TASMANIA won’t have any players by October this year and neither will the Devils have appointed a senior coach. But ahead of their proposed start date in the 2028 season, they should be participants in this year’s trade period.
The AFL will this year allow clubs to trade draft picks two years in advance for the first time. After finally approving the extension of trading picks one future draft in advance to two last year, the League waited until 2025 for the rule to be activated.
In coming months, the list build rules will be finalised and the Devils will make key appointments in their list and recruiting team.
Should their conditional licence be formally granted and progress continue for the Macquarie Point stadium build, the Devils’ big hand of draft concessions will begin in the 2027 draft pool, which is two years from now. Clubs will be able to buy and sell picks for the 2027 draft pool but, right now, a lot of the picks in the first round of that year will be quarantined in Tasmania’s grasp.
The AFL should be opening the doors to allow the Devils into discussions in this year’s trade period purely to be able to use its 2027 draft picks as trade bait.
Who knows what offers could be thrown their way? Could a club package two or three 2027 first-round picks for Tasmania’s locked in No.3 pick at that year’s draft? Certainly some rival list bosses would offer up deals if Tasmania has a seat at the trade table.
Perhaps after seeing this year’s under-16s carnival, clubs may sense another super draft crop coming through and want to be stocked with a guaranteed early pick in the 2027 intake. Or, some might have talented father-sons and Academy players on the horizon for that year they need to start preparing for in different ways.
The possibilities are limited, given Tasmania would only be able to trade for and bring in picks in the 2027 intake. But clubs are creative and the best outside-the-square thinkers would look at the Devils’ bounty of picks as a way to find an advantage to accrue better future assets.
We have seen Melbourne be pioneers in the future trading space since clubs were allowed to trade one year in advance.
The factor likely to stop the AFL from allowing Tasmania to be in the trading game this year is that the League want the Devils to be forced to trade a certain number of their top picks for readymade players. Other restrictions could also be placed on what the Devils can and can’t trade. Allowing them to trade them this year when the only thing they could do is add more picks would challenge that plan.
But if that is the concern, then at least the League should allow Tasmania to be able to trade a certain number of the picks this year (and again in 2026) whilst having to hold on to the rest. With every other club this year able to trade its 2027 picks, then so should the Devils.
Last week, in his first interview as Tasmania’s chief executive, Brendon Gale told AFL.com.au that caveats on early picks being used on trading for players was still “up for discussion”.
“At first instance some of these concessions don’t look as generous as maybe the concessions afforded to the Giants and the Suns, but once again the AFL will rely on their experience and I’m keen to understand the reasoning behind that,” Gale said.
This may all seem far away but things are hurtling towards Tasmania’s entrance into the competition. Gale has been inundated with expressions of interest for key roles and clubs are eagerly awaiting confirmation of the list build rules for their own planning. The planning should include Tasmania being in the trade period this year.
