It’s easy to characterise the Tasmania list build as a trout-fishing expedition at Little Pine Lagoon with sign-on bonuses and hefty contracts acting as a lure to entice the biggest names in the game.
Ken Hinkley didn’t shy away from the theatre of it all on his first day as Devils coach on Monday, but the Devils’ football department and list management have been doing mountains of work in the background for 18 months to prepare a strategy more nuanced than just chasing the biggest names.
The $1 million-per-year offer to Collingwood’s Beau McCreery, and speculation around the Devils pursuing Fremantle captain Alex Pearce and Richmond’s Rhyan Mansell (who are both Tasmanian), or landing pipedream acquisitions such as the Magpies’ Nick Daicos, the Giants’ Tom Green or Port Adelaide’s Zak Butters keeps the chatter alive.
But the Devils’ real work will be focused on taking a tiered approach to develop a balanced list that sets the club up for the long term, rather than the short term, according to two competition sources who wanted to remain anonymous when discussing list-management matters.
That’s because the Tasmanians are excited about the standard of the two 17-year-old talent pools they will fish in. These were showcased at the recent under-16 and under-18 national championships.
They can pre-select 12 players, with Axel Walsh, Jake Miller, Eamon Hyde and Max Thompson among the players who impressed in the past month’s representative games over two seasons with a maximum of eight 17-year-olds per season.
They will also have picks No.1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 and 13 ahead of the 2027 national draft, with No.5, 7, 11 and 13 to either be traded or rolled over.
As likely as the big stars to be targeted by the Devils are players who will be in their 30s, or approaching them, when 2028 arrives – such as Richmond’s Jayden Short, Collingwood’s Lachie Schultz, Geelong’s Tom Stewart, Gold Coast’s Touk Miller, St Kilda’s Jack Sinclair, Sydney’s Tom McCartin, and the Western Bulldogs’ Bailey Williams, who all come out of contract at the end of 2027.
A collection of players with their experience can weather the storm while the young talent find their feet at senior level and keep perspective on results, in much the same manner as the Giants employed four players above 30 in James McDonald, Dean Brogan, Chad Cornes and Luke Power for their opening season.
The last thing the Devils want to happen when their crop of young talent is ready to compete consistently – as the Giants did in 2016, five seasons after their first match – is for players in the middle of their careers to be in the way, suddenly stuck in the VFL side.
The Giants also added four marquee signings 23 years and under in Rhys Palmer, Callan Ward, Phil Davis and Tom Scully, with the Devils certain to enquire about young stars such as the Lions’ Logan Morris, Richmond’s Sam Lalor and North Melbourne’s Finn O’Sullivan, who come out of contract at the end of 2027.
Devils list manager Todd Patterson said as much in February when he hosted player agents in Tasmania, declaring players from the first round in the 2024 national draft as targets.
But don’t be fooled into thinking a spot on the Tassie list is only reserved for megastars. Experienced players who can fill a need are being chased just as hard.
If Lewis stays at the Hawks, where do the Pies look?
Mitch Lewis’ five-goal haul against Richmond has renewed focus on his free-agency status, but positive negotiations continue to give the Hawks hope they can retain the 27-year-old who has played 18 games this season.
The direction of those discussions has industry sources expecting Collingwood to now pivot their interest towards Giants key forward Jesse Hogan, who is out of contract at season’s end.
The 31-year-old Hogan has battled injury this season, but his decision could determine the future of Max Gruzewski, who has been in discussions with the Giants since he suffered a knee injury against Hawthorn.
The Suns are waiting in the wings for Ben King to tell them whether he is staying or going, with all signs now suggesting he departs for the Hawks, who will have a glut of tall forwards including Mabior Chol, Jack Gunston, Calsher Dear and Aiden Schubert all suited to a spot inside 50.
Negotiations on deals are expected to be difficult this season as clubs will be unwilling to give up a top-five pick, and the value of future picks will be diluted because of Tasmania’s entry.
The Magpie kicking late-career goals
Tim Membrey has been in season-best form, the forward booting 13 goals through the Magpies’ five-game winning streak heading into Thursday’s clash with the Crows. This includes three goals against Port Adelaide, Gold Coast and Carlton and a vital goal late in the game against North Melbourne.
The two-year contract that Membrey signed after leaving St Kilda as a delisted free agent expires at the end of the season, with Magpies coach Craig McRae declaring he expected the 32-year-old to return next year.
“I don’t do contracts … but certainly his form would warrant that,” McRae said.
“He’s playing as good as he can right now for us. And there’s a lot of love for Tim downstairs [in the change room].”
Meanwhile, West Coast ruckman Bailey Williams has signed a six-year deal to stay with the Eagles.
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: www.smh.com.au
