HOME-GROWN Tassie talent? A superstar marquee signing? Maybe a youngster about to enter his prime who could lead the side for a decade or more.
The Devils are sure to leave no stone unturned as they piece together their inaugural list ahead of their entry to the League in 2028.
But which players at your club might the Devils be eyeing to pinch as they go about assembling their list?
Our team of reporters make the call on who they might target. Check them out below.
Every new team needs leaders and role models, and in Ben Keays, Tasmania can have both, along with a highly credentialled player. Keays has been a star for the Crows since heading south from Brisbane ahead of the 2020 season and will have just turned 31 when the Devils run out for the first time in round one, 2028. There is no harder worker, in training and on game day, than the reigning Malcolm Blight medallist – a trait the start-up team needs in spades with a heavy dose of youth on its books. Keays has found a home at Adelaide and would be difficult to dislodge, but he's the perfect, versatile player with leadership to target. – Michael Whiting
With Kai Lohmann, Tasmania could land itself both a gun player about to hit the prime of his career and someone that would be an instant fan favourite. The dynamic small forward, who lit up last year's Grand Final with four goals, will be just 24 when the Devils enter the competition and about to hit his best years. Lohmann has a great work ethic, is rapidly improving and is a genuine match-winner who exits his freshly inked contract at the end of 2027. With Charlie Cameron coming towards the end of his career by that stage, Brisbane would be reluctant to part ways. – Michael Whiting
It's a left-field option, given the abundance of star talent at Carlton, but expect Lachie Cowan to be of interest to Tasmania. The local Devonport product has been tipped to cement his place as a Blues regular in 2025, following a standout pre-season, where he could also emerge as an important part of Michael Voss' defensive plans. A former Tasmania co-captain at junior level, Cowan is coming out of contract in 2026 and there will be plenty of interest from down south in what happens with his next deal. Tom De Koning and Sam Walsh are both free agents across the next two seasons, but would be expected to sign past 2027 should they stay, while Patrick Cripps is coming out of contract in 2027 and will be an obvious veteran target but will be 33 years of age by the time Tasmania enters the competition. – Riley Beveridge
Tasmania will need bums-on-seats players from the outset and could consider a bold play for Jordan De Goey. The 28-year-old considered a move to St Kilda before signing a five-year contract extension in 2022, which expires months before the Devils' entrance in 2028. De Goey owns a farm out of Melbourne, and don't think for a second Tasmania's recruiting department won't use that as an edge to try and entice him down to the Apple Isle. Beau McCreery is also out of contract in 2027 and could be a target for the Devils. – Josh Gabelich
The Devils will have footy's biggest ever war chest to throw at opposition stars, so could offer up some big deals at some of Essendon's younger talents, who project to be on their way to strong careers by 2027. But the club will also need a balance of young and old. Kyle Langford will be coming to the end of his contract in 2027, when he will again be a free agent aged 31. Having done the hard yards over his career at Essendon it would be tough to be dragged out of the club, but he has experience and leadership and has helped steer the Bombers' forward line the previous two seasons under Brad Scott. – Callum Twomey
A local, a leader and a potential key defensive pillar, Alex Pearce ticks plenty of boxes for the Devils and can play a crucial role in defence in the final stages of his career. Pearce will turn 33 in mid-2028, but should have enough left to give both on and off the field by that stage of his career. The Devils could also target star midfielder Caleb Serong, who is a restricted free agent at the end of 2027 and will be at the peak of his powers, to headline their midfield. – Nathan Schmook and Dejan Kalinic
Jake Kolodjashnij turns 30 in August but the Launceston product should still be performing at a level that could provide Tasmania with some experience down back in the club's inaugural season. The premiership Cat is two games off 200 League appearances and has averaged 19.8 games per season since making his debut in 2015. Shaun Mannagh had to wait until the age of 26 to land a spot in the AFL. Could he be lured to the Devils on a more lucrative deal if he continues to show the form he displayed last September? – Josh Gabelich
If Tasmania wants a young, mobile key position player with 10-plus seasons of footy in front of him, look no further than Ethan Read. The Gold Coast Academy product dipped his toe in the water at senior level last season, playing four games, and stands to play even more in 2025 as a key forward alongside Ben King and Jed Walter. Standing 202cm tall, Read is an athletic freak, breaking six minutes for the 2km time trial at the AFL's Draft Combine and capable of taking contested marks as well as scooping up ground balls. He'll be 22 when the Devils get going, have four seasons under his belt, and primed to take off as an elite forward than can ruck. – Michael Whiting
In terms of the 2027 free agency crop, Tom Green will be right up there among the biggest and best players which will make him an obvious A-grade target for Tasmania. Green has already spoken openly around the prospect of being courted by the AFL's new expansion club, and you can guarantee it would have pricked the ears of officials in the Apple Isle. Green is the clear candidate to become the next Giants captain, and indeed that move could have happened by the time 2027 rolls round, but it's one to watch as things stand. Lachie Whitfield and Lachie Ash are both also due to come out of contract in 2027, while there's a chance Finn Callaghan signs a two-year deal this season through until 2027 as well. The uncapped James Leake, a first-round pick from Launceston, will be another local prospect to keep an eye on. – Riley Beveridge
