THE LIST concessions for Tasmania are not shaping to be "as generous" as those given to Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney as start-up clubs, with Devils CEO Brendon Gale meeting with the AFL recently to discuss the rules.

Gale was in Melbourne last week meeting with League bosses as he officially starts his tenure as the Devils' inaugural boss. On Thursday, he will launch the occasion in Tasmania ahead of an on-the-ground tour of the state in coming weeks.

A working party comprising club list bosses and the AFL set out the original proposed list rules for Tasmania in 2022 ahead of its licence being granted the following year.

But Gale said there are still a number of details to be worked through before they are announced, with clubs expecting them to be delivered in 2025 given this year they will be allowed to trade picks two years in advance up to the 2027 draft, which will be dominated by Tasmanian selections.

"A lot of these measures are in draft form and to be fair, the AFL are drawing on the experience of most recent expansion clubs. They can draw on that. In terms of the list rules and the stadium, the AFL wants to set us up for success and that's really important. It's really understanding what those look like," Gale told AFL.com.au in an exclusive interview ahead of his official unveiling.

"They're in draft form and looking at their potential impacts and building some expertise around the table. But philosophically the AFL want us to be competitive as soon as possible."

The details still to be finalised for the list rules include:

* How many drafts Tasmania will have priority access to
* How many selections the Devils will hold each year
* If a caveat will be attached to trade a certain number of picks for established players
* Access to Tasmanian father-sons and Academy players
* Sign-on bonuses for out-of-contract players
* How many players from other clubs they will be able to secure
* List sizes

Gale said enforcing Tasmania to use a certain amount of its picks to trade to other clubs for players is still to be determined.

"This is 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," he said.

"Also lets not forget that the draft concessions that have been proposed are the result of an industry-wide working party comprised of some list management and recruiting experts who have regard for the overall health of the game and competitiveness of Tasmanian Football Club as well."

Gale said the benefits of living in Tasmania would appeal to players, with the appointment of a list manager likely later this year set to see the Devils start to get into the ear of stars ahead of 2027.

"We just need to be really smart. There's some incredibly compelling lifestyle benefits," he said.

"I've spent a little bit of time there in the last couple of weeks back and forward and you can move to Tasmania, you can buy a lifestyle. You're a young athlete and you can go down there and really, really focus on being an elite young athlete without perhaps the big distractions and trappings of the big cities.

"Now some people mightn't like that, but I believe there is some really compelling attributes to living in Tassie. And at the end of the day, it's only 50 minutes away from Melbourne."

BRENDON GALE ON ...

The latest on the build of the Macquarie Point stadium
"The stadium alone is so important because we are going to have some challenges in terms of the size and scale of our club, so it makes the stadium so much more important in the context of our football club. Nothing drives financial performance more than stadium finance and stadium economics. I've lived it, I've seen it. A stadium that can provide an incredible experience for our fans but also provide that level of financial strength for the club will underpin the strength and competitiveness of the club. We don't just want to exist. We want to be a really strong, competitive footy club. It's of critical importance and that's something the Government is working its way through with the AFL. It's something we'll taking a very keen interest in."
 
The Devils' founding membership tally passing 200,000
"It's incredible isn't it? I'm an optimist and I've always been passionate about Tasmania's place in the AFL but I don't think I ever saw the level of support that's come out so far. It just highlights there is a legitimate place for Tasmania in this competition. It may be a new club but this is 160 years of rich footy history, of some of the greatest players in the history of the game and coaches. It's going to mean a lot to Tasmanians, but there are some structural challenges we have to work our way around with the size and scale of our club. We'll get around that and what a great place to start with incredible membership and fan support."
 
Growing Tasmania's draft numbers
"Clearly as the elite club in Tasmania we'll be taking a real keen interest in the pathways and what they look like. If there's an opportunity to invest accordingly then we will and light them up for men and women. There are some structural disadvantages in Tasmania and we do find young people in all endeavours are leaving the state, whether it's sport, business, entertainment, the arts. They are still leaving the state and so as much as possible we need to work really hard to identify and develop and grow our own athletes and give us our very best chance of keeping our own."

Getting to all parts of the state in coming weeks
"It's building on the foundations that have already been set by (chairman) Grant O'Brien and the board and Kath McCann, who has been executive director. This is a unique team, this is a unique club, it represents a whole state so we need to be true to that. We need to get around and engage all parts and corners of the state and that's important for the purpose of engagement and sense of involvement. But it's also really important for me because I'm Tasmanian, it's my home and always has been, but I've been away 37 years. So getting back to the grassroots and getting an understanding of how people think and feel about football communities and particularly their team in the AFL is going to be really important for me."