Western United community football ambassador David Clarkson believes Tasmania is more prepared than ever to have its own A-League outfit.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
WU and Calder United players were in Launceston on Wednesday ahead of their match-ups in April.
The WU men's team will play A-League matches against Perth Glory and Macarthur at UTAS stadium.
The Calder United women's team - WU's feeder club - is also set to play a curtain-raiser.
It comes after the success of WU's first trip to the Apple Isle last year for two games.
Clarkson, in 2016, put a consortium together to have an A-League club based in Tassie but it didn't eventuate.
He feels Western United's continued presence is a great way to facilitate Tasmania eventually having its own side.
"For me, Tassie is so ready to have its own A-League team, no doubt," he said at UTAS Stadium on Wednesday.
"Football (soccer) in Tasmania is the most played team sport at grassroots level, there's over 15,000 registered players, more than any other sport.
"The interest is there but what we've got to do for these kids is give them an opportunity to say 'I can play at the highest level'.
"Because like it was for me if you choose to play football you have to leave the state.
"What we're trying to do is make that transition for these young players as smooth as possible if they're good enough."
He said getting the venue right was a key step.
"We need a rectangular stadium in the state, no doubt about that, Bellerive Oval is difficult because the cricket pitch is always there," he said.
"And here (UTAS), it's the home of the Hawks (AFL) and we're having to work around that as well."
Clarkson explained plenty of hard work was going on in the background to grow the game. "We're working closely with the government," he said. "There are certain areas we need to tick off, one of them is the female side of the game.
"Jane Howlett, the sports minister, is really big on that, so that's an area that we're really focusing on - to work closely with grassroots football and the female side of the game and the men's as well.
"Really working in that community space and creating that pathway so eventually, one day if Tasmania gets the opportunity to have their own A-League team or club, then they've shown they can be part of it and run the game.
"So it's important for them as well to be doing that work through Football Tasmania to say 'well look we host A-League games, we're ready to have our own team'."
Western United will field an A-League Women's team for the first time next season which is a big tick for female participation at the elite level.
WU and Melbourne-based women's club Calder United partnered up in 2020 in preparation for the A-league women licence bid.
"Calder will morph into Western United, so rather than starting from scratch we've already got (this arrangement)," Clarkson said.
"And they're already a very strong female football club so it makes a lot of sense."
WU is on top of the A-League men's table with five wins, one draw and three losses.
They face Western Sydney Wanderers on Saturday evening in Sydney. They're coming off a 2-2 draw against Macarthur.