Geoff Lyons (Bass, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise in the House today to congratulate the Tasmanian Football Council under-23 team. Two weeks ago the Tassie team beat Western Australia for the first time since 1966. I am pleased there is one person from Western Australia siting opposite. Sorry, there are two. This was a great result for our players, allied staff, parents and relatives on the day.

Chase Armstrong from Smithton played on a Western Australian who was at least 12 inches taller than him. I congratulate all those who participated but particularly those from the mighty electorate of Bass. They were Kerry Haywood and Phil Atkins from the NTFA committee, trainer Ernie Blackberry, team coach Wayne Kirby, midfield coach Max Pierce, back line coach Geoff Skeggs and our NTFA players Darren Long, Jake Pierce, Tom Bennett and Andrew Cox-Goodyer, Todd Rattray, Lewis Taylor, Jake Huett and Corey Nankervis.

I could not have been more proud when I heard that the Tasmanian Football Council team had beaten the Western Australians. They are a great team and it is wonderful that this team got on so well. There were no dramas, no big heads and they all had fun. When you consider the thousands of players that the Western Australians had to pick from and Tassie only having a few hundred, it was a great effort from the mighty Tasmanian under-23 team. You did Tasmania proud.