AT A GLANCE
1 wins / 16 losses – 10th on ladder (Wooden Spoon)
WINS
| Round 1 | Love Sparkles |
TOP 5 SCORERS 2021
| Taxmanian Devils | Tot. | Avg. | Last 5 Avg |
| Karl Amon PA | 2171 | 98.7 | 98 |
| Luke Dunstan SK | 1135 | 94.6 | 78.3 |
| Scott Lycett PA | 1540 | 85.6 | 78.4 |
| Jordan de Goey CW | 1686 | 84.3 | 103.8 |
| Toby Nankervis RI | 1335 | 83.4 | 77.3 |
ALL-AUSTRALIANS
Nil.
2021 PRE-SEASON DRAFT
| Pick | Player | Team | Games | Avg | Still on List? |
| 2 | T. Powell NM – C | Taxmanian Devils | 11 | 69.6 | Y |
| 12 | R. Bonner PA – B | Taxmanian Devils | 5 | 68.8 | Y |
| 28 | S. Lycett PA – R | Taxmanian Devils | 13 | 88 | Y |
| 32 | T. Hawkins GE – F | Taxmanian Devils | 20 | 75.8 | N |
| 42 | N. Cox ES – B,F | Taxmanian Devils | 10 | 52.2 | Y |
| 52 | D. Swallow GC – C | Taxmanian Devils | 17 | 94.8 | N |
| 72 | J. Buckley GWS – B,C | Taxmanian Devils | 0 | 0 | N |
| 82 | J. Nelson WC – B | Taxmanian Devils | 7 | 55.3 | Y |
| 92 | E. Hughes FR – B | Taxmanian Devils | 5 | 59.4 | N |
| 102 | D. Tyson NM – C | Taxmanian Devils | 2 | 52.5 | N |
| 112 | B. Bewley FR – C,F | Taxmanian Devils | 0 | 0 | N |
| 122 | P. Ryder SK – R,F | Taxmanian Devils | 9 | 73.6 | N |
| 132 | S. McAdam AD – F | Taxmanian Devils | 0 | 0 | N |
| 142 | M. Frederick FR – F | Taxmanian Devils | 3 | 58 | N |
| 152 | D. Rampe SY – B | Taxmanian Devils | 13 | 69.3 | Y |
| 162 | L. Dunstan SK – C | Taxmanian Devils | 7 | 96.7 | Y |
| 172 | W. Hoskin-Elliott CW – F | Taxmanian Devils | 8 | 74 | Y |
| 182 | J. McGovern WC – B | Taxmanian Devils | 8 | 69.3 | Y |
| 192 | B. Gibbs AD – B | Taxmanian Devils | 0 | 0 | N |
Most inspired selection: Scott Lycett – pick 28
Finished as a top 10 ruckman. He was just all around solid. But what I mostly like about this pick is that it was one of those go-with-your-gut picks that has epitomized the Taxmanian Devils over the years. He didn’t need a ruckman, but he backed him in as the best player at that point in the draft and reaped the rewards.
Also a shout out to Luke Dunstan pick 162 (17th round) – With a tasty average of 100 (the highest of 2020) still sitting on the board in the 17th round, how could you not take him. Playing only one match pre-bye made this look like a wasted pick, however he rewarded coach Max’s faithfulness, as he played every game from round 11 at an average of 94.6. He proved to be one of St Kilda’s best and most consistent midfielders in the back half of the season, and was rewarded for his form by being promptly dropped at season’s end, showing the Saints have absolutely no idea what they’re doing managing an AFL list. But I digress.
Rest of Draft
David Swallow (6th round) averaged 89.5 to be a top 40 mid, Tom Hawkins (4th round) ended as the 11th best forward and Will Hoskin-Elliott (18th round) was the 31st best forward in the league. Add these to Dunstan and Lycett and there are some great picks, arguably making this a competitive draft. Why I haven’t rated this draft as well as others might is the fact that, all those listed above have an average age of 30, which is a problem for a rebuilding team finishing bottom of the ladder. When looking at the youth in this draft, the team is still left wanting. Tom Powell might single-handedly prove this statement wrong, showing great future potential. Cox and Bonner showed some good signs for the future too with some big scores, but hard to say they are strictly successes. And that’s about it, not a lot else to be too pleased about here, so with another high draft pick, 2022 will be a chance to redeem that.
TRADES
| Date | Team 1 | Received | Team 2 | Received |
| 25 July 2021 | Defenestrators | Tom Hawkins | Taxmanian Devils | Changkuoth Jiath |
| 26 May 2021 | Solomon’s Soldiers | David Swallow Taxmanian Devils Rd 16 Pick Taxmanian Devils Rd 20 Pick | Taxmanian Devils | Wil Powell Solomon’s Soldiers Rd 8 pick Solomon’s Soldiers Rd 19 pick |
Two trades with an overarching theme of sell high and gain assets. The Devils saw a sell high chance with David Swallow playing great form, and the Soldier’s were more than happy to oblige in their win now window. The pick upgrade is something and who knows what Powell will be in the future. They then dealt Hawkins to the Defenestrators for the potential of Changkuoth Jiath. While coach Max may not have squeezed all the value he could’ve out of these trades, they are the right moves for a team on the bottom, and only the future will tell how valuable these trades were.
