The Tasmania Devils will have access to the daughters of some of the state’s most talented players under concessions handed down by the AFL for the AFLW list build.
Under the list establishment rules set to officially be announced on Thursday, the Devils will be able to use father-daughter selections on a player if their dad was born in Tasmania and played a minimum of 100 AFL games for their first 10 drafts.
This means the eldest daughters of Richmond champions Matthew Richardson and Jack Riewoldt could be in line to become Devils one day. Ben Brown’s oldest would also be eligible.
It’s understood, like the men’s list rules, the Devils will also have access to the daughters of men who played 200 Tasmanian State League games.
The club will also have a signing bonus pool which will be equivalent to 33 per cent of the 2028 salary cap, a figure which is yet to be decided.
During the 2029 and 2030 seasons, the Devils will have two additional list spots with that figure to be reduced to match the rest of the competition from 2031.
The AFL said the Devils’ list build rules factored in lessons from previous expansions, the player movement ecosystem at that time and enabling the club to build a competitive list.
“Tasmania’s entry into the NAB AFLW competition will be a significant moment for women’s football, and it is important we provide the club with the best opportunity to build a strong foundation and create opportunities for local Tasmanian talent,” Laura Kane, AFL executive general manager of AFLW, health and football operations, said.
“Through extensive consultation with key stakeholders, including Tasmania, our existing AFLW clubs and the AFLW competition committee, we have developed these list establishment rules to support the club’s entry while balancing the impact on the wider competition.
“This is another important step towards welcoming Tasmania into the NAB AFLW competition, and I thank all clubs and stakeholders for their collaboration throughout the process.”
In the club’s first draft in 2027, Tasmania will receive picks 1, 5, 8, 14 and 23 along with the first pick in every other round. They’ll also receive picks 4 and 8 in 2028 as priority selections, but this will be subject to AFL review.
Under the rules in place, the Devils will also be able to preselect Tasmania-based players from the club’s academy ahead drafts from 2028 to 2031.
Originally published as Tasmania Devils AFLW rules: Draft picks, father-daughter concessions explained