There should be no greater target for the Devils than midfield star Will Day, who will become a restricted free agent when his contract with the Hawks is up at the end of 2027. Tassie will no doubt be desperate for established midfielders and Day - who already has one Peter Crimmins Medal in his cabinet - would fit the bill perfectly as a 26-year-old in the prime of his career. Hawks captain James Sicily would also be a first-class option for the Devils, and although he'll be 33 in 2028, his skill and experience in the defensive half would be invaluable in a young side for at least a couple of years. – Brandon Cohen
The Demons don't have any Tassie natives on their list so there's no obvious target for the Devils, but if they're looking for a young key forward on the rise, former first-round pick Jacob van Rooyen could be firmly in their sights. While he's far from a bonafide star at this stage, his career trajectory across his first three seasons certainly has him tracking towards becoming one of the competition's best when he hits his prime – which will be right around the time Tassie is slated to enter the comp. If the Demons spearhead is not their guy, fellow West Australian Trent Rivers might be. He started his career as a dashing defender but took his game to a new level in 2024 when he was let loose in the midfield. The 23-year-old looks set to become a regular fixture for the Dees as a powerful inside mid and could be a perfect fit for an emerging Devils outfit. – Alison O'Connor
If he isn't already Tasmania's No.1 target, then expect Colby McKercher to be pretty close to the top. He ticks all of the boxes. He's one of the next stars of the competition, he'll be in the peak of his powers by the time of Tasmania's entry, and he's a local product out of Launceston. McKercher is expected to graduate to a wing role this year, seeing more midfield minutes, where he could establish himself as one of the League's best young players. Now into the second season of the three-year deal he signed when he joined North Melbourne as the No.2 pick, the club would love to tie McKercher down long-term beyond 2026. Expect those conversations to ramp up across the next 12 months to ensure he's kept from Tasmania's sights. Finn O'Sullivan and Charlie Comben are among the other Kangas guns due to come out of contract in 2027. – Riley Beveridge
If Tasmania wanted to find some culture builders and leaders from the get-go, then Willem Drew would be a fair place to start. Drew would be 29 heading into the 2028 season if Tasmania does enter the competition at that time and, having been an under-the-radar member of Port's midfield in the past four seasons, a player of his ilk, discipline and work ethic should be on the Devils' priority list. He is contracted until the end of 2028, having signed a long-term extension at the end of 2023. Tasmania will want to find quality characters from the start and mature bodies to help what will be a young list brimming with draft picks. – Callum Twomey
It's a fairly obvious selection, but if the Devils are looking at a veteran ruck to cover a few seasons before the kids come through, Toby Nankervis should be front of mind. This year will mark the Tasmanian's fourth as captain at the Tigers, so he'll bring lots of leadership to the mix if Tassie make the call. While he will be turning 34 in 2028, both Gold Coast (Josh Fraser) and GWS (Dean Brogan) recruited older rucks to shelter their younger recruits in the early years at those clubs. Richmond has traditionally strong ties with the Apple Isle and other current Tasmanian Tigers on the list are the tenacious Rhyan Mansell (28 in 2028), rebounder/wing Sam Banks (25) and half-forward Seth Campbell (24), who will all be in a good age bracket for the Devils. – Sarah Black
Currently regarded as one of the premier rucks in the competition, Rowan Marshall is a country boy who could be tempted by the laid-back Tassie lifestyle. Marshall will be 31 by the time Tassie enters the League and he will also be an unrestricted free agent, meaning the Devils could pick up an experienced body for nothing. When it comes to star power, Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera is already one of the most exciting young players in the competition and could be a player to build a club around, while Max King - despite being tied to a long-term deal at the Saints - will be turning 28 in 2028 and likely entering his prime. Heartbreakingly for Saints fans, there is speculation the Devils could have access to the sons and daughters of Tasmanian-born AFL players, meaning the Saints could have competition for the three sons of St Kilda legend Nick Riewoldt, who was born in Hobart. – Sophie Welsh
There are a few rucks on this list, but Brodie Grundy could appeal as the best option for Tassie, both because of his ability and the fact he'll be an unrestricted free agent at the end of 2027, meaning they could pick him up for nothing. Grundy will be 33 by the time Tassie enters the competition, but his size, skill and experience would be invaluable to a new club finding its feet. Homegrown NSW talents like Isaac Heeney, Errol Gulden and Nick Blakey would be difficult to prise out of Sydney, but all are highly marketable and talented players who are worth a crack at, especially if the Devils get some salary cap concessions to put forward big-money offers. – Martin Smith
Who else but Harley Reid? Reid should just about be Tasmania's No.1 target of any player in the competition. The Devils would be silly not to try throw everything they have – and there's likely to be a fair bit particularly in terms of draft capital – at the generational talent. Reid would become the face of the club for a decade or more and could help steer the Devils to dizzying heights given the talent he has already displayed just one season into his career. Archer Reid, pick No.30 in the 2023 draft, could also be a target if the tall's development continues. – Nathan Schmook and Dejan Kalinic
Ryley Sanders could be the best Tasmanian in the game by the end of this year and will be a priority signature for the Devils to pursue. The Launceston product played 14 games in his debut season but is set for more opportunities in 2025 and appears ready to make his mark after being selected with pick No.6 in 2023. Bailey Dale isn't the highest profile All-Australian in the game, but comes out of contract in 2027 and has established himself as one of the best rebounding defenders in the AFL. – Josh Gabelich
