THE journey to the revered number 1 guernsey at Port Adelaide has been very different for Tom Jonas than it was for those who went before him.

Jonas - originally a rookie-listed player - will become the sixth player to wear the number for the Power in the AFL, following in the footsteps of club greats Gavin Wanganeen, Matthew Primus, Warren Tredrea, Dom Cassisi and Travis Boak.

Jonas made his way to Alberton in 2010 when the Power selected him with pick 16 in the rookie draft, joining Callum Hay, Jarrad Irons, Mitchell Curnow and Matthew Westhoff as rookies that year.

The key defender debuted in his first year at the club, playing four games at the back end of the 2011 season – and tasting victory for the first time in Port’s eight-point victory over Melbourne in round 24 at Adelaide Oval.

Jonas spent the first half of the 2012 season playing for Norwood in the SANFL, before being upgraded to the Power senior list once again for the final nine games of that year.

The Rostrevor product was eventually promoted to Port Adelaide’s AFL list permanently ahead of the 2013 season, where he played 21 games - including two finals - in Ken Hinkley’s first season at the helm.

In 2014, the uncompromising hard man was added to Port’s leadership group, and played a pivotal role in his side’s push for September action for a second consecutive year.

Jonas averaged 15.1 disposals, five marks and 4.4 one-percenters per game - and kicked the only goal of his career to date - as the Power made it to a preliminary final against Hawthorn, eventually going down by just three points in an MCG epic.

Injury and suspension curtailed the defender’s 2015 and 2016 campaigns, seeing him manage just 26 appearances across those two seasons.

Port Adelaide returned to finals football in 2017, with Jonas leading a relatively inexperienced backline to be the competition’s second-best defence, conceding just 20 more points than the competition's most misery defence in Sydney.