PORT ADELAIDE EDITORIAL - ROUND 1 DEBUTANTS 2019

The Port Adelaide teenage draft trio of Connor Rozee, Zac Butters and Xavier Duursma will be looking to grab a slice of club history this week to go with a double-barrelled place on the club trivia honour role.

The meaningful challenge that will occupy the focus of the players claimed at #5, #12 and #18 in the National Draft last November will be selection in the Round 1 side.

It is something that has been done only nine times in the club’s 22-year AFL history, and only three times during the coaching rein of Ken Hinkley.

And never since the Power joined the AFL in 1997 has more than one first-year draftee won a spot in the same Round 1 side.

During Hinkley’s six years at the helm Ollie Wines (2013), Jarman Impey (2014) and Sam Powell-Pepper (2017) have enjoyed this special honour.

Prior to Hinkley’s arrival, Adam Kingsley (1997), Steven Salopek (2003), Michael Pettigrew (2004), Adam Cockshell (2007), Cam O’Shea (2011) and Chad Wingard (2012) did likewise.

Cockshell’s Round 1 selection in 2007 was an extra special effort – he was overlooked entirely in the National Draft in November 2006 and was only claimed by Port in the 2007 Pre-Season Draft

But more noteworthy still would be three teenage draftees debuting together in Round 1.

Coach Ken Hinkley has confirmed Rozee, Butters and Duursma will all debut along with 20-year-old Willem Drew.

Drew, chosen at #33 in the 2016 National Draft, will join summer pick-ups Ryan Burton and Scott Lycett in wearing silver, teal, black and white for the first time.

Six Port first-gamers would be an equal club record since the Round 1 side of 1997, which included 10 AFL debutants and 11 players who had played previously at other clubs.

In 2013, in Hinkley’s first game in charge, debutants Wines, Jake Neade and Kane Mitchell were joined by imports Angus Monfries, Campbell Heath and Lewis Stevenson in Round 1

And in 2010, under Mark Williams, Mitchell Banner, Cameron Hitchcock, Andrew Moore and Jackson Trengove debuted together in Round 1 alongside Port newcomers Jay Schulz and Scott Harding.

The shared debut of 18-year-old Moore and 19-year-olds Banner, Hitchcock and Trengove is the only time Port have debuted four teenagers together.

If Rozee, Butters and Duursma were to play together against Melbourne they would enjoy the same shared memory that fell to fellow teenagers Jarrad Irons, Cam O’Shea and Jasper Pittard in 2011.

There will be at least six and possibly seven changes to Port’s Round 1 side from last year, with Wines, Charlie Dixon and Hamish Hartlett injured, Paddy Ryder under an injury cloud, and Jared Polec, Chad Wingman and Dom Barry no longer at the club.

At the trivia tags awaiting Rozee, Butters and Duursma?

Not only would they be the first players born in the 21^st century to represent Port in the AFL, but they would also be the first players carrying Christian names Connor, Zac and Xavier to do so.

Drew would also be the first Willem on an all-time Port AFL playing list that numbered 179 to the end of 2018, while Lycett would be the fourth Scott after Scott Bassett, Scott Cummings and Scott Harding, and Burton would be the third Ryan after Ryan Williams and Ryan Willits.

Oddly, 14 other players on the 2019 Port list share the distinction of being the only players with their Christian name to have represented the club in the AFL - Aidyn Johnson, Billy Frampton, Charlie Dixon, Darcy Byrne-Jones, Dougal Howard, Hamish Hartlett, Joe Atley, Justin Westhoff, Wines, Paddy Ryder, Riley Bonner, Robbie Gray, Todd Marshall and Travis Boak.

The most common Port Christian name in the AFL has been Matthew with eight – Bode, Bishop, Broadbent, Lobbe, Primus, Thomas, Westhoff and White.

There have been seven players named Stephen/Steven – Stephen Carter, Daniels, Gilham and Paxman, and Steven Brosnan, Motlop and Salopek.

And their have been seven players, albeit with different spellings, who answer to Jared, Jarrad and Jarrod -  Jared Polec and Poulton, Jarrad Irons, Redden and Schofield, and Jarrod Cotton and Lienert.

There also have been six Toms, six Daniels, five Adams and five Nathans.