A GROUP of under-17 prospects have emerged as the leading candidates to be the first players signed by the Tasmania Devils.

As part of their list concessions, the Devils are able to sign a total of 12 under-17s players across this year and next year before they reach their respective draft years.

The Devils can take as many as eight players in a single year but no more than 12 in total, with the club not expected to sign more than six this season and leave the rest of their spots open for next year's pool.

It is the same rules that saw the Giants claim Jeremy Cameron, Adam Treloar and Dylan Shiel outside of the draft in their start-up years.

The Devils announced a 'watchlist' of 22 players at the start of the season they would meet with as 17-year-olds and recently added another three names to that group – Angus Brown, Nathaniel Jenkins and Cooper French – and a clear top rung of players have been identified as being in the Devils' sights.

As AFL.com.au revealed in February, the players who sign up as 17-year-olds will be paid next year the wage of an early draftee despite not officially being able to play at AFL level, and they will then join on the three-year deal signed by top-20 picks.

Players can opt not to join the Devils, but the club has had significant interest from potential 17-year-old pick-ups and the club will hold a stack of early picks to be able to draft the players anyway a year on if they choose not to nominate as bottom-agers.

The week after the Grand Final is expected to be when the Devils will be able to officially sign their group of 17-year-olds and take them out of next year's draft crop, with West Australian Axel Walsh viewed as the leading contender to be the first official Tasmanian player.

Here is AFL.com.au's top seven prospects the Devils will have in their sights for their 17-year-old access.

AXEL WALSH

Walsh is the nominal top prospect in next year's draft pool and has been on the radar of the Devils for two years since he starred at the under-15 championships. The younger brother of Port Adelaide's Xavier, Walsh is a 202cm ruck/forward talent who moves better than you'd expect for a player his height. After injuring his knee last year, Walsh returned this season at school level and dominated and has impressed at the under-18 carnival with WA. Last week he kicked 1.2 from 14 disposals and showed his elite athleticism against Vic Country and on Wednesday he backed it up with another 16 disposals and seven marks in a strong display against the Allies. He is top of the board for the Devils and has done things as a bottom-aged player that few talls can do.

RILEY STRATFORD

A taller midfielder who has shown he can impact games at ground level and in the air. He looks like a young Will Day in his Sandringham No.12 jumper and will be aiming to become a similar player to the Hawks star. Stratford gets his hands on the ball at the stoppages and shows courage when he's able to drift forward and go for his grabs. He was a member of the initial intake of Tasmania's under-17s watchlist and remains in the Devils' mix.

JAMES ARTEMIS

The cousin of Essendon's Jaxon Artemis, who was the No.1 pick at the mid-season rookie draft. Artemis enjoyed a good run of form in East Fremantle's colts team and in the trial games before taking that confidence into Western Australia's carnival, where he was excellent in the first round win over South Australia, gathering 21 disposals and kicking two goals, one of which was the game sealer. Artemis is a run and carry midfielder who was named WA's best player at the under-16s carnival ahead of close mate Axel Walsh.

MAX THOMPSON

There's a lot to like about Thompson and his versatility has been on show through this season. After impressing last year at Vic Country's under-16 carnival as a small forward, he started as a rebounding backman this year with the Bendigo Pioneers and dominated, including a 32-disposal and two-goal game against the Devils in round one of the Talent League. More recently he has shifted forward again, with Thompson kicking six goals from 18 disposals against the Bushrangers last month in an electric display. His skill level is high and he reads the game smartly, plus playing with some cheek and confidence.

JAKE MILLER

Miller was one of the real eyecatchers of last Friday's double-header at Marvel Stadium. The left-footed key forward looked more than comfortable playing against key defenders older than him, kicking four goals in Metro's win over South Australia. He has been a regular goalkicker all season with the Western Jets and Brighton Grammar at school level. The 197cm prospect is a good finisher and as a bottom-ager has proven to be a strong marking target.

BAXTER SRUK

A toe injury at the start of this season delayed Sruk, but he has made up for lost time. The strong-bodied midfielder returned for the Eastern Ranges and averaged 28 disposals across six games in the Talent League, including a huge 37-disposal game, before winning a spot in Vic Metro's side against South Australia last week. The hard-nosed left-footer had 18 disposals and five tackles in a typically tough showing. Sruk proved as a 16-year-old he was a noted goalkicker at the level, too, and he is in the Devils' considerations.

ANGUS BROWN

Brown is an eye-catcher – the small forward/wingman has an elite running base that allows him to go all day but also have plenty of zip, in a Darcy Jones style at the Giants. Brown showed some of that form last year at under-16s level and he has an evasive element to his game that allows him to step past opponents and set up teammates with his neat ball use. Brown was one of the most recent additions to the Tasmania under-17s watchlist mid-season, showing the Devils are doing their work on him.