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The marquee player Lynch would love to sign to the Devils
Jaiden Sciberras • August 1st, 2025 6:00 pm
With room in the salary cap for a marquee signing, the Tassie Devils will look to make a splash upon entry in 2028 – but which players fit the bill?
While a number of names have been thrown around, the Devils are yet to publicly confirm interest, as list management and head of recruitment Todd Patterson and Derek Hine weigh up their cap split over the coming years.
Outside of Tasmanian-born talent, the Devils have the ability to follow the mould of the Gold Coast Suns, who – prior to their introduction in 2011 – shocked the AFL world by landing the signature of Geelong superstar Gary Ablett Jnr.
Speaking to SEN Tassie Breakfast host and Devils board member Alastair Lynch, journalist Brent Costelloe recommended three names that Tasmania should look to target ahead of their inauguration.
“Tom Green - I’ve always thought Tom Green would be awesome as a first captain - Will Day, and Errol Gulden,” Costelloe suggested.
Lynch replied: “They are some great players.”
“(They are) probably the right age group, so (if) they play for the Devils in ‘28, they are absolutely in the prime of their footy careers. (They) speak beautifully, represent their club well.
“Some will say ‘well, you’re just not going to get some of these players’… how tough it would be as an academy player to get Errol Gulden out of the Swans, absolutely it would be tough!
“But Gary Ablett Jnr coming out of Geelong, people were saying there was no way that was going to happen. It’s worth tossing up (names).”
Both Green and Day enter restricted free agency at the end of the 2027 season, while Gulden will have one year remaining on his Swans deal when the Devils enter the league.
Lynch also mentioned a player that he would love to see representing the club, specifying a star key forward that would embody the type of marquee signing that the Devils are after.
“Just watching a man that kicked five goals last night, Sam Darcy. What a marquee player,” Lynch said.
“They’ve got to cope with the responsibility with being that marquee player as well, so you’ve got to make sure that they’ve got the personality to do that.
“Imagine Sam Darcy, 6’10, come in and put on that great jumper.”
Despite their father-son connection, Lynch remains confident that Ablett Jnr’s move away from the Cats has lit the path for modern day greats to do the same.
“It makes it very hard (when they have personal connections to their club), doesn’t it.
“If you are going to drag out an iconic name out of that club, it’s not just because they are very good players but because their parents, fathers that have played in those situations with Darcy and (Nick) Daicos.
“But with Gary Ablett Jnr, it’s proven that it can happen. I think we have just got to identify the right player and go after it.”
