Tasmania’s Development Edge Explained | Australia News

Geelong CEO Steve Hocking sparked a firestorm by questioning Tasmania’s “soft cap” advantage after they poached one of his development staff. In response, coach Ken Hinkley calmly acknowledged Tasmania’s short-term leg-up — designed to help new clubs build from scratch — and defended their move to bring in elite development expert Nigel Lappin, calling it a smart, strategic investment. He emphasized that this perk is temporary: once Tasmania enters the league in 2028, they’ll be on equal footing with every other club. It’s all part of the standard playbook for new franchises — and Hinkley’s measured rebuttal turned what could’ve been a PR disaster into a savvy, fact-based defense. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/f69b7e1d6e624c7b