Football Federation Australia reduced 15 A-League expansion bids to 10 last week with Tasmania inevitably one of those that missed the cut.
Despite meeting the criteria stipulated in the FFA's Expression of Interest phase, Tasmania's bid was tossed aside along with those from the Gold Coast, Fremantle, Belgravia and Adelaide.
Tasmania has long been crying out for it's own A-League team, with the state a potential gold mine for the competition - but it will remain untouched for a few more years at least.
As to why, Paul Hunt, a passionate advocate for Tasmanian football believes they were destined to fail simply because of their location.
"FFA’s policy of ‘fish where the fish are’ always put Tasmania on the back foot right from the start," Hunt told Goal.
"Factors like the potential TV audience, advertising dollar, and potential catchment area all worked against Tasmania.
"To not even be included on a shortlist is a real slap in the face for football in Tasmania.
"You certainly get the impression because we are not within two hours of Sydney, Melbourne, or Brisbane, that we are unable to gain a license in the A-League."
The Tasmanian bid's chairman Harry Stamoulis echoed Hunt's sentiment, stressing that their bid offered the A-League the chance to go beyond current borders.
"A key aspect of our bid has been the opportunity it presents to make the A-League the first truly national football competition," Stamoulis said in a statement.
Getty
A lack of stadium infrastructure has been pointed to as another possible reason behind the Tasmania's bid not making the cut.
Hunt however believes the issue would have been resolved should the state's bid been allowed to progress.
"There is the space and the demand for a rectangular stadium, but without the guarantee of a permanent tenant, or a significant major event in the pipeline, this was always going to be a sticking point for the bid," he said.
"I think adding Tasmania to the shortlist of 10 would have sent a strong signal to the local government that the support surrounding this bid was legitimate and would have forced them to support the bid more enthusiastically."
Despite having no team in the competition, the state has been flirting with the A-League on and off for a few years with Tasmanian players like Josh Hope and Nathaniel Atkinson proudly waving the flag on the pitch.
Getty
Devonport's FFA Cup run to the round of 16 in 2016 gave a small glimpse into the competitive potential that exists in the region and it's one that has hit a set back as a result of their A-League bid's rejection.
Though a bump in the road, for passionate football fans like Hunt, the belief of a bright football future in Tasmania still shines through.
"I think it is certainly a setback, but I don’t think it will be a fatal one for the sport in Tasmania," Hunt said.
"I think the game is more confident, and more self-assured, than it has been in the past.
"With over 15,000 participants across the state, the game is on a strong footing and then negative connotations of being a ‘soccer player’ has certainly gone, even from ten years ago."
