North Melbourne is likely to play three AFL games in Hobart over the next two seasons after a crucial funding vote.

Hobart City Council has voted in favour of increasing and extending its support for AFL matches at Blundstone Arena, giving the club enough support to increase its annual program from two games to three.

The council is likely to partner with the Spirit of Tasmania ferries to sponsor the deal.

A previous council vote on the issue was locked 6-6, but councillors have been swayed in the week after the club played its second game of the year at Blundstone Arena on Saturday.

The move has delighted Kangaroos chief executive Carl Dilena.

“We are thrilled with the outcome of tonight’s meeting and congratulate the council on its decision to back North Melbourne through to the end of 2016,” Dilena said.

“The potential to play three games a year in Hobart is a very exciting prospect for North Melbourne, Tasmanian footy fans, local businesses and the broader community.”

At Blundstone Arena on Saturday, the Kangaroos sealed a home final, defeating Adelaide by seven points.

To attract the AFL club to Hobart, the council, Royal Automobile Club of Tasmania (RACT) and Spirit of Tasmania ferries cobbled together the requisite funding ask.

The RACT declined to extend its support beyond this year, leaving the Spirit of Tasmania and council to cover the shortfall.

The ground is in the middle of a $30 million redevelopment to increase capacity to 20,000 tied to the hosting of the Cricket World Cup next year.

The deal is different to the one that takes football to the north of the island state.

The Tasmanian government is the naming-rights sponsor for Hawthorn, with an annual multi-million dollar fee also paying for four regular season games at Launceston’s York Park.