00:02A milestone moment for a fledgling football club and for Axel Walsh, who made an easy
00:08decision to forego the national draft and commit early to Tasmania.
00:12I knew if the opportunity presented itself it was a pretty easy option to say yes. I'd
00:19be silly if I passed up on it, there was just too many things to look forward to.
00:22A 202cm West Australian who was touted as next year's number one pick, Tasmania snapping
00:29the 17-year-old up early, a prospective superstar if he's anything like his footy heroes.
00:36I think a lot of people would say I'd go Luke Jackson but I do have a lot of respect
00:40for
00:40his game but I think someone I've always looked up to is Max Thorne.
00:44Baxter Shruck, Jake Miller, Nate Jenkins, Griffin Barker, Riley Stratford and gun small Angus
00:50Brown amongst the first intake of Devils draftees.
00:54It's a pretty fresh place for me to start, I haven't really had much experience here
00:57but I'm so many that loves to get out of nature and the beaches are lovely and I think the
01:01weather is also really really nice so no, first impression is very very good.
01:06Six Victorians, one West Australian and the club's first Tasmanian, Hugh McCullum's unveiling
01:12last night coming as a complete surprise to the 18-year-old.
01:17He actually didn't understand what was going on last night, he'd agreed but he thought he
01:21wasn't getting announced until the national draft so it was nice to have that little surprise
01:26moment for him.
01:27The Elite Eight will split their time between the VFL, under 18s and the gym next year.
01:32They'll make $150,000 next season but there's no doubting their intentions.
01:38I think we could have offered them $1 and I think they would have been here, they're just
01:42excited by the opportunity to leave a legacy.
01:44All eyes on making an AFL debut in 2028.
01:48That would be a dream come true.
01:49This is, I guess, the first step in the drafting but I think the real work starts now.
01:54They are the dream come true, but I think the real life starts now.
01:54I think the real life starts now.
01:56I think my life is the dream come true then there's even more as a child.
01:59So, this is the dream come true, that's a reality.
02:00Here you can use a whole life that I think the dream come true.
02:01You have to be the dream come true.
02:01I think I have ever heard a dream come true, but I think that I think the dream come true.
