The Tasmania Devils have secured their first key coaching plank alongside Ken Hinkley, landing Geelong guru Nigel Lappin as the club’s inaugural head of development. 

7NEWS understands a deal to lure Lappin was clinched in the last 48 hours with an announcement imminent. 

It is expected he will remain with the Cats for the remainder of the 2026 campaign. 

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The Devils had prioritised signing a development boss as their next major appointment after last month landing Hinkley on a five-year deal until the end of 2031. 

The club will soon welcome a fresh batch of the country’s best 17-year-old’s who will be eligible to play VFL in 2027 before the inaugural AFL season in 2028. 

Lappin has been widely regarded as the AFL’s best development coach for more than a decade and has previously knocked back significant offers to remain with the Cats. 

Carlton last year made a significant approach to Lappin to work alongside join his former Brisbane premiership captain Michael Voss. 

Tasting flag success as an assistant coach in his first season at Geelong in 2009, Lappin has enjoyed a close bond with Lions premiership teammate Chris Scott since his arrival in 2011. 

Lappin is seen as being an instrumental in the growth of a long list Geelong diamonds in the rough including Mark Blicavs, Ollie Dempsey, Oisin Mullin and Tom Stewart. 

His name was at the top of Hinkley’s target list with the pair spending one season together at the Cats in 2009. 

Lappin will also now link up with triple premiership Lions teammate Alastair Lynch who is the Devils’ football director.