1941 TANFL season

The 1941 Tasmanian Australian National Football League premiership season was an Australian rules football competition staged in Hobart, Tasmania, over fourteen roster rounds and two finals series matches between 10 May and 20 September 1941.
This was the final season of pre-World War II football, which resulted in most clubs struggling to field full squads of players due to enlistment in the military forces. In the off-season the TANFL considered instituting a competition for players too young to serve in the military, but it did not pursue the idea.
This was the final season of both Cananore and Lefroy Football Clubs, which both folded during the wartime cessation.

Participating clubs

1941 TANFL club coaches

Jack Cashman
K. Fraser
Alf Sampson and E. Hanlon
Jack Metherell

TANFL reserves grand final

North Hobart 7.4 v Lefroy 2.6 – North Hobart Oval

TANFL under-19s grand final

State Schools Old Boys Football Association

North West 5.5 v Macalburn 4.6 – New Town Oval

State grand final

North Hobart: 3.5 | 5.8 | 11.15 | 13.18
City: 4.2 | 4.8 | 6.12 | 12.19
Attendance: 3,960 at North Hobart Oval

Intrastate matches

TANFL 14.15 v NTFA 14.9 – Att: 4,000 at North Hobart Oval

TANFL 15.14 v NTFA 10.20 – Att: 4,000 at York Park

Lightning premiership matches

TANFL Patriotic Effort Benefit

Cananore 4.5 v Lefroy 4.2
North Hobart 2.8 v New Town 3.1
Cananore 5.2 v North Hobart 3.4
Attendance: 3,000 at North Hobart Oval

Note: All matches played in two short halves; a total of £132 was raised to help the war effort.
Red Cross & Comforts Fund Benefit

North Hobart 4.7 v Lefroy 0.6
Cananore 9.3 v New Town 2.10
North Hobart 8.12 v Cananore 1.6
Attendance: 1,570 at North Hobart Oval

Note: A total of £99 through gate takings was raised for the Queen of Sport war fund.

Leading goalkickers: TANFL

Jack Metherell – 64

Medal winners

Max Abbott – George Watt Memorial Medal
T. Williams – Allan Watt Medal
L. Tew – V. A. Geard Medal

1941 TANFL ladder

Under the TANFL's season structure, matches scored:

4 points for a win, 2 points for a draw from rounds 1–9
6 points for a win, 3 points for a draw from rounds 10–15

Round 1

North Hobart 7.15 v Cananore 6.17 – Att: 1,000 at North Hobart Oval
Lefroy 16.24 v New Town 6.13 – Att: 600 at TCA Ground

Round 2

North Hobart 18.15 v Lefroy 6.9 – Att: 1,700 at North Hobart Oval
Cananore 14.13 v New Town 10.11 – Att: 630 at TCA Ground

Round 3

North Hobart 10.16 v New Town 9.9 – Att: 1,500 at North Hobart Oval
Lefroy 12.8 v Cananore 8.18 – Att: 760 at TCA Ground

Round 4

Lefroy 9.20 v New Town 9.11 – Att: 567 at North Hobart Oval
North Hobart 16.23 v Cananore 13.10 – Att: 700 at TCA Ground

Round 5

Cananore 14.7 v New Town 10.20 – Att: 1,500 at North Hobart Oval
North Hobart 14.18 v Lefroy 11.12 – Att: 2,000 at North Hobart Oval

Round 6

Cananore 15.18 v Lefroy 10.16 – Att: 1,200 at North Hobart Oval
North Hobart 19.26 v New Town 7.14 – Att: 800 at TCA Ground

Round 7

Cananore 7.8 v North Hobart 4.12 – Att: 520 at North Hobart Oval
New Town 10.19 v Lefroy 5.9 – Att: 110 at TCA Ground

Round 8

North Hobart 14.17 v Lefroy 9.11 – Att: 1,000 at North Hobart Oval
Cananore 13.17 v New Town 13.16 – Att: 600 at TCA Ground

Round 9

North Hobart 7.15 v New Town 4.10 – Att: 1,200 at North Hobart Oval
Cananore 14.17 v Lefroy 13.18 – Att: 550 at TCA Ground

Round 10

New Town 9.10 v Lefroy 5.19 – Att: 740 at North Hobart Oval
North Hobart 17.14 v Cananore 12.17 – Att: 1,300 at TCA Ground

Round 11

Cananore 18.8 v New Town 12.16 – Att: 966 at North Hobart Oval
North Hobart 16.16 v Lefroy 13.10 – Att: 690 at TCA Ground

Round 12

Cananore 13.19 v Lefroy 9.12 – Att: 1,000 at North Hobart Oval
New Town 15.13 v North Hobart 12.14 – Att: 800 at TCA Ground

Round 13

North Hobart 11.17 v Cananore 9.12 – Att: 1,600 at North Hobart Oval
New Town 23.16 v Lefroy 12.9 – Att: 511 at TCA Ground*

Note: Alf Sampson kicked a TANFL record of 15 goals in this match, also a record 8 goals in the 4th Quarter.

Round 14

North Hobart 18.21 v Lefroy 14.13 – Att: 2,101 at North Hobart Oval *
New Town 12.7 v Cananore 10.7 – Att: 2,101 at North Hobart Oval

Note: This match was Lefroy Football Club's final TANFL match.

Round 15

Since the final ladder positions had been determined after round 14, the league cancelled round 15 and played a patriotic lightning football event instead.

Semi-final

Cananore: 2.7 | 6.9 | 12.11 | 15.13
New Town: 3.2 | 8.7 | 8.11 | 11.12
Attendance: 2,900 at North Hobart Oval

Final

North Hobart: 3.1 | 6.7 | 7.13 | 12.17
Cananore: 4.2 | 5.5 | 8.9 | 9.11
Attendance: 4,034 at North Hobart Oval*

Note: This was Cananore Football Club's final TANFL match.
North Hobart, as the club with the most wins, would have had the right of challenge to a grand final had Cananore won the match.