Height: 185 cm

Weight: 71 kg

DOB: 07-07-2000

Junior Club: Foster Football Club

Recruited from: Gippsland Power (TAC Cup)

TAC Cup games: 13

TAC Cup goals: 13

Xavier Duursma knows all about the key language at Port Adelaide.

He grew up playing for Foster (the club not Fos Williams), at Alberton (the Football and Netball League not the Oval) and then played for the Power (Gippsland not Port Adelaide).

It is perhaps fitting then that he ended up at Port Adelaide as pick 18 at last month’s NAB AFL Draft.

Leaving one Power for another, Duursma is rated as a medium sized midfielder who has a burst of line-breaking speed but doesn’t mind getting his head over the ball and winning it himself.

Duursma can also play across half back, is known to read the play well, take a strong overhead mark and offer penetration with his kick.

He captained Gippsland in 2018, guiding his side to second on the ladder and a preliminary final, it’s best season in five years, while averaging 22.8 disposals and 5.2 tackles.

Duursma’s performances in 2018 saw him finish third in Gippsland’s best and fairest.

The teenager was also prominent for Vic Country in the NAB AFL Under 18 Championships.

Describing himself as a leader and player who models himself on Richmond captain Trent Cotchin and Hawthorn’s Isaac Smith, Duursma says he is a hard competitor who never gives up - something likely to endear him to Port Adelaide supporters.

His father Dean Duursma was on Sydney and Melbourne’s AFL lists without playing a game until injury cut short his career.

His uncle Jamie played 59 games for the Swans, Brisbane and Demons.

And both men were influential on Xavier Duursma, especially Dean Duursma, who coached his son throughout his junior career at Foster and then Gippsland, until he reached the under 18s.

In fact, 2017 was the first year Xavier Duursma wasn’t coached by his dad, so after being mentored by former Fremantle, North Melbourne player and Collingwood premiership big man Leigh Brown for the past two seasons, Ken Hinkley will be just the third coach of his young life.

A Lions supporter growing up, his affinity to all things Port Adelaide mean he hasn’t taken long to switch allegiances.

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