KEN HINKLEY has been labelled "a great connector" who can bring Tasmania together behind the new Devils club when it enters the AFL competition in 2028.

Hinkley was on Monday confirmed as Tasmania's inaugural coach, joining the Devils less than 12 months after his 13-year tenure at Port Adelaide came to a close.

Hinkley has signed a five-year deal that will officially begin on November 1 and will span the new club's first four AFL seasons. He will continue his 2026 media commitments in the meantime.

Devils chair Grant O'Brien and CEO Brendon Gale pointed to Hinkley's experience at Gold Coast during its inaugural years, and also how he traversed the highs and lows during his time at Port Adelaide, as key factors in the appointment.

"I'm absolutely certain we've got the right man," O'Brien said.

"He's a great connector ... (he can) bring the state together.

"It's a start-up after all and you need to be resilient in start-ups, and he can be resilient. We think his experience in 13 years at Port Adelaide makes him the perfect choice for us.

"(We focused on) the three Cs - character, care and connection. He's got that in spades and he'll need it because that's what we need as a club."

Hinkley, who will turn 60 in late September, had no doubts that he's ready to take on a new challenge and has already floated staying at the Devils beyond his five-year deal.

"I don't have any limits on me. I absolutely don't," he said.

"At what stage of life have you done enough and had enough? I'm miles away ... don't just put five years on the stamp. Let it go a big longer.

"I'm a footy coach. I don't know too much else. And when I get an opportunity to coach young people in particular, it's something I thrive in and I love.

"As much as we're a start-up club, we're a football state.

"It's such an exciting day for me and hopefully for everyone involved and the Tasmanian people. Because I'm now a Tasmanian."

Hinkley presented to chief executive Brendon Gale and Tasmania's board in Hobart on Sunday and got the nod over Nathan Buckley and John Longmire, who both expressed interest in the job.

Ex-Sydney boss Longmire had met with the Devils a fortnight ago in what he described as a fact-finding mission.

Former Collingwood coach Buckley was favoured for the job last year when he pulled out of the race to find Melbourne's coach.

Hinkley said there will also be no limits on the calibre of players the club will look to attract for its inaugural season, comparing the community feel of Hobart to that of Geelong, which the Cats have used to their advantage.

"We're going to aim for the top and aim for as big as we can," he said.

"We'll go after everyone that's possible and make sure we give it a great shot. There'll be knock-backs, but there'll be some yeses.

"We won't out any limits on who we go after, we'll just go after the right people. But they have to be the right people, not just people.

"We've seen Geelong do pretty well as a community football club and this is very much a Geelong-type feel about it. It's got a community feel. There's a great opportunity for people to grow their families. It's not just a football place, it's a family place. There's a lot of people who will love the lifestyle of Tasmania.

"There's going to be plenty of people and plenty of players who are going to want to be a part of it and part of the start, and I've seen that in my previous life."

Hinkley coached Port Adelaide from 2013 to 2025, instantly taking the Power to the finals after a barren five seasons following the club's humiliating and record-breaking Grand Final loss in 2007.

Although Hinkley never got to a Grand Final from three preliminary final appearances, Port were almost always in contention during his time.

He walked away with an excellent winning record of 58.6 per cent, having guided Port to 174 victories from his 297 games in charge.

The Power's off-field situation also improved dramatically as crowds returned to games because they were competitive.

He also played 132 games for Fitzroy and Geelong between 1987 and 1995 and spent time as an assistant at Geelong and Gold Coast, as well as a year at St Kilda in 2001, before winning the Port role as a 46-year-old.

"We didn't set out to find the candidate with the single best win-loss record in this process," Gale said.

"We set out to find the right coach for exactly what Tasmania Football Club needs right now.

"Ken's ability to build relationships with young players, and to build an environment that people want to be part of, is exceptional.

"It is the number one reason we believe he is the right fit for this club at this time."

- with AAP