About

UTAS Stadium (also known as York Park, and formerly known as Aurora Stadium) is located in Launceston, Tasmania. The area was swampland before being used as Launceston’s showgrounds, and the stadium proper was opened in 1921. The stadium is primarily used for Australian rules football, and it has hosted AFL games since 2001. In that year, the Tasmanian state government began incentivising interstate teams to play home games in the southern state. Hawthorn played a single game there in 2001, two games in 2002, and in 2003 St Kilda also played some home games there. Estimates of the cost to the government per game hovered around the half a million mark, though the Tasmanian Premier insisted that each game made a profit for the state economy.

Hawthorn played three home AFL matches in Tasmania in 2006, and St Kilda played two. These five matches drew an average crowd of 17,108, and the crowd size peaked for a Hawthorn versus Richmond Tigers game, which attracted 20,971 punters. 

UTAS Stadium was the site of controversy in 2006 when the old sirens weren’t loud enough for the umpires of a St Kilda versus Fremantle match to hear. In the subsequent confusion, St Kilda levelled the scores. There was a great deal of protest, and the AFL Commission elected to overturn the victory, taking it from St Kilda and awarding it to the Dockers. The issue prompted the replacement of the dodgy sirens, which have since been displayed in the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery. 

2007 saw the Hawthorn football club receive a five year, $16.4 million sponsorship from the Tasmanian state government. This meant that five games - one preseason and four premiership matches - would be played at UTAS Stadium each year. The president of Hawthorn, Jeff Kennett, angled for higher profile games, like those between the Hawks and the Magpies, to be played there. 

2021 saw COVID-19 prevent a lot of matches from being played in Melbourne and Sydney. This meant that UTAS Stadium had to pick up the ball, and the venue hosted its first two finals matches. They were both in the first week of eliminations, and the first saw the Bulldogs beat Essendon, while the second had the GWS giants beat the Sydney Swans, in the 22nd Sydney Derby. 

What AFL Tickets Can I Buy For UTAS Stadium?

This year you’ve got four options if you want to see an AFL game at UTAS Stadium. In Round 3 Hawthorn and GWS Giants will go head to head at UTAS Stadium.

• Hawthorn v GWS Giants - Round 3
• Hawthorn v Adelaide Crows - Round 14

UTAS Stadium AFL Tickets On Sale Now!

Tickets are now available for games at UTAS Stadium all season long!

✔️ No hidden fees
✔️ Safe & secure checkout
✔️ 100% Ticket Guarantee

Buy your 2026 UTAS Stadium tickets from Ticket Merchant - Australia's favourite and most trusted ticket marketplace.