PORT ADELAIDE achieved its aims of moving up the draft order, securing young local talent and setting up its future in the trade period, according to General Manager – Football, Chris Davies.

The Power came away from the trade period with ruckman Scott Lycett from West Coast and utilities Sam Mayes and Ryan Burton from Brisbane and Hawthorn respectively, as well as three picks inside the first round for next month’s AFL National Draft.

Lycett returns to Alberton, where he played junior football and six SANFL games, as a free agent, while Mayes and Burton came as part of a complicated three-way deal which saw the Power’s Chad Wingard move to Hawthorn.

Port Adelaide also completed deals which saw Jared Polec and Jasper Pittard move to North Melbourne and Jack Hombsch to Gold Coast, while it shuffled some picks around to secure picks 5 and 15 to go with its existing pick 10.

“We wanted to end the trade period as high up the draft as we possibly could and we obviously had some players that we needed to find some homes for,” Davies said, during an interview with Adelaide radio station FIVEaa.

“I think ultimately, we’re pretty happy being in a position where we’ve got picks 5, 10 and 15 and we’ve got some good young players into the club.

“(List manager) Jason Cripps had a clear plan going in and I think he was able to execute it pretty well. We’ve got draft picks in, we probably saved some money with guys going out, which all bodes well for the future – getting talent in and having the capability down the track to spend some more potentially.

“We would have preferred Jared Polec to stay, we would have preferred Chad Wingard to stay but we think we’ve maximised the deals and with the players coming in.

“I’m really rapt to see Ryan Burton coming in, he’s started his AFL journey really well, and with three picks inside the top 15, there’s no doubt that we should have some high-end talent coming into our list in that draft.”

The arrivals of Mayes and Burton will provide coach Ken Hinkley with some flexibility with both able to play in numerous positions.

Davies said where they played was a decision for the coaches, but it was a nice dilemma to have.

“You’ve got Hamish Hartlett coming back, you’ve got a guy like Riley Bonner who played his junior footy as a wingman, you’ve got Ryan (Burton) who started his career as a half back but was drafted as a half forward and is someone who we think has the potential to have the engine to be able to go through the midfield and the wings as well,” he said.

“Also with Lycett coming in, it is going to necessitate the coaches to rethink the game plan but we think we’ve brought some flexibility into the group, even someone like Sam Mayes who has played his best footy at half back for Brisbane but at the same time was drafted from North Adelaide as a wing-half forward and has played 20-odd SANFL games and kicked 20-odd goals at SANFL level before he was drafted.

“They’re decisions the coaches will have to make but it’s good to have some flexibility I think.”

With a month until the draft, the Power will now set about finalising its list.

With the departures of Wingard, Pittard, Polec and Hombsch, the retirement of Lindsay Thomas and the delisting of Jimmy Toumpas and Emmanuel Irra, the Power will already put out a significantly different squad in 2019.

But Davies said there were still a number of list changes being considered.

He said the Power would chase the best available talent, including some highly rated South Australians like Jack Lukosius, Izak Rankine and Connor Rozee at the draft, but he expected an interesting time in the lead up, with clubs for the first time able to trade picks up until a week out, and then again during the draft.

“It’ll be fascinating to see how the draft actually plays out because most people right now would think that (Jack) Lukosius and (Izak) Rankine are going to go 2 and 3 and most people suggest one of the King boys is going to go to St Kilda with pick 4 but there’s still a month to go and there’s a bit to play out yet,” Davies said.

“We’ll go with the flow, we’ve got a really good hand and we know that the teams above us, if they’re looking to offload those picks, would be looking to have a conversation with us because we’ve got as good a hand in the first round as any club.

“If Gold Coast or St Kilda were looking to trade out then the first conversation would be with us. It’ll be a fascinating time and it adds another dimension to the draft.”

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