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BREAKING: Tasmania officially signs first players with $150k deal for new ‘unicorn’
Tasmania has confirmed its first AFL players, led by the kid who would’ve likely been the No.1 pick of the 2027 Draft. The Devils announced their first eight signings at a launch event on Tuesday evening in Hobart, seven of them 17-year-olds who would’ve been eligible to be drafted next year.
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The players have been pre-listed and will be paid $150,000 in 2027 while available to play in the Talent League and/or VFL. They have signed for four seasons: their initial year and the mandatory three-year deal for early draftees.
Tasmania has previously hinted it has already agreed to deals with several current AFL players but they are unlikely to be confirmed until next year. Axel Walsh is the headliner among the pre-listed players, after starring for Western Australia in the Under 18 national championships earlier this year as a bottom-ager, playing forward-ruck averaging 12.8 disposals, 4.3 marks and 10.3 hit-outs and kicking 3.5 across four games.
“The unicorn is Axel Walsh. He’s a player that has been compared to Nic Naitanui and Luke Jackson,” the Herald Sun’s Jon Ralph said on Midweek Tackle earlier this year.
“He’s a Perth kid who runs like the wind, he jumps over tall buildings - he is an absolutely exceptional young talent. “He’ll go home with an offer in his hand, but the Devils are going to have to get their head around the fact these kids won’t want to be in Tasmania all of next year.
He will have finished Year 12, but he might want to do a pre-season in Perth, he might want to come back and forth.
“If you are Tasmania and you get this young Luke Jackson, Nic Naitanui prototype, you lock these kids in before you even get all of these picks - 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 … imagine being able to lock away your ruckman for the next 12 years? “He’s got a full year of development - if he says yes, which he will - and then he runs out, you’d imagine, in Round 1 in 2028 for Tasmania.
”- Jake Miller, a 197cm key forward for Vic Metro/Western Jets who made the Under-18 All-Australian team;- Riley Stratford, a 188cm midfielder/forward for Vic Metro/Sandringham Dragons;- Griffin Barker, a 186cm line-breaking midfielder for Vic Metro/Western Jets;The Devils will be able to pre-list another five players next year. They also confirmed the signing of Tasmanian 181cm wingman Hugh McCallum, who was draft-eligible this year but tore his ACL.
“Tonight is a very special evening, and it’s a proud moment to welcome our first group of Tasmania Devils players to our state,” Devils coach Ken Hinkley said. “I am excited to be working with such a talented group of young footballers, all of who have tremendous skill sets and AFL attributes already. “The build of our list is a significant focus for the club and tonight is another great step forward as we move toward 2028. ”
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