Meet the teens training to play for the Tasmania Devils
All eyes are on Tasmania's football talent as the state prepares to enter the AFL with the Tasmania Devils in less than two years.
The Tasmania Devils AFL team is training a group of young players to compete in the national league from 2028. The Devils have a pathways program that trains over 400 teenagers across the state. The team has secured a coach and is building a stadium to prepare for the upcoming season. Some of the first official players may come from interstate, but the club is prioritizing its homegrown talent to build a strong team.
About 420 young people from areas around Launceston, the North West, and Hobart are involved in the program, training regularly to develop their skills as AFL and AFLW players. Fifteen-year-old Prince, a Launceston local, trains four times a week and credits his family's resilience for his determination to succeed. Coby, another player, nearly gave up football after a personal loss but found renewed motivation to pursue his dream of playing in the AFL.
The pathways program also focuses on creating a competitive AFLW side, with players like 17-year-old Lilanni, who hopes to join her sister in the AFLW ranks. AFL Tasmania talent pathways skills acquisition coach Brad Cox-Goodyer expressed excitement about the program's progress and the potential for more players to join the Tassie Devils.
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