Australian Football

Formed in 1935, Old Scotch Collegians was a significant contributor to the amateur game in northern Tasmania for many years. In terms of on-field success, the 1970s and 1980s proved especially productive, with all but one of the club’s first seven senior grade premierships being won during those decades. The exception was the club’s breakthrough premiership, won in 1957 by means of a 9.8 (62) to 7.11 (53) grand final defeat of Old Launcestonians. Old Scotch also won the now defunct state title twice, beating Claremont in both 1976 and 1980 by 2 and 71 points respectively. 

Since 1997 Old Scotch have been members of the Northern Tasmanian Football Association. In recent seasons they have proved themselves to be far and away the most exceptional team in the competition's history, claiming half a dozen premierships in eight seasons between 2009 and 2016. Their most recent flag, in 2016, gave them an unprecedented sequence of four grand final triumphs in succession. In 2017 they seemed on course for their fifth consecutive flag when they topped the ladder after the roster matches. However, they then slumped to defeat in both the qualifying final and first semi final to finish fourth. The 2018 season brought a dip in fortune as the Thistles managed to win just 7 of their 16 roster matches to plummet down the eleven team premiership ladder to seventh.