Tasmania Devils Propose Novel Trade Model to Acquire Experienced AFL Players

The Tasmania Devils, set to join the Australian Football League in 2028, have been granted a large block of early draft selections, including picks No. 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 and 13 in the 2027 draft and additional first‑round picks in 2028 and 2029. Six of these picks must be traded before the club can use them. To avoid a salary‑cap hit while still building a competitive roster, the Devils have presented a trade scheme in which rival clubs would send an experienced player to Tasmania and continue paying the majority of that player’s contract. In return, the rival club would receive one of the Devils’ coveted early picks. Hypothetical examples cite Richmond midfielder Jacob Hopper and Essendon midfielder Darcy Parish, both contracted through 2029, to illustrate how the arrangement could work. The proposal has sparked interest among other AFL clubs, offering them a way to “purchase” top picks by subsidising player salaries, effectively reversing the traditional salary‑dump model.