When former Collingwood youngster Joel Cochran injured his shoulder midway through the 2026 season, he began to sense his time at the Magpies could be coming to an end.
Cochran was drafted by Collingwood recruiting boss Derek Hine - who is now Tasmania's Head of Recruiting - in 2024, after spending time in Sydney's academy system as a junior, arriving at the club with hopes of establishing himself at AFL level.
However, the athletic defender was unable to break through for a senior debut, with established backmen Jeremy Howe, Brayden Maynard and Isaac Quaynor ahead of him in the pecking order, while injuries also restricted his opportunities.
"I did my shoulder midway through the year," Cochran said on SEN.
"And I probably, about a month out from my exit, I sort of (knew). I never had a clear time of when, you know, this might be it, but it really is a weird thing, that exit meeting. You can't really prepare for it. The emotions you feel after you're delisted are something you can't put into words.
"Upon reflection, I'm still extremely grateful to be drafted in the first place. I learned a tremendous amount during my time at Collingwood.
"Being able to learn from guys like Scott Pendlebury, Steele Sidebottom, and Jeremy Howe. Guys you've grown up watching for a long time. The professionalism the whole club has from top to bottom. I can't speak highly of my time there."
Cochran revealed Hine reached out as his time at Collingwood came to a close, opening the door for a reunion in the Apple Isle.
But his move to Tasmania keeps the door open to the AFL, with the Devils offering a 'golden ticket' to all VFL-listed players ahead of 2028.
"It's really exciting. You can already see the developments taking place at Kingston as well," Cochran said.
"Footy goes quick. As soon as we're talking here now, it's going to fast-track a year, and hopefully get started with the AFL."
As for what Cochran can add to the Devils' line-up, he thinks he's scratching the surface with his athletic ability that can be applied to the top-flight competition, but acknowledged one key area of his game he'd like to improve.
"I'm an athletic key defender who likes to play off the half-back and use my run-and-carry and intercept marking to start offensive chains," Cochran said.
"Even just watching the VFL, Tassie really likes to play with a defensive mindset from the defensive half. I think that's the way the game is trending as well in the AFL. It's getting really attacking from the D50. I think the fans can look to see me be really aggressive and really attacking, just playing an exciting brand of football.
"My overall kicking and kicking on the run. Kicking in this day and age has never been more important, being able to hit targets, hit targets on the run. So being really reliable. You don't want to be turning the ball over in the (defensive) part of the ground. It's great having Nigel Lappin and Matty Knights. They've been amazing so far. So hopefully I can crack down on that and turn that into a strength."
