Fresh from a career year, Richmond defender Sam Banks has labelled his club's recently-brokered deal to play a home game in Tasmania in each of the next two seasons 'awesome'.
In the lead-up to the Tasmania Devils' entry into the AFL, slated for 2028, the Tigers have agreed to play a home game in Hobart in each of the next two seasons.
"It's great news for myself, for the whole footy club, and for Tassie," Banks said.
"Tassie fans are unreal, and just so welcoming. We had a great turn out for our captain's run when we played here late in the (2025) season."
The pacy defender fondly recalled trekking from Tasmania's south to Launceston for Hawthorn matches as a young fan of the brown and gold, and is excited by the prospect of showcasing football to the next generation of supporters on the Apple Isle.
“If I was a young kid, I'd definitely be here - that's for sure,” he added.
Given his Tasmanian roots, and breakout season, Banks was quizzed on his allegiance to the Tigers, with the Devils' imminent entry to the AFL, but shut down the queries quickly.
"I'm really happy at the Richmond footy club," he said. "And I'm really keen to be a part of the group that's coming through; I'm looking forward to being successful in a few years' time.
"Coming through with all of these young boys has been really exciting, and I've been lucky enough to be around some of the older boys that have moved on now. They showed me the way, and how to go about things around the footy club.
"I was lucky enough to have a decent year out on the field, but now it's all about getting back to work in the next couple of weeks and doing it all over again."
Having binned his Hawthorn fanaticism at the time of his drafting, Banks is confident no strange feelings will arise when it's time to play the Devils.
“It'd be different, but it doesn't faze me," he said.
The connection of past and present players to the picturesque island was a key piece of reasoning behind Richmond's decision to sell home games to the state, according to Tigers CEO Shane Dunne.
"It's an exciting day for the club," Dunne said. "We have a long, proud history with Tasmania - some of our greatest players of all time have come from Tasmania," he added, referencing the likes of Jack Riewoldt, Matthew Richardson, Ian Stewart and Royce Hart.
"We see big support right around the country. We know the Tiger army do travel; they're a big supporter base and we're really confident we'll fill this stadium in 2026 and 2027."
Tasmania's Minister for Sport, Nick Duigan, called the announcement 'a really exciting day for the Tasmanian sporting landscape'.
"I'm reliably informed that the two biggest football crowds we've had in Tasmania both featured the Tigers," he said.
Tasmanian Minister for Tourism, Hospitality and Events, Jane Howlett, also spoke to the media regarding the coup, with the dispersion of travelling fans into Tasmania's regional areas, before or after the games, a focus for her office.
"We are so proud to have Richmond come here to Tasmania," she said, while labelling the $1 million cost (per game), a 'great investment'.
"We see 5-to-1 return with Hawthorn games, and are hoping for something similar."
With North Melbourne's departure from the state, a gap of two games per year has opened up. Richmond have filled one of the two slots over the course of the next two seasons, and the ministers were pressed regarding potential negotiations to fill the other.
Minister Howlett continuously reiterated her pride at the deal, steering away from answering the question outright, while Minister Duigan was slightly more forthcoming.
"We're not putting a line through anything. Given the impending release of the fixture, (an additional game for) 2026 is unlikely, but we're openminded for 2027," he said.
Rumours continue to swirl that the back-to-back premiers, the Brisbane Lions, are the likely opponent for the Tigers, but all parties insist nothing is locked in. The 2026 AFL fixture is slated to be handed down later this week.
