The mechanism, put forward by clubs and being weighed up by the AFL, would see teams able to submit a list of players to make them off-limits for Tasmania as it builds its first AFLW squad.
It comes after certain teams were plundered by previous expansion arrivals, with Brisbane powerless to stop star duo Emily Bates and Greta Bodey heading to Hawthorn in 2023 and Collingwood unable to thwart Sydney from signing Chloe Molloy.
The proposal would allow West Coast to protect a star player like Ella Roberts, or Geelong stop a gun like Georgie Prespakis from being headhunted by Tasmania as its marquee signings.
Ella Roberts during West Coast’s clash with GWS in AFLW round seven, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos
The number of players a club could protect would be determined on a sliding scale, with sides at the bottom of the AFLW ladder likely to have more access to keep their best players compared to the teams at the top.
However, Tasmania would then be able to sign any unprotected player essentially as a free agent – rather than having to trade for them – regardless of their contract status.
Similar to Tasmania’s men’s list concessions that were officially handed to clubs by the AFL earlier this month, the Devils would only be able to sign one ‘free agent’ from each rival club and would have to trade for any other players.
That is one of several list concessions being considered for Tasmania’s AFLW entry that would mirror the men’s list rules, with the Devils also likely to have access to a sign-on fund to attract rival talent as well as multiple first-round picks in their initial draft.
While the exact selections are still being worked through, clubs expect Tasmania to receive three top-10 picks in its first draft and an extra two top-10 selections in its second. However, those picks could be scaled down, depending on how successful the Devils are in their first season.
Tasmania’s men’s program will hold picks No.1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 and 13 heading into its first national draft – but it will have to trade out four of those seven selections – with its women’s side unlikely to have any trade obligations attached to its picks.
The AFL has visited all 18 clubs, in addition to Tasmania, to gain feedback on the potential AFLW list concessions across recent weeks.
The main point of contention among existing sides – predominantly from foundation clubs – has been their previous inability to protect players from expansion raids.
Maddy Prespakis and Bonnie Toogood (Essendon), Erin Phillips, Ash Woodland and Gemma Houghton (Port Adelaide), Tilly Lucas-Rodd and Aileen Gilroy (Hawthorn) and Lucy McEvoy (Sydney) were among the other marquee expansion signings the last time around.
Erin Phillips poses after signing with Port Adelaide in April, 2022. Picture: Getty Images
List concessions being considered for Tasmania’s AFLW entry include:
- Clubs being able to protect players from Tasmania signing them, with the number of players a certain team can make off-limits expected to be determined on a sliding scale pending ladder position.
- Every unprotected player becomes a free agent, whether they’re under contract or not, with Tasmania able to sign one player as a free agent per club.
- Multiple first-round picks, with no restrictions on whether the Devils would have to trade those selections.
- A plan for Tasmania to hold three top-10 picks in year one, and two extra top-10 picks – in addition to their own selection – in year two.
- A sign-on fund to attract rival talent, which would sit outside the salary cap or tiered payment structure.
