The North Melbourne Football Club and the Tasmanian Government are proud to announce a two-year extension of their AFLW partnership, ensuring the Kangaroos continue to play for premiership points in Tasmania across the 2026 and 2027 NAB AFLW seasons.

Under the renewed agreement, the Kangaroos will continue to host two AFLW home games per season in Tasmania, with matches split between the north and south of the state. 

The deal also sees North Melbourne continue its successful pre-season community camps, working closely with AFL Tasmania to engage junior clubs and participants.

Tasmania has proven to be a happy hunting ground for the AFLW team, with only one loss on Tasmanian soil since the partnership inception in 2019. 

North Melbourne CEO Jen Watt said the club is excited to extend the partnership with the Tasmanian Government and continues its strong connection with the state. 

"We are thrilled to extend our stay in Tasmania for a further two years. The football program really enjoys playing in Tassie and getting into local clubs as part of our community camps," Watt said.

“Our first-ever AFLW match was played in North Hobart and we’ve been blessed to have amazing Tasmanian players be part of our team throughout our AFLW history.”

“It’s important that North Melbourne can continue to bring elite content to Tasmania and inspire the next generation of AFLW players coming through pathway programs.”

One update to the renewed terms, is the change of the team’s official naming convention. 

Previously known as the North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos, from the 2026 season, the team will now be known as the North Melbourne Kangaroos – realigning the AFLW program with the club’s AFL team.

“We have taken great pride in representing Tasmania since our entry into the competition, but with the Tasmania Devils set to be competing in the not-so-distant future, the decision to update the team’s name is a logical one,” Watt said. 

“While our name changes from 2026, our love of competing in Tasmania remains the same.”

The Honourable Jane Howlett MP said the Tasmanian Government are proud to support women’s elite sport, and the athletes who are inspiring the next generation.

“It is important that girls and young women in our state have the opportunity to see elite female athletes in action,” Minister Howlett said.

“We are proud to be investing in women’s elite sport, and through Events Tasmania we are supporting these games with $900,000 in funding.

“Those games will be broadcast into the lounge rooms of thousands of homes, providing even greater exposure of Brand Tasmania across the country.”

Hobart local and North Melbourne AFLW star Nicole Bresnehan said the players are excited for the partnership to continue, saying the team looks forward to visiting each season.

"We love coming to Tasmania and enjoy the experience down here whether for our pre-season camp or on matchday," Bresnehan said. 

“We’ve seen firsthand the growth of girls and women’s football across the state and it gives us a great sense of pride.

"I’m excited to continue this connection with the Tassie community, which obviously means a lot to me personally.”

As part of the scheduled 2026 community camp, the club is set to bring with them the 2024 and 2025 NAB AFLW Premiership Cups. Details of the community camp will be released later in the year.