Former Collingwood ruckman Aiden Begg has signed with the Tasmania Devils for the remainder of the VFL season.
The 23-year-old, along with Patrick Walker, a versatile commodity previously on North Melbourne's list, joins the Devils as they look to cover for the departures of Jaxon Artemis and Max Mapley, who found new homes at the top level courtesy of the most recent Mid-Season Draft.
Begg managed three games of AFL football with the Magpies, all coming in 2022 - Craig McRae's first season in charge. He has quietly gone about his work in the EFNL with North Ringwood since his 2024 delisting, and his recent form inspired decision makers south of the Bass to secure his services.
One such decision maker, Tasmania's head of list management and strategy, Todd Patterson, alluded to a rather exhaustive search being undertaken before the standalone club settled on their two newest recruits.
"With the departure of Jaxon and Max in the mid-season draft it gave us an opportunity to assess both the local competitions and broader talent pool to see if there were players worthwhile adding to our squad to build our depth and capability," Patterson said.
"Aiden was a Mid-Season Draft pick [for Collingwood] with a developing body and couldn't quite get continuity despite making his debut at AFL level.
"He has been dominant for North Ringwood this year and will compliment Cam Owen really well as a replacement for Max."
Begg's athleticism and vertical leap may see him eventually be handed another opportunity at AFL level, as his skillset aligns with what is asked of the modern ruckmen in light of this year's rule changes.
Walker has enjoyed a stellar run of form for North Hobart in recent times, inspiring his call up to a higher grade.
"Patty has been a player of interest as we built the squad but given his injury history, we wanted to let him settle into the year at North Hobart," Patterson said.
"He has been a dominant player for them and as a player with a professional background who can play across all three lines, we are excited to bring him in."
