Tasmania Devils looking for first players at U16 national titles

Tasmania Devils officials will run the eye over the group set to make up the club’s first players at the Under-16 National Championships this week. List manager Todd Patterson reveals what they are looking for.

Tasmania Devils recruiters Todd Patterson and Derek Hine. Picture: Linda Higginson

The Tasmania Devils are “bullish” about the smorgasbord of talent on display at the AFL Under-16s championship on this Gold Coast this week as their recruiters decide which players will be the first ones drafted in the history of the AFL’s 19th club.

Tasmania’s head recruiter Todd Patterson says the Devils had worked “feverishly” in preparation for the championship because they will be “watching our first draft”.

As a new club, the Devils get first dibs at the best 17-year-old players in 2027, and this year’s national under 16s are the players entering that window next year.

That makes the under-16s championship an important milestone in the development of the Tasmanian club.

“This championships is really the critical juncture point for it,” Petterson said.

“We will be signing a lot of players that we see this week so we have been feverishly preparing for that.

“For our concession package, where we have got access to 17-year-olds in our first draft, basically we will be watching our first draft.”

The under-16s Class of ’25 looks good to Patterson and his recruiting crew Derek Hine and Scott Clayton.

“We are pretty positive on it, but it is still only early days,” Patterson said.

“We like what we see. There is a good bit of variability in the group – different positions — and even the Tassie group looks pretty strong.

“So we are pretty bullish on the pool at the moment.”

The Devils do not have a specific shopping list.

“We’ve got different recruiting positions that we’ve got set,” Petterson said.

“We have 12 positions that we look for and then we’ve got a series of traits that underpin each position.

“And then we’ve got a rating criteria that we apply from there.

“So we are not just going specifically looking for midfielders or key defenders – it’s about understanding who fits into what category.

“Then we start to build up a picture of what the list looks like from there.”

Players from Victoria Metro, Victoria Country, Western Australia, South Australia, Northern Territory and academy sides Brisbane Lions, Gold Coast, GWS Giants and Sydney Swans will get the red carpet treatment from the Tassie recruiters, and a copy of the Devils “brag book” outlining all the great things Tasmania has to offer an AFL recruit.

“For the interstate teams, we will be inviting all of their parents to a little dinner event so that Derek and I can give them an update on the club and what they might be in for,” Patterson said.

“We’ll hold something for the Tassie team later in the year, something more appropriate to them.”

Originally published as Tasmania Devils looking for first players at U16 national titles