May 25-26 |
| G9 | Mariners 12.7 (79) | DEF. BY | Preston Knights 19.15 (129) | June 1-2 |
| G10 | Mariners 17.10 (112) | DEF. | Calder Cannons 11.10 (76) | June 15-16 |
| G11 | Mariners 16.18 (114) | DEF. | Oakleigh Chargers 16.8 (104) | June 22-23 |
| G12 | Mariners 25.13 (163) | DEF. | Murray Bushrangers 9.17 (71) | June 29-30 |
| G13 | Mariners 15.12 (102) | DEF. | Bendigo Pioneers 8.14 (62) | July 20-21 |
| G14 | Mariners 14.9 (93) | DEF. | Western Jets 12.12 (84) | July 27-28 |
| G15 | Mariners 8.12 (60) | DEF. BY | Eastern Ranges 13.12 (90) | August 10-11 |
| G16 | Mariners 13.14 (92) | DEF. | Prahran Dragons 7.5 (47) | August 17-18 |
| G17 | Mariners 12.12 (84) | DEF. BY | NSW/ACT Rams 16.14 (110) | August 24-25 |
| G18 | Mariners 18.22 (130) | DEF. | Bendigo Pioneers 19.13 (127) | August 31-Sep 1 |
| F1 | Mariners | DEF. BY | Ballarat Rebels | September 14 |
Squad and results compiled by David Ingram