AFTER a combined four weeks of free agency and trade deals being negotiated across the 18 clubs, Port Adelaide has concluded its involvement with a solid return of promising young talent. 

PortAdelaideFC.com.au reviews the Power’s position at the conclusion of the Gillette AFL Trade Period:

Defensive stockpile

Despite the loss of free agents Troy Chaplin and Danyle Pearce, Port Adelaide has managed to offset some of their loss by sourcing a range of young, emerging defenders from around the league.

Leading that stockpile is Roxby Downs local Jack Hombsch who spent two seasons at AFL newcomers Greater Western Sydney and played nine games in the Giants’ first season.

[ Related: Hombsch comes home ]

“We went with a plan to try to bring in some support for our backline in particular and obviously Jack has been a big focus for us for a long time” said general manager (football) Peter Rohde.

“We’ve followed him since his underage days and when he moved up to GWS we were really pleased to get him over. He’s a really talented player and hopefully will play a lot of games for us.”

Later announcements by the club saw West Coast Eagles defender Lewis Stevenson and Sydney Swan backman Campbell Heath come to Alberton.

[ Related: Stevenson joins | Heath joins ]

Both players spent the season in their clubs’ reserves sides having been unable to crack into teams that would go on to feature deep into the 2012 finals series.

Heath provided strong switch options and worked as a long-kicking backman for the Swans reserves while Stevenson was instrumental in Claremont’s WAFL premiership defence.

“Certainly Campbell Heath and Lewis Stevenson are two players that we identified as the sort of players we need [in defence],” said Rohde.

“They can play on the wing, at half back, they can run and carry the ball.

“They’ve been in the system a few years and are probably ready to play but at West Coast and Sydney you probably don’t have too many opportunities.”

Forward looking

Angus Monfries and youngster Jack Neade will provide another dimension to Port Adelaide’s forward line in the coming years having joined the club in October.

Monfries was traded to the Power from Essendon and signed a four-year deal and as one of the Bombers’ more prolific goal scorers in the last half-decade, will add an edge to Port’s attack in 2013.

Neade was a NT zone selection for the GWS Giants and is a 18-year-old currently completing his year twelve studies in Ballarat. 

[ Related: Neade's a must for Port ] 

He will come to Alberton upon its completion in the coming weeks and is expected to slot into one of the Power’s small forward roles over the coming years with his crippling tackle and silky skills set to appeal to supporters.

Deal or no deal

Ben Jacobs remains on Port Adelaide’s list for the present time after North Melbourne refused to trade the Power their first-round draft selection.

Unwilling to negotiate on anything save for a selection better than its own second round draft selections of pick #30 and #31, Rohde says the Power’s football program will work to convince Jacobs of the merits of staying with the club in 2013.

[ Related: Club statement on Jacobs ] 

“Obviously Ben was keen to get back to Melbourne but we weren’t able to do a deal today and we’ll be talking to him about staying,” said Rohde.

“He’s had a good relationship with our players, our club and coaches so we’ll see what unfolds in the next few days.

“They [North Melbourne] offered up pick 38 and 56 and we said to them - we’d been saying to them for three weeks - that it wouldn’t get the deal done.

“I’m not sure whether they thought in the end it would [get the deal done] but we were very consistent with what we said to them in that they’d need to get us a pick inside of 30 and 31.”

Never considered

Despite rumours in the national football media, Rohde ruled out the consideration of a number of names thrown up as potential newcomers to Alberton.

Among them was Kangaroos and former Port Adelaide SANFL player Levi Greenwood.

“Nope,” said Rohde when asked whether Greenwood had been considered as a trade option.

“We talked about a variety of players but we never talked about Levi Greenwood, he’s a contracted North Melbourne player the way I understand it.”

Rookie list

On the back of five player signings today, the club today also confirmed that Darren Pfeiffer will remain on the Power’s rookie list for the 2013 season.

Pfeiffer was the Power’s nominated rookie in 2012 and polled a Brownlow vote midway through the season.

“He’ll be signed on as a second year rookie,” said Rohde.

“He was on the rookie this year although he was a nominated rookie.”

With the departures of Daniel Webb, Jarrad Irons and Mitch Curnow in the off season, coupled with the vacancy left by the elevation of Tom Jonas to the senior list, is it likely that a number of rookies will be recruited in December’s Rookie Draft.

The Rodan Deal

Despite being slated for delisting by the club, Port Adelaide was successful in negotiating a deal with Melbourne that would see a fifth round pick come to Alberton in return for allowing the Dees to list Rodan.

The deal, which allows Rodan to commence training with Melbourne prior to December’s pre-season draft, enabled the Power to strike the Stevenson deal with West Coast.

“We were looking for a late pick to get Lewis Stevenson,” explains Rohde.

“We had the early two picks and then next was in the 90s

“Melbourne knew we were going to delist David Rodan but they wanted him to start pre-season early so we were happy to take the pick and use it get Lewis on board.”

Crystal ball

Having been pro-active in trading for quality young talent from around the league, Port Adelaide is likely to use its first three selections in the upcoming NAB AFL Draft.

“We’ve got four spots on our list and we’ll certainly pick three young kids with the first three picks - 7, 30 and 31,” said Rohde.

“We’re looking for the best young talent we can get.”

[ Related: Complete draft order ]

Port is also anticipating the use of its fourth pick in the pre-season draft, but Rohde is open-minded about what type of player the Power may target.

“We’ll decide then whether we use it on a more mature or another young one.”

State of Play at the conclusion of Free Agency and Trade Periods

IN
Second-round draft selection #30 (Free Agent compensation Danyle Pearce)
Second-round draft selection #31 (Free Agent compensation Troy Chaplin)
Angus Monfries from Essendon
Jack Hombsch from GWS
Jake Neade from GWS
Fifth-round draft selection #88 from Melbourne (on-traded to West Coast)
Lewis Stevenson from West Coast
Campbell Heath from Sydney
Fourth round draft selection #85 from Sydney

OUT
Troy Chaplin to Richmond (Free Agent)
Danyle Pearce to Fremantle (Free Agent)
Third-round draft selection #48 to Essendon
Second-round draft selection #29 to GWS
David Rodan to Melbourne
Fifth-round draft selection #88 to West Coast
Fourth-round draft selection #72 to Sydney

Draft picks in hand
First-round draft selection #7
Second-round draft selection #30
Second-round draft selection #31
Fourth-round draft selection #85
Fifth-round draft selection #90
Sixth-round draft selection #108
Seventh-round draft selection #126