PORT ADELAIDE has completed a trade with Geelong, which will see Maddy Keryk arrive at the club as Kate Surman departs.
In addition, Port Adelaide will receive pick 12 to be used at the Season 8 Supplementary Draft* on 4 April.
Surman, a zippy midfielder, came to the Power from the Gold Coast, alongside Cheyenne Hammond, Jacqui Yorston and Britt Perry, in a four-player trade deal last year.
Across 10 games in Season 7, Surman averaged 11.1 disposals and kicked two goals. The 31-year-old has played 36 AFLW matches between two clubs since her league debut in 2020.
Port Adelaide list manager Naomi Maidment thanked Surman for her service to the club.
“Kate was a valuable contributor on the field as part of our inaugural side,” Maidment said.
“We are grateful for what she offered to our club and wish her all the best at Geelong.”
Defender Keryk has been in the AFLW system since day one, playing a combined 47 games with Carlton and Geelong.
As one of Carlton’s inaugural co-vice-captains in 2017, Keryk then went on to be included in the leadership group for two of her five years at the Cats.
A versatile footballer and experienced leader, the 28-year-old primarily played a lockdown defender role in her time at Geelong.
“We are thrilled to welcome Maddy to Alberton,” Maidment said.
“She brings with her great leadership experience and a deep knowledge of the AFLW system. A focus for us has always been to complement a young talented group with some high-quality leaders and she will absolutely be part of that.
“She also has the ability to be versatile on-field, which is important for our list going forward.”
Keryk is looking forward to continuing her football journey in South Australia.
“I’m really excited to come to Port Adelaide,” Keryk said.
“I played with Loz (Arnell) at Carlton for the first couple of years of my career and I have a lot of respect for her, so it will be awesome being coached by her.
“Obviously it’s a big move for me, but I’m looking forward to the opportunity to work with a new group of people and to continue developing my footy. I was really impressed by the setup at Port Adelaide, and I think there’s huge growth potential within the group, especially having quite a young list.”
The AFLW sign and trade period will close on Monday, March 20 at 3pm AEDT.
*The Season 8 Supplementary Draft will be a one-off event in lieu of the customary AFLW Draft, allowing an age reset before this year's AFLW competition.