The AFL has today confirmed the list establishment rules for the Tasmania Football Club ahead of its entry into the NAB AFLW competition in 2028.

The announcement follows the AFL Commission’s approval of Tasmania’s AFLW list build concessions.

The following factors were considered in the development of Tasmania’s list establishment rules:

  • Learnings from previous expansions
  • Player movement ecosystem at time of expansion
  • Impact on competition and broader competitive balance
  • Enabling Tasmania to build a competitive list

AFL Executive General Manager of AFLW, Health and Football Operations Laura Kane said:

“Tasmania’s entry into the NAB AFLW competition will be a significant moment for women’s football, and it is important we provide the club with the best opportunity to build a strong foundation and create opportunities for local Tasmanian talent.

“Through extensive consultation with key stakeholders, including Tasmania, our existing AFLW clubs and the AFLW competition committee, we have developed these list establishment rules to support the club’s entry while balancing the impact on the wider competition.

“This is another important step towards welcoming Tasmania into the NAB AFLW competition, and I thank all clubs and stakeholders for their collaboration throughout the process.”

The list establishment rules for the Tasmania’s entry into the NAB AFLW competition are as follows:

Playing List Sizes

  • In 2029 and 2030, Tasmania will have two additional list spots.
  • From 2031, Tasmania will have the same number of list spots as the rest of the competition.

Establishment Player Signing Bonuses

  • Across 2028 and 2029, Tasmania will have access to a signing bonus pool, equivalent to 33 per cent of its Total Player Payments (TPP) limit in 2028.

Access to Academy Players

  • From 2028 to 2031, Tasmania will have access to pre-select Tasmania-based players from its Academy ahead of the National Draft.

Tasmanian Father-Daughter Players

  • Players will be eligible as father-daughter selections if their father was born in Tasmania and played a minimum of 100 AFL matches.
  • Players will be eligible as father-daughter selections if their father played a minimum of 200 senior men’s Tasmanian State League matches.

National Draft Selections

  • In 2027, Tasmania will receive priority selections No. 1, 5, 9, 14 and 23, along with the first selection in every subsequent round.
  • In 2028, Tasmania will receive priority selections No. 4 and 8, noting the provision of these selections will be subject to AFL review.

Expansion Free Agency

  • Tasmania will be able to sign up to 18 existing AFLW players, including contracted players, subject to the following:
    • Each club will have a cap on the number of players it can lose to Tasmania.
    • Each club will be able to protect a specified number of contracted players.
    • The number of players a club can lose and protect will be determined under a performance-based framework.
    • Compensation may be provided to clubs that lose players to Tasmania.

Signing Undrafted Players

  • Tasmania may sign any player who has previously nominated for an AFLW Draft, provided the player is not currently on an AFLW list. 

Access to Previously Delisted Players

  • Tasmania may sign any player previously delisted by an AFLW club, provided the player is not currently on an AFLW list.