LIST AT END OF SEASON
| Taxmanian Devils | Tot. | Avg. | Last 5 Avg |
| Karl Amon PA | 2171 | 98.7 | 98 |
| Luke Dunstan SK | 1135 | 94.6 | 78.3 |
| Scott Lycett PA | 1540 | 85.6 | 78.4 |
| Jordan de Goey CW | 1686 | 84.3 | 103.8 |
| Toby Nankervis RI | 1335 | 83.4 | 77.3 |
| Brayden Maynard CW | 1792 | 81.5 | 83.4 |
| Dion Prestia RI | 730 | 81.1 | 98.7 |
| Jordan Ridley ES | 1681 | 80 | 71.4 |
| Sebastian Ross SK | 1596 | 79.8 | 72 |
| Will Snelling ES | 1486 | 78.2 | 78.2 |
| Shai Bolton RI | 1553 | 77.7 | 60.4 |
| Zak Butters PA | 762 | 76.2 | 75 |
| Hunter Clark SK | 944 | 72.6 | 52 |
| Wil Powell GC | 1591 | 72.3 | 76.6 |
| Changkuoth Jiath HW | 1156 | 72.3 | |
| Jeremy McGovern WC | 1080 | 72 | 69.5 |
| Will Hoskin-Elliot | 1437 | 71.9 | 72 |
| Trent Dumont NM | 984 | 70.3 | 71.6 |
| Dane Rampe SY | 1334 | 70.2 | 68.8 |
| Riley Bonner PA | 824 | 68.7 | 77.8 |
| Tom Powell NM | 890 | 68.5 | |
| Steven Motlop PA | 1159 | 68.2 | 58 |
| Connor Rozee PA | 1285 | 67.6 | 72 |
| Nathan Broad RI | 947 | 67.6 | |
| Shane Mumford GWS | 803 | 66.9 | 67 |
| Aliir Aliir PA | 1458 | 66.3 | 66.4 |
| Blake Acres FR | 1189 | 66.1 | 40 |
| Sam Taylor GWS | 1116 | 65.6 | 75.8 |
| Will Hayward SY | 1121 | 62.3 | 70.6 |
| Charlie Ballard GC | 1295 | 61.7 | 59.4 |
| Ethan Hughes FR | 480 | 60 | |
| Jason Castagna RI | 1150 | 57.5 | 55 |
| Matthew Cottrell CA | 681 | 56.8 | 47 |
| Jordan Clark GE | 451 | 56.4 | 79 |
| Nikolas Cox ES | 1124 | 56.2 | 51 |
| Samuel Switkowski FR | 665 | 55.4 | 35.5 |
| Boyd Woodcock PA | 324 | 54 | 48 |
| Jackson Nelson WC | 958 | 53.2 | 51.7 |
| Brayden Ham ES | 883 | 51.9 | 18.5 |
| Izak Rankine GC | 920 | 51.1 | 31 |
PLAYER TO WATCH IN 2022
Zak Butters
I hope I don’t have to write about this guy every year given he has had his injury troubles, but gee does he have star potential written all over him. 2021 saw flashes of that amongst the injury breaks, with scores of 119, 88, 90 and 91 in 10 games. He oozes class and toughness (as evidenced by his All Australian squad nomination in 2020), which bodes well for Port giving him more midfield time in years to come. As his light frame and tank build to match his toughness at the contest, we can be sure to hear a lot more of the name Butters in years to come.
2021 IN REVIEW
Spending the last 3 years in the bottom 2 hurts, and with only 1 win (back in round 1) for the Devils this year; fans are definitely demanding more in 2022. Their highest score for the season was a respectable 1793, however they came up against a red hot Te Puke Pukekos, who defeated them with a 150 pt win. So it felt like even their best felt a step below. This was of course before the infamous battle of the tanks with coach Jaye in round 17, when the strategy had clearly shifted.
The highlights (albeit few and far between) included the inspired hold of Karl Amon, who rose up through the ranks to average 98.7 on the season. This was the closest the Devils got to a 100 pt average, but they’ll take it. De Goey’s move to the midfield in the second half of the season, saw him average over 100 in that span. It’s good times, if this continues to be his role in 2022. He’s just got to keep out of legal trouble (and maybe stay away from the US for a while). And it pains me to say it, but Will Snelling has been very good (top-25-forward-in-the-league good). Hats off to you coach Max for staying the course. Most importantly, they once again have one of the coveted top 2 picks this year, where they will land one of those generational talents that seem to pop up every year. The Soloman’s Soldiers are proof that building from the bottom up can work.
It did feel like everyone was just down on their previous/projected output this year; which is a tough pill to swallow for a team that already had an uphill battle as they move further away from previous management decisions. The likes of Ridley, Maynard, Hunter Clark, Jordan Clark, Bolton, Rozee and Rankine all fit this category, but all feel like they have scope to improve again next year, many with the potential to be star players.
All that said, it looks like 2022 is set to be another year of building the foundations and of fans biding their time. Prove me wrong Devils!
Season Grade: F