PORT ADELAIDE had three AFL debutants in 2018 among ten players who played their first games for the Power this season.

Jarrod Lienert, Kane Farrell and Billy Frampton each played their first AFL game towards the end of the season, while new recruits Dom Barry, Steven Motlop, Tom Rockliff, Jack Watts, Trent McKenzie, Lindsay Thomas and Jack Trengove pulled on the Power guernsey for the first time at various stages in the first 15 rounds.

Portadelaidefc.com.au takes a quick look at each of their debuts, which were celebrated at the club’s best and fairest event at the Adelaide Convention Centre on Friday night.

Round 1 v Fremantle

Dom Barry, Steven Motlop, Tom Rockliff and Jack Watts

Round 1 saw four club debutants presented with their Power guernseys for the first time.

Dom Barry and Steven Motlop had a history of playing for Melbourne and Geelong respectively and each were presented with their guernsey in the rooms before the game against Fremantle by former Power forward, and Steven’s brother, Daniel Motlop.

A Port Adelaide great, Paul Northeast, presented the guernseys to Tom Rockliff and Jack Watts who had joined the club in the off season from Brisbane and Melbourne respectively.

Northeast proceeded to give the team a rousing pre-match talk, reminding the players who they were representing.

Barry’s was a story of resilience and persistence, after he was given an AFL lifeline following a return to his cultural homeland and commencement of a teaching degree.

Motlop had a big decision to make at the end of 2017 and in the end chose to join the proud history of siblings and families playing for Port Adelaide.

Each of the new faces had an impact in Round 1 with Barry having 22 touches and five marks and showing off his run and carry, Motlop and Watts each hitting the scoreboard with two and three goals respectively and Rockliff working his way into the game and nabbing a goal in the big win.

Round 4 v Essendon

Trent McKenzie

Trent McKenzie came to Alberton as a delisted free agent in the 2017 trade period after seven seasons with the Gold Coast Suns.

Known as the superboot, McKenzie had to wait until Round 4 to play his first game for the Power, coming into a side which was unbeaten after three games.

Presented his guernsey by former Suns teammate Charlie Dixon, the 26-year-old looked comfortable in the Port Adelaide backline, finishing with 11 disposals, three marks and two tackles.

It was to be his only AFL game of the season as injury and form kept him with in the SANFL for much of the season.

Round 5 v Geelong

Lindsay Thomas

Thomas returned to his junior club Port Adelaide after eleven seasons with North Melbourne.

He was presented with his guernsey by Port Adelaide’s Director – Aboriginal Programs, Paul Vandenbergh.

A renowned goal scorer, Thomas had 322 goals from 205 games and he didn’t take long to find his first for the Power, taking a diving mark on the lead 45 metres out on a tight angle but slotting the resulting kick from the boundary.

His night was soured when he was involved in a high hit on Cat Scott Selwood and reported, eventually being suspended for four games.

Round 15 v Carlton

Jack Trengove

A former Melbourne captain, Trengove’s career didn’t quite take off with the Demons because of a serious foot injury that limited his game time.

Arriving as a delisted free agent, Trengove arrived at Alberton with his good friend from the Dees, Jack Watts.

The hard-bodied midfielder was dominant in the SANFL before getting his chance to don the Power colours against Carlton at the MCG.

The now 27-year-old performed admirably in an unfamiliar role off half-back, recording 21 disposals, eight marks and four tackles as the Power beat the Blues.

Round 18 v Greater Western Sydney

Jarrod Lienert

A premiership player with Sturt, Lienert came to the Power with pick 42 in the 2017 Rookie Draft.

The key defender came close to breaking into the Power side in the early stages of the season but a knee injury sidelined him and set him back.

Consistent SANFL form earned him his debut in Round 18 against the Giants and he showed remarkable poise in the backline after having his guernsey presented to him by his father Brett, himself a former Sturt player.

