Inaugural Tasmania Devils coach Ken Hinkley has pointed to Geelong as the blueprint for the AFL’s newest club, declaring the Cats’ rise into a destination club proves Tasmania can attract the competition’s best players.

The AFL’s 19th team officially unveiled Hinkley as its first senior coach on Monday, after signing a five-year deal in a historic moment for the ‘Apple Isle’ ahead of their 2028 entry into the competition.

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Speaking to AFL 360 on his first day at the helm, Hinkley pointed to his former club Geelong — where he played 121 VFL games — as the blueprint for what the state can build.

“It can be a great advantage, the community set up down here,” Hinkley began on Monday night.

“We’ve only got to look down the road a little bit at Geelong, and what they’ve been able to do. It’s become a big destination club. Around football and around success well, but also around the community and the opportunities that are down there. I’ve only got to sit back and listen to Jeremy Cameron and his premiership medal going around his cow’s head!

“Not everyone needs to and wants to live in the city. They also embrace smaller cities like Hobart. If you could see the views behind me, you’d understand what I’m talking about. You’d say: ‘This is just a fantastic little place to come to, and a really proud community to be a part of.

“I think there’ll be plenty of good opportunities to sell to people, and they’ll want to come.”

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Hinkley said becoming ingrained within the Tasmanian community would be central to the Devils’ identity from day one, pointing to the success of the NBL’s JackJumpers as an example to follow.

The state’s basketball side, coached by Scott Roth, won a championship in just their third year at NBL level in one of the nation’s great sports fairytales during the modern era.

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They remain a point of inspiration for Hinkley’s Devils 18 months out from their first-ever AFL match, both on-field and their extension as a club.

“Scott’s done a great job at the JackJumpers, and they’ve done a great job in the community already. I know some of the stories around what they’ve been able to do with getting out and being a part of the community,” Hinkley said.

“If you’re coming down to take this job, you have to appreciate the need to be in the community, and we’ll certainly be embracing that opportunity.”

Hinkley’s 13-year tenure at Port Adelaide yielded 282 home-and-away games, 15 finals appearances and six finals victories.

While the 59-year-old never coached the Power to a grand final, his ability to consistently guide the club into September has long been one of the hallmarks of his coaching career.

“Yes, yes, yes we’ll add to the finals games, Gerard (Whateley)! Hopefully I’ll improve the percentage of wins; that’s what I’ll be looking for,” Hinkley said with a smile.

“Hopefully at some part of the journey we’ll be able to take one step further than we did at Port Adelaide. It’d be lovely to be taking two steps, but we’ll start with dreams and we’ll chase them as hard as we possibly can.”

“It’s (a premiership) something that drives you every day, and it’s something I’d love to be a part of … it’d be a nice little finish to say I’m a premiership coach of the Devils.”