The IFPA Tasmania State Finals wrapped up the 2025 season, with qualification earned throughout the previous year and the finals played in January 2026. Tasmania's top-ranked players came together for a full day of competitive pinball.
The competition was fierce from start to finish. Matches were tight, the standard of play was high, and everyone played extremely well. Even with the pressure of finals, the atmosphere stayed relaxed and positive, with players cheering each other along and plenty of camaraderie across the day.
With this win, Brett Cooke has earned the title of IFPA Tasmania State Pinball Champion. Congratulations!
All top 16 qualifiers received a custom engraved finalist medal for their efforts during the season. While not all qualifiers were able to compete on the day, spots were offered to the next eligible players in line to ensure a full finals field.
To fairly determine final placings across the entire 16-player bracket, all positions were tie-broken on the day. Positions 9–16 were decided using six rounds of matchplay Swiss pairing, while positions 5–8 were determined by four rounds of matchplay.
The top four finishers received custom-made trophies from The Trophy Cabinet, featuring a pinball flipper made from Tasmanian Golden Sassafras timber.
A full set of engraved trophy labels was prepared for every competitor in the finals field, including backups in case of late withdrawals. As players were eliminated, their labels were handed out as an elimination token (and a bit of a joke). For the final four, those labels were permanently applied to the trophies, locking in their finishes and earning their place on the hardware.
The top four players also earned invitations to the ACS Finals (Nationals). If any invitation is declined, places will roll down to the next eligible players, up to the top eight.
A special mention to Tom Fonda, whose strong finals performance saw him knock out the defending champion, Joshua Hesketh, on his way to second place. Also a massive shout-out to Lily McShane, who not only already holds an invitation to the Women’s Championship as the state’s top qualifier, but has now also secured a position in the ACS Finals!
Finally, a special (and slightly painful) mention goes to Bennet McComish, who took home the Wooden Spoon and a Tilting Pain Scale coaster. Special thanks to Lee for making the coaster — maybe the start of a new tradition 😉. Next time we should record who tilts out the most bonus!
🙏 Thanks to Our Host and Contributors
A massive thank you to Brett Cooke for hosting us and the finals. Brett spent a lot of time preparing machines, levelling them, handling repairs, fixing stuck balls, and making sure everything played near perfect. He also generously hosted everyone, provided food, and fired up the pizza oven. We couldn’t have done it without him, so a massive shout-out with all our gratitude!
A big thanks also to Kev Mills for supplying, tuning, and setting up an EM machine, which added some nice variety to the lineup.
🎉 Wrapping Up
While the 2025/26 season isn’t quite finished yet, with Nationals and the World Championship still to come, the State Finals were a great milestone in the year.
Thanks to everyone who competed, helped out, and supported the 2025 IFPA State Finals. With a full 2026 season on the horizon, there’s lots more pinball to come, so stay tuned!
IFPA Tasmania State Championship 2025 1:30 PM
This tournament is IFPA-endorsed and results are submitted for IFPA ranking points.
Best-of-7 Bracket
Bracket-style elimination where losing a match eliminates the player. Meaningful games are determined by player count and best-of format.
Best-of-7 Bracket determines 1–2. Tie breaks determine 3–16.
Tie breaks
Best of 3
Bracket-style elimination where losing a match eliminates the player. Meaningful games are determined by player count and best-of format.
Players compete in groups of 3 or 4 on a series of machines. Points awarded by finishing position. Scored by wins over multiple rounds.
Players compete in groups of 3 or 4 on a series of machines. Points awarded by finishing position. Scored by wins over multiple rounds.
The TAPP State Finals are just around the corner, bringing together the top 16 players from across the year to battle it out for state bragging rights. This is an invitation-only event, with the field determined by year-long performance — check out the leaderboard to see who made the cut and keep an eye out for invites.
After a huge season of growth, tighter competition, and constantly rising skill levels, the finals are set to showcase the very best pinball Tasmania has to offer. Expect high-level play, tough decisions, and plenty of pressure as the state's strongest competitors go head-to-head.