Fox Footy commentators believe the suite of list concessions handed to Tasmania would give the Devils the best chance of early AFL success.

But integral to the 19th club’s hopes of making an immediate splash on the field would be their ability to land a big-name player(s) off the field.

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Hours after Hawthorn’s exit from its Launceston agreement was confirmed after a 25-year partnership, the AFL on Tuesday rubber-stamped the formal establishment rules for the Devils’ list.

In a detailed statement, the league said six principles guided the development of the rules, including ‘competitive from the start’, ‘prioritise local Tasmanian talent’ and ‘access to both new and mature talent’

“This has been workshopped and debated at length behind the scenes – and that No.1 plan remains: Competitive from the start,” AFL 360 co-host Gerard Whateley told Fox Footy on Tuesday night.

AFL Media reporter Cal Twomey said on Footy Classified: “I spoke to a club who said this is the list package of a generation. They couldn’t have asked for more.”

The league in October last year released the initial list build concessions for the Devils. This included details like flexible list sizes across their first five AFL seasons, access to a signing bonus pool of $5 million outside of the salary cap, the ability to pre-list prospects in their 17th year and juicy national draft hands across their first three drafts.

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Whateley said there were “two main headlines” from the AFL’s most recent release on Tuesday.

One of them was the father-son rules for the Devils, who’ll have access to a draft prospect if their dad was born in Tasmania and played over 100 AFL games. If the player’s Tassie-born father played at least 100 games at an AFL club, the prospect could then choose to nominate their preferred team – like when Dean Rice’s son Bailey chose St Kilda over Carlton ahead of the 2015 draft.

The Devils will also have access to a father-son prospect if their dad played 200 or more Tasmania State League games.

In both circumstances, the Devils would have to match rival club bids under the current bidding system at the draft to secure those eligible players.

Whateley’s other headline was the Devils’ ability to poach uncontracted AFL players.

Tasmania Devils Football Club mascot Rum’un and club CEO Brendon Gale during Gather Round in Adelaide. Picture: Tasmania DevilsSource: News Corp Australia

The Devils will be able to sign a maximum of 18 uncontracted players – one from each of the rival 18 clubs – across a two-year window (2027 to 2028) – without a trade needing to be struck. Whateley said a “vague compensation system” would be in place for clubs who lose a player to the Devils.

“I spoke to a couple of clubs before we came on (air). They were fearful the exposure was going to be two uncontracted players across the two years, so there is a little bit of relief that it’s only one,” he said.

“But this is where the real gains can be made. No need to trade. Swing in, use the $5 million sign-on bonuses across two years and wedge players out, one from each club.

“It’s the unanswerable, but it looks like a good balance to try and achieve that aim (being competitive from the start).”

Melbourne legend Garry Lyon added on AFL 360: “It’s a nice suite, it’s a really strong hand I think.

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“They’ve got smart people involved. If they use that properly that first key tenant – ‘being competitive from the start’ – that gives them every chance.”

It was confirmed last October the Devils would have access to the following selections across their first three national drafts

– National Draft 2027: Picks 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 and the first pick of each subsequent round (Picks 5, 7, 11 and 13 must be traded but may be rolled forward for up to two national drafts)

– National Draft 2028: Picks 5 and 9 and the first pick in each subsequent round in addition to their natural draft hand (Pick 5 must be traded but may be rolled forward to the next national draft)

– National Draft 2029: Picks 5 and 9 in addition to their natural draft hand (Pick 5 must be traded)

Speaking on Fox Footy’s Midweek Tackle, CODE Sports reporter Jon Ralph reported the Devils needed to land a big fish early in their build to give themselves the best chance of truly being competitive from the start.

Finn O’Sullivan of the Kangaroos and Sam Lalor of the Tigers. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images

Foxfooty.com.au reported last week the Devils would “look to come hard” for both Richmond’s Sam Lalor and North Melbourne’s Finn O’Sullivan – the top two picks from the 2024 draft – as part of their recruiting plans.

“They’ve got those picks – there’s an extraordinary welter of them – they have to trade Pick 5 in every year and their view is that in compromised drafts, everyone will go nuts trying to secure those picks,” Ralph told Midweek Tackle.

“They’ll be able to secure some 23 or 24-year-old players. They certainly will get the older players — whether it’s an Alex Pearce for a year then transition into coaching — and then it’s all about those 18 uncontracted players.

“Can you get yourself a Finn O’Sullivan? Can you get yourself a (Nate) Caddy? Can you get yourself a Sam Lalor? I think if all those blokes say ‘thanks but no thanks’, that’s when you start thinking finals are seven, eight years (away). But if you get a couple of those early with your $5 million, maybe you’re away.”