Former Essendon forward Jye Menzie is desperate for another opportunity at AFL level.
Menzie was culled from Essendon after 47 games through four-and-a-half seasons, and has a clear area of focus to get back on a stage he feels he belongs.
"I'd do anything to get back to where I was, so I'm going to use that as motivation to be a good teammate to the Devils boys and see where footy takes me," Menzie told Zero Hanger.
Menzie was Tasmania's first VFL signing ahead of the club's return to the league for the first time since 2008.
A lure for Menzie and all of the Devils' VFL recruits has been the golden ticket pathway onto the AFL list, with at least two spots on the AFL's inaugural rookie list reserved for 2026 and 2027 VFL players.
Menzie believes four quarter effort is the key to proving he deserves another chance.
"If I reflect back on my time at Essendon, I was mainly a small forward, and I was a little bit inconsistent," Menzie told Zero Hanger.
"It was hard sometimes playing that high half-forward role, so if I can look to get up the ground a bit more, get in the game a bit more and be a bit more influential, it will hold me in good stead going forward, so the big thing for me is consistent four-quarter footy.
"As a small forward, you might have a couple of moments in a game, and if you don't take those moments, then there goes your game, so I have to make the most of every opportunity.
"Whether that's forward of the ball or higher, I might play some midfield this year as well, so I'll have the ball in my hands a bit more and show what I can do."
Selected at the 2022 Mid-Season Draft, his best year was 2023, when he kicked 23 goals in 21 games, before 10 games last year, ahead of his delisting.
In 2023, only Kyle Langford kicked more goals for the Bombers than Menzie, with his speed catching opponents off-guard.
That season was the high point of his time at the top level and gave him confidence that he continues to carry.
"I think back then I had opportunity and the backing from coaches, so that helps," Menzie said of 2023.
"It gives you confidence in yourself, and I'm a high confidence player, so if I know I have that trust from coaches and senior players, that's where I play my best footy."
U18s graduates Jack Miller, Jarvis Breen, Lucas Wootton, Harry Elmer, Harry Brereton, Max Mapley, and Ollie Depaoli-Kubank have all made the inaugural list.
In previous years, many would have been lost to local footy due to the need to move to the mainland to stay on the radar of AFL clubs.
It's a challenge Menzie is familiar with, having moved to South Australia to chase his AFL opportunity.
"I think it's massive," Menzie said.
"I had no other option than to move interstate if I wanted to have a real crack at pursuing my dream.
"It's a game-changer for those young people aspiring to get to the AFL in Tasmania.
"The experience of the former AFL players in the squad is huge because you gain a lot of knowledge.
"If we can share the knowledge to some of the other youngsters who haven't been in the spotlight as much, I think they'll gain a lot from that.
"It will be a factor in the way they go about it on or off field."
Menzie was the club's first VFL signing and epitomises the Tasmanian spirit the club wants to play with.
Tasmania is the only club that represents an entire state, and it's a motivator that the club has tapped into across pre-season, which has resonated with Menzie.
"I'm a proud Tassie bloke - I spent 18 years growing up here playing local footy, so I wanted to get back to family and friends and the big incentive of the AFL team coming in two years, things like the golden ticket and wanting to show a bit of leadership to some of the younger guys,” Menzie said.
"I loved my time on the mainland and at Essendon; I've got nothing bad to say about them.
"I would have happily spent the rest of my time at Essendon, but when the Tassie team came in, it gave me something to play for - if I wasn't on Essendon's or any other AFL team's list, Tassie was the go."
The Devils will kick off their VFL season on March 21 at North Hobart Oval against Coburg, with matches played across Hobart, Launceston and Penguin throughout the season.
