AFL stars leveraging Tasmania Devils for their next contract

Kieran Francis

AFL stars leveraging Tasmania Devils for their next contract image

I'll have a contract until the end of 2027, please.

These are the words being repeated over and over again by player agents in recent times as players position themselves for the arrival of Tasmania Devils in 2028.

With the Devils set to be on their recruitment drive at the end of the 2027 season, being desired by Tasmania will likely add a few dollars to the contracts of players seeking new deals.

At either their own club, a new club or Tasmania, players can use the market situation to ask for money - as long as they are a desired entity by multiple clubs.

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In the last two years, several AFL players have re-signed their contracts through until Tasmania's entrance, with their eye on inflating their value.

Izak Rankine, Logan Morris, Noah Anderson, Matt Rowell and Chad Warner have all recently signed short-term deals until 2027, when their clubs would have desired long-term contracts.

St Kilda's Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera and Port Adelaide's Miles Bergman appear set to join that group of players with respective two-year extensions looking likely at their current clubs.

Expect to see other players sign for two years before the season is out, including Bulldogs superstar Marcus Bontempelli.

Certain players out of contract at the end of next season, such as Bulldogs' Tasmanian native Ryley Sanders, will likely elect for one-year deals in order to get themselves into Tasmania's sights.

Which players could leverage Tasmania in their contract negotiations, either for an Apple Isle move, for a move to another club, or financial discussions at their current team?

Select AFL players out of contract in 2027

Adelaide

  • Ben Keays
  • Izak Rankine

Brisbane

  • Kai Lohmann
  • Logan Morris

Carlton

  • Patrick Cripps

Collingwood

  • Jordan De Goey
  • Beau McCreery

Essendon

  • Kyle Langford
  • Nic Martin
  • Xavier Duursma
  • Zac Merrett

Fremantle

  • Alex Pearce
  • Caleb Serong
  • Luke Ryan

Geelong

  • Ollie Henry
  • Sam De Koning

Gold Coast

  • Matt Rowell
  • Noah Anderson
  • Sam Flanders
  • Touk Miller

GWS

  • Lachie Whitfield
  • Lachie Ash
  • Tom Green

Hawthorn

  • Jack Ginnivan
  • James Sicily
  • Will Day

Melbourne

  • Harvey Langford
  • Trent Rivers
  • Xavier Lindsay

North Melbourne

  • Charlie Comben
  • Finn O'Sullivan
  • Griffin Logue

Port Adelaide

  • Mitch Georgiades

Richmond

  • Sam Lalor
  • Jayden Short

St Kilda

  • Alix Tauru
  • Brad Hill
  • Callum Wilkie
  • Jack Sinclair
  • Jack Steele
  • Jack Macrae
  • Liam Henry
  • Rowan Marshall

Sydney

  • Chad Warner
  • Matthew Roberts
  • Tom McCartin

West Coast

  • Tim Kelly
  • Reuben Ginbey

Western Bulldogs

  • Bailey Dale
  • Bailey Williams
  • Cody Weightman
  • Matthew Kennedy

Kieran Francis

Kieran Francis is a senior editor at The Sporting News based in Melbourne, Australia. He started at Sportal.com.au before being a part of the transition to Sporting News in 2015. Just prior to the 2018 World Cup, he was appointed chief editor of Goal.com in Australia. He has now returned to The Sporting News where his passions lay in football, AFL, poker and cricket - when he is not on holiday.