"Remiss not to": Daicos' management open for Tassie talks

Tasmania have labelled a number of superstar AFL players as potential marquee signings, and as revealed via AFL.com.au’s Gettable, the competition’s most prolific of talents could be open to hearing offers.

Collingwood father/son superstar Nick Daicos remains one of the AFL’s best and most talented players, however, Paul Connors from CDG Sports today confirmed that they are entirely open to meet with Tasmania to discuss any potential deals ahead of the club’s 2028 inauguration.

Speaking on behalf of Robbie D’Orazio – Daicos’ manager and partner of CDG Sports – Connors confirmed that they would be silly not to entertain the conversation.

"Robbie manages him personally, but it would be remiss of us as a company not to sit down with Tassie and see what they would think,” Connors told AFL.com.au.

“I think Nick's the best player in the competition. He's a leader, he's an outstanding person, so if you were Todd Patterson (Tassie's head of list management), you'd be remiss if you didn't want to have a conversation with Robbie at some stage.

Would Connors be open to discussing with Tassie?

"I think so. You'd have to be. It would be negligent not to."

With a $5 million sign-on bonus allocated to the club to spend as they please and 11 first-round picks across three years, Tasmania certainly aren’t short of capital that could be shipped out for a big fish signing.

While it is unlikely, talks may well take place in the near future as the Devils eye off their very own Gary Ablett Jnr.

Former Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley suggested that Daicos should be club's number one target as a part of the inaugural 'Ken's 10' on SEN Sportsday.

Full list:

10. Errol Gulden

“26 (when Tassie come in), he is what I would call a ‘utility player’. He can be a wing, a forward, a half back if you needed him. He can cover a lot of bases.”

9. Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera

“I can’t believe I’ve got this guy at number nine. He should be number one and nobody would be surprised.

“Pure utility. We’ve seen last year he can go to the goal square and kick goals, his best footy so far has been off half back, and he can go into the midfield if they need to change things up.

“He’s such a difficult tag, because he does it in different ways. He doesn’t just win it on the ground or in the air, he can get it everywhere.”

8. Mac Andrew

“I think we needed a key defender. I didn’t want to go too much later in the picks, because there are too many good players.

“He’s got the agility, the speed and the intercept marking of the modern game, when you need to light the ball up and get it going.

“He is something to sell, and we’ve got to sell stuff down in Tassie. It’s a great footy state, and you’ve got to sell some champions down there and something a bit different.

“Mac Andrew has got that appeal. The intercept markers.”

7. Jaspa Fletcher (C)

“Maybe not a lot would pick, but I picked him for a reason, and I picked him to be captain of the Tasmania Devils.

“Dad Adrian comes from Tasmania. You bring your father and your son back to Tassie and he becomes the first captain of Tasmania.

“I know that Brisbane people think he is possibly the next captain up there – he is a great player, and he is a defender if you want him down there.

“As all captains should be, he will go where the team needs him. If you’re going to sell Tasmania, you’re going to sell a captain that’s coming from Tasmania.

“What a great appointment it would be to bring someone like that.”

6. Finn Callaghan

“A favourite of mine, who I think is just about to take right off.

“Another player, like Mac Andrew – they will understand what a start-up club looks like, and they will have some experience in what you need to do to make it work.”

5. Will Ashcroft

“Two-time Norm Smith Medallist already.

“That’s just to help Jaspa settle in at home. You’ve got to get him to settle in at home with one of his best mates.

“They can have a look around and see what it’s like and enjoy the company of each other!”

4. Harley Reid

“This bloke is going to rip games in half.

“He has got everything. Again, you want midfield talent that’s going to be explosive. He reminds me of Zak Butters – that aggressive midfielder.

“Zak will be 28-29 by then, way too old.”

3. Riley Thilthorpe

“We’ve got to get match-winners. If we’re going to have a team that’s going to be exciting to watch and people want to come down and see it, they want the big bearded one in the square.

“The Thillseeker is going to be down there and he’s going to bring bums to seats and he’s going to have all the Tasmanians craving for another big mark, another big goal.

“The other beauty of him, as we’ve seen, he can actually go on ball, but he’s a ruckman/forward that can work in a tandem with my number two.”

2. Sam Darcy

“Highlights player.”

1. Nick Daicos (VC)

“He still fits the age bracket, and he is probably as good a player as I’ve ever seen come into the game and do what he’s done.

“Unfortunately for Nick, he’ll have to be vice-captain again.”