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"Golden ticket": Devils' VFL/W to offer direct AFL/W pathway
SEN • September 8th, 2025 8:17 pm
Head of VFL and VFLW at the Tasmanian Devils, Aaron Pidgeon, has explained the decision to introduce a golden ticket opportunity to encourage Tasmanian players to play for the VFL and VFLW sides next year.
Under the never before seen arrangement, it would see that at least two rookie list positions will be guaranteed for players who participate in the VFL and VFLW programs across 2026 and 2027, with the possibility that it could expand to four spots.
This, according to Pidgeon, was with the idea that it would encourage those who may be apprehensive about joining the side in 2026 to have an extra incentive to join.
“So, fundamentally what we are doing is we want to encourage people to come home and be part of the journey through to the AFL in ‘28,” Pidgeon told SEN’s The Devil’s Advocate.
“And furthermore, we want to encourage them to come home next season. There’s certainly some suggestion that for some it might be, ‘We’ll have a look at how it looks for 2026, and then we’ll try and jump on board for 2027.
“To encourage those people to come back earlier, we’re offering that golden ticket from ’26 that anyone who is listed on that program from day one, if you like, will be eligible for a couple of list spots in the AFL program come 2028 that will be guaranteed.
“If you jump on late, you miss the boat, and you don’t meet the eligibility.”
Pidgeon also made a point of noting that there was some slight difference between the AFL and AFLW programs in relation to the offer, considering the different schedules that they run on.
“We’re treating the men’s and women’s a little bit differently because of the timing of the season,” Pidgeon explained.
“So, we’re providing a little bit more flexibility for our women’s program with that around 2027.
“Because, if you think about it right now, some of the AFLW athletes that may or may not stay on lists next year, they are not going to know that until after we put the bulk of our squad together.
“The men’s program we are holding very firm that you will need to be on come ’26 and the women’s program from ’27.”
And with the VFL and VFLW season starting soon, there has been a concerted effort to start building the team.
“They are certainly making approaches at the moment,” he said.
“We are taking an active approach to targeting Tasmanians currently playing in second-tier competitions on the mainland to see if we can bring those athletes back.
“We’re not looking for that to dominate the list. We want a really strong flavour of current local players in the squad as well.
“But any Tasmanians that we can bring back from the mainland, we think, is really healthy and enables us to be as competitive as possible.”
For more of Aaron’s chat with Brent Costelloe, press the play button below.
