The 1978 Tasmanian Australian National Football League (TANFL) premiership season was an Australian rules football competition staged in Hobart, Tasmania over twenty (20) roster rounds and four (4) finals series matches between 1 April and 16 September 1978.
The competition's major sponsor for the 1978 season was Hitachi.

1978 TANFL Premiership Season
General Information
Founded 12 June 1879 in Hobart, Tasmania
Previous Names TFA (1879–1886)
STFA (1887–1896)
STFL (1897)
STFA (1898–1905)
TFL (1906–1927)
TANFL President Mr D.A Burton
Participating Clubs Clarence Kangaroos
Glenorchy Magpies
Hobart Tigers
New Norfolk Eagles
North Hobart Demons
Sandy Bay Seagulls
Stadiums North Hobart Oval
Bellerive Oval
KGV Football Park
TCA Ground
Boyer Oval
Queenborough Oval
1978 TANFL Premiership Season.
Premiers Sandy Bay 11.14 (80) v Glenorchy 9.15 (69)
Minor Premiers Sandy Bay (8th)
Wooden Spooners Hobart (8th)
Grand Final attendance 18,662 at North Hobart Oval
Total Roster Series attendance 125,788 for 60 matches at 2,096
Total Finals Series attendance 40,860 for 4 matches at 10,215
Total aggregate attendance 166,648 for 64 matches at 2,603

Participating Clubs

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1978 TANFL Club Coaches

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TANFL Reserves Grand Final

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TANFL Under-19's Grand Final

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TANFL Under-17's Grand Final

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  • Nth Hobart 15.10 (100) v Glenorchy 8.8 (56) – New Town Oval.

State Preliminary Final

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(Saturday, 23 September 1978)

State Grand Final

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(Sunday, 1 October 1978)

  • Cooee: 5.6 (36) | 8.12 (60) | 13.19 (97) | 19.25 (139)
  • Sandy Bay: 2.4 (16) | 6.8 (44) | 9.16 (70) | 16.17 (113)
  • Attendance: 3,860 at West Park Oval

Interstate Matches

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Interstate Match (Tuesday, 25 April 1978)

Interstate Match (Sunday, 7 May 1978)

Interstate Match (Saturday, 10 June 1978)

Note: Includes 343 pre-sold family pass tickets.

Intrastate Matches

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Jubilee Shield (Saturday, 29 April 1978)

Jubilee Shield (Saturday, 13 May 1978)

Leading Goalkickers: TANFL

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  • Peter Hudson (Glenorchy) – 153
  • Michael Elliot (Sandy Bay) – 106
  • Bob Smith (Nth Hobart) – 88
  • Paul Courto (Hobart) – 78

Medal Winners

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  • Peter Hudson (Glenorchy) – William Leitch Medal
  • Henry Pastoor (Sandy Bay) – George Watt Medal (Reserves)
  • Jamie McIntyre (Hobart) – V.A Geard Medal (Under-19's)
  • Tim Carter (Clarence) & Jamie Woolley (Glenorchy) – D.R Plaister Medal (Under-17's)
  • Robbie Dykes (Glenorchy) – Weller Arnold Medal (Best player in Interstate Match)

1978 TANFL Ladder

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Team Played Won Lost Draw For Against Percentage Points
Sandy Bay 20 16 4 0 2160 1248 173.07% 64
Glenorchy 20 14 6 0 2028 1635 127.21% 56
New Norfolk 20 9 11 0 1815 1907 95.17% 36
North Hobart 20 9 11 0 1741 1864 93.40% 36
Clarence 20 6 14 0 1460 1988 73.44% 24
Hobart 20 6 14 0 1541 2155 71.50% 24

Round 1

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(Saturday, 1 April 1978)

Round 2

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(Saturday, 8 April 1978)

Round 3

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(Saturday, 15 April 1978)

Round 4

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(Saturday, 22 April. Sunday, 23 April & Tuesday, 25 April 1978)

Round 5

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(Saturday, 29 April 1978)

Round 6

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(Saturday, 6 May 1978)

Round 7

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(Saturday, 20 May 1978)

Note: Clarence captain-coach Eric Pascoe controversially calls for a head-count during the final quarter in order to stop Hobart's momentum.

Round 8

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(Saturday, 27 May & Sunday, 28 May 1978)

Round 9

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(Saturday, 3 June & Monday, 5 June 1978)

Round 10

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(Saturday, 17 June & Sunday, 18 June 1978)

Round 11

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(Saturday, 24 June 1978)

Round 12

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(Saturday, 1 July 1978)

Round 13

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(Saturday, 8 July 1978)

Round 14

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(Saturday, 15 July 1978)

Round 15

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(Saturday, 22 July & Sunday, 23 July 1978)

Round 16

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(Saturday, 29 July 1978)

Round 17

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(Saturday, 5 August & Sunday, 6 August 1978)

Round 18

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(Saturday, 12 August 1978)

Round 19

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(Saturday, 19 August 1978)

Round 20

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(Saturday, 26 August 1978)

Note: Peter Hudson held goalless for the only time in his TFL career and Clarence wear their traditional Maroon and white V playing jumper for the final time.

First Semi Final

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(Saturday, 2 September 1978)

  • New Norfolk: 6.5 (41) | 11.7 (73) | 17.10 (112) | 20.14 (134)
  • Nth Hobart: 3.3 (21) | 10.9 (69) | 15.16 (106) | 16.19 (115)
  • Attendance: 6,489 at North Hobart Oval

Second Semi Final

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(Sunday, 3 September 1978)

  • Glenorchy: 4.4 (28) | 8.6 (54) | 16.11 (107) | 18.13 (121)
  • Sandy Bay: 3.6 (24) | 6.10 (46) | 10.11 (71) | 11.15 (81)
  • Attendance: 6,564 at North Hobart Oval

Preliminary Final

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(Saturday, 9 September 1978)

  • Sandy Bay: 2.2 (14) | 7.5 (47) | 9.9 (63) | 16.11 (107)
  • New Norfolk: 1.3 (9) | 1.3 (9) | 3.7 (25) | 6.12 (48)
  • Attendance: 9,145 at North Hobart Oval

Grand Final

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(Saturday, 16 September 1978)

  • Sandy Bay: 3.4 (22) | 7.6 (48) | 9.10 (64) | 11.14 (80)
  • Glenorchy: 3.4 (22) | 5.8 (38) | 7.10 (52) | 9.15 (69)
  • Attendance: 18,662 at North Hobart Oval

Source: All scores and statistics courtesy of the Hobart Mercury, Saturday Evening Mercury (SEM) and North West Advocate publications.