The Tasmania Devils, the AFL’s 19th and newest club, have released its official logo for their inaugural season, amid a swell of support.
Every time a new team is introduced to an established professional competition, there’s usually plenty of anticipation and intrigue around the fandom that follows.
But with the soon-to-be newest AFL club, support has already doubled membership goals in just a couple of days.
Although we won’t see the Tasmania Devils until 2028, the club has already rolled out its name, logo and guernsey (just ahead of the state election!). Many appear set to hop on the bandwagon, while others have voiced concerns over the team’s jumper and logo.
Unveiled at a number of places simultaneously around Tasmania, the team’s colours were announced as myrtle green, primrose yellow and rose red, which was expected. But many were pleasantly surprised to see that the club and the AFL had successful negotiated with entertainment company Warner Bros for the right to use the Devils as its club mascot.
With four years still to play out before we ever see the Devils take to a field for AFL competition points, it’s hard to know exactly what the side will look like come game time and who will be leading the side around from the coaches box.
But what we do know is that the early signs point towards the club being supported by over 100,000 members and being a team the entire state, and beyond, will be right behind.
3 things all sports fans should know about the Tasmania Devils
Here are a few little details you should stick in your back pocket, for now.
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Devils surpass already passes 100k membership mark
The Tassie Devils – as we’re sure many will be calling them – had set out to achieve 40,000 club members by the end of October 2024, which was been completely smashed inside a couple of days.
More than 100,000 memberships have been bought since the AFL announced that Tassie would get the nod, with over 75,000 grabbing the $10 foundation membership following the club’s logo and name launch on March 18.
These $10 memberships were hard for future fans to turn down, with a special digital founding membership card included in the sign up, plus a choice of three sticker designs, and reportedly exclusive communication and access to member exclusive merchandise.
Founding members are also being told that their name will be represented in the Tasmania Devils training and administration home forever.
Three-time Richmond premiership winner and Tasmania Football Club ambassador Jack Riewoldt was amazed by the membership numbers, stating that he couldn’t imagine it in his wildest dreams.
“But then there’s a part of us that isn’t surprised. Tasmanians are extremely passionate about football, they’re passionate about sport and they’re passionate about the Devils,” Riewoldt said via ABC.
What does the Devils guernsey look like?
The unveiling of the Tasmania Devils’ guernsey was arguably the biggest talking point of the night, with some fans disappointed and confused about the initial design.
The AFL community was familiar with the guernsey design already, given it doesn’t stray too far from what the state team wears and has worn historically. The only difference is the addition of their new logo.
Using the head of the state’s beloved Tasmanian Devil, the club has create the first logo for the side, with green wavy fur, red inner-ears and a yellow mouth.
However, right in the centre of the guernsey is the filled-in outline of the state of Tasmania with a capital red ‘T’ in the middle. Interestingly, after some disappointment from supporters around the design, the club has backtracked on the ‘map’ design saying that it will only be worn sparingly through seasons.
“The home and away Devils jumpers will be the mainstay. They will be released later down the track in due course,” David Lithgow stated via Twitter (X).
It is important to note that expansion clubs have been known to change their minds on guernsey and logo designs in the past, with Gold Coast and GWS making mass changes in the leadup to their inclusion in the AFL.
Mission impossible: The AFL negotiated with Warner Bros
The naming of the side was always going to be the biggest hurdle for any Tasmanian-based side to overcome, considering the two things synonymous with the state is their now-extinct Tigers (which is already used by Richmond, of course), and the Tasmanian Devil (trademarked by Warner Bros).
Global entertainment company Warner Bros have had the copyright license of the name Tassie Devil since 1984, meaning in order for the AFL to use a similar name they needed approval from Warner Bros.
According to people involved in the negotiations between the AFL and Warner Bros, it came right down to the wire, even though the company had no idea a ‘Tasmanian Devil’ was in fact a real animal.
“We knew early days that Warner Brothers own the intellectual property effectively and trademarks for our animal, so we knew that we’d need to deal through them in order to be able to use the name,” Tasmania Football Club chairman Grant O’Brien said.
“Early days negotiating through the AFL with Warner Bros were a bit tricky, but when it got to the point of them understanding the Tasmanian Devil was a real animal, things freed up.
“They understood why we were so keen to have our own animal represent the team.”
O’Brien stated that the AFL nor the Tasmanian Football Club have had to pay any money to Warner Bros and that there is no commercial arrangement in place with the mega company.
