Geelong superstar and AFLPA President Patrick Dangerfield believes the newly announced Tasmanian team should have access to contracted players from rival clubs ahead of their inaugural 2028 season.
To have Tasmania competitive straight away, Dangerfield believes the new franchise should be able to recruit one player from every club - no matter their contract status - if they choose to join the AFL’s 19th side.
On top of draft concessions, Dangerfield feels a move like this would allow the AFL to build up their new club properly.
“My view is that the Tasmanian team should have access to contracted players,” Dangerfield told SEN Mornings.
“One from every club, regardless of contract, if they choose to join Tasmania, then they should be able to do that.
“Whether there's a mechanism for reimbursement to those clubs, I'm not really sure. I don't think it really makes much sense (to do that).
“I think if we're going to do this and do this properly, then Tasmania should have access to not only the best talent, but the best possible people in order to create something that's truly unique and truly special.
“Quite clearly generating a really strong culture is part of that.
“So I think having the ability to choose whoever you like, regardless of contract status would be a really important part of that.”
When asked whether clubs should receive any kind of protection for losing contracted players to Tasmania, Dangerfield believes that should come by simply creating a strong enough environment ahead of 2028 so that none of your players want to leave their current clubs to join the new franchise.
“Your level of protection is providing an environment for your players that they don't want to leave,” Dangerfield said.
“So I think what it does is promote clubs to provide the best possible environment, so they don't want to leave because the environment they're in is successful.
“I think it generates competition with the existing clubs to provide a great framework for their players to enjoy and not want to leave.
“That is what I would say would make sense.”
With critics of the 19th side suggesting there’s not enough talent at the top level to support a new club, Dangerfield believes the AFL doesn’t need to add more players than the amount that are currently listed by clubs.
The AFLPA President believes the competition should instead cut list sizes to allow the talent level to stay the same with clubs potentially having access to VFL, SANFL or WAFL players instead.
“I think you probably keep it the same (the overall number of AFL players),” Dangerfield said.
“What you might do is reduce (list sizes) from every club in order to try and maintain that talent pool … it can get shallow towards the end.
“I think it probably makes sense, but then you've got to look at the levers of players being able to come from the SANFL, from the WAFL, from the VFL from the clubs that you are aligned to in that second-tier competition.
“There are huge opportunities to look at the way that the game is structured currently.”
The AFL is yet to announce what draft concessions and player recruitment policies the new side will have access to.