Talent Pathways

Talent Pathways

The Tasmania Devils talent pathway captures the best young talent in the state, from under-13 boys and girls all the way through to the elite level of the game.

Working together with the Tasmania Football Club, these programs provide best-practice pathways for Tasmanians, giving as many players as possible the chance to realise their dreams of being drafted to the AFL and AFLW competitions.

Junior Academies

Established in 2023, these academies are in place to nurture and develop 13–15-year-old boys and girls across all three regions of the state.

With a key priority to attract the most talented athletes in the state, the program aims to develop boys and girls across Tasmania’s three regions, enabling as many players as possible the chance to realise their dreams of being drafted to the AFL and AFLW competitions.

Players train in regional hubs in the south, north and north west, with statewide academy games played annually.

Under-16s

The state’s top under-16 boys and girls train year-round both regionally and as a full squad, working towards the Marsh AFL National Development Championships.

These programs are an important step between the junior academy programs and the Coates Talent League squads, helping players to grow on the field and develop professional habits.

Coates Talent League

The Coates Talent League is the highest level of competition for under-18 footballers in Victoria and Tasmania, with Tasmanian sides featuring full-time since 2019 in the Talent League Boys and 2021 in the Talent League Girls.

Both sides have been exceptionally strong in recent years, with the girls reaching the finals in the last two years and the boys claiming their first minor premiership in 2023.

Senior Talent Academy

The Senior Talent Academy program launches in 2025 before the entry of the Devils into the Victorian Football League men’s (VFL) and women’s (VFLW) competitions, anticipated for 2026.

Operating in three regions – the South, North and North-West – the Senior Talent Academy is being established in consultation with the state’s AFL/W club and will help to prepare aspirational Tasmanian players for the VFL/W and trial for list spots.

The new high-performance model for senior football will have training groups in all three regions and play a series of state representative fixtures against quality opposition across the year, including VFL and VFLW teams, while players will still represent their local Premier League clubs in their home region.