Tasmania Devils hunt seven Tasmanian coaches for inaugural AFL team
The new AFL team is targeting seven assistant coaching candidates, all with Tasmanian roots and links to top clubs.
The Tasmania Devils have locked in head coach Ken Hinkley and head of development Nigel Lappin. Now they're hunting assistant coaches.
The outlet has identified seven Tasmanian-based or Tasmanian-born candidates with strong AFL pedigree. These candidates include Littlejohn, who left Brisbane and Hawthorn to work at North Melbourne; Plapp, a former Melbourne midfield coach now at VFL club Williamstown; and Rawlings, Fremantle's back-line coach who guided them to this year's grand final.
Others under consideration are Craig Webberley, who coached the Devils' inaugural VFL season, and Chris Bolton, who worked at Hawthorn and Collingwood during premiership eras. Two more left-field options are Alex Whitford, Melbourne's current AFL head of development, and Brett Fagan, the three-time Brisbane premiership coach from Queenstown.
- Ken Hinkley
- Head coach
- Nigel Lappin
- Head of development
- 7
- Assistant coach candidates
- Sam Rawlings
- Fremantle's back-line coach
Why it mattersThe Devils need experienced staff to build a competitive AFL program from scratch. Finding coaches who understand Tasmania gives them cultural advantage.
AustraliaTasmania's new AFL team is shaping its coaching structure ahead of the 2028 season, a major moment for football in the state.
Corroborated bytheadvocate.com.au
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