Football Australia is saddened to hear of the passing of former long-serving Football Tasmania President, Sean Collins.
Born in the Republic of Ireland, Sean moved to Tasmania in the late 1970s.
In the decades that followed, he immersed himself in the football community as a distinguished player, coach, referee and administrator.
Starting out his playing days in Australia with Devonport City, Collins then moved to Hobart and joined Caledonians, where he won a State League title in 1981, before winning another title with White Eagles a few years later.
After hanging up the boots he took up refereeing, becoming became a leading referee in Tasmania.
In 2008, he was elected as president of Football Tasmania, a role he served in for almost a decade.
As Walter Pless writes, during that time "Football rose to new heights" in the state, with Collins notably playing a part in the forming of the Victory League as a new State League in 2013.
Following Sean's sudden passing, current Football Tasmania President Bob Gordon said:
"Sean Collins was larger than life and lived life to the full.
"He was a great contributor to Football in Tasmania over a long period and gave freely of his time and expertise and was a mentor to many younger referees.
"His long-term role as Football Tasmania President set the scene for many of our current achievements."
Football Australia sends its condolences to Sean's friends, family and the Tasmanian Football community.