A 20 disposal, five-mark performance saw him hold his spot for the rest of the season.

Round 19 v Western Bulldogs

Kane Farrell

The boy from Bendigo got his AFL start down the road in Ballarat when Port took on the Western Bulldogs.

After impressing in the SANFL and taking over the Magpies’ leading goal kicker mantle from Lindsay Thomas, Farrell managed a goal and 10 disposals on debut.

The freezing conditions didn’t seem to bother the 19-year-old who arrived at Alberton with pick 51 in the 2017 National Draft.

So comfortable was he at the level that he booted three goals in one quarter the following week, and he retained his spot in the side for the rest of the season.

Round 23 v Essendon

Billy Frampton

There were calls for the big cult figure to make his AFL debut throughout the season as the Power looked for a replacement for the injured Paddy Ryder.

It took until late in the season for Frampton to show enough in the SANFL to earn his call-up.

With his family on hand from Western Australia to watch his first game he switched between ruck and forward, and seemed comfortable at the level.

He finished with five marks, 15 hit-outs and a goal that saw him mobbed by his teammates.

 

SANFL debuts

In the SANFL the club saw a remarkable 24 debutants with only one, Dom Barry, making a club debut.

That means the other 23 had never played league football in the SANFL before.

The Magpies had a remarkable nine debutants in the Round 1 win over Adelaide and there was a steady stream of debutants throughout the season as injuries and AFL call-ups took their toll.

Perhaps the most memorable of the debuts was that of Darcy Ginever, who was presented his guernsey by his father Tim Ginever, a club great.

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DEBUTANTS
AFL

Dom Barry (Round 1 v Fremantle; club)

Steven Motlop (Round 1 v Fremantle; club)

Tom Rockliff (Round 1 v Fremantle; club)

Jack Watts (Round 1 v Fremantle; club)

Trent McKenzie (Round 4 v Essendon; club)

Lindsay Thomas (Round 5 v Geelong; club)

Jack Trengove (Round 15 v Carlton; club)

Jarrod Lienert (Round 18 v Greater Western Sydney; AFL)

Kane Farrell (Round 19 v Western Bulldogs; AFL)

Billy Frampton (Round 23 v Essendon); AFL)


SANFL

Kane Farrell (Round 1 v Adelaide; SANFL)

Joel Garner (Round 1 v Adelaide; SANFL)

Sam Hayes (Round 1 v Adelaide; SANFL)

Jack Kluske (Round 1 v Adelaide; SANFL) 

Trent McKenzie (Round 1 v Adelaide; SANFL) 

Jake Patmore (Round 1 v Adelaide; SANFL) 

Levi Proude (Round 1 v Adelaide; SANFL)

Jack Strange (Round 1 v Adelaide; SANFL) 

Lindsay Thomas (Round 1 v Adelaide; SANFL)

Sam Davidson (Round 2 v Glenelg; SANFL)

Jack Trengove (Round 2 v Glenelg; club)

Dom Barry (Round 3 v Woodville-West Torrens; SANFL)

Kyle Crompton (Round 4 v Sturt; SANFL)

Mitchell Mead (Round 4 v Sturt; SANFL)

Sam Powell-Pepper (Round 4 v Sturt; SANFL)   

Tom Rockliff (Round 4 v Sturt; SANFL)

Darcy Ginever (Round 6 v Norwood; SANFL)

Simon Wong (Round 7 v West Adelaide; SANFL)

Lewin Davis (Round 9 v South Adelaide; SANFL)

Dale Finnie (Round 9 v South Adelaide; SANFL)

Jack Watts (Round 11 v Sturt; SANFL)   

Harrison Morgan (Round 14 v Adelaide; SANFL)

Michael Ortiz (Round 17 v West Adelaide; SANFL)

Monyjath Makoi (Round 18 v Central District; SANFL)

AFL/SANFL denotes debut game, club denotes first game for Port Adelaide.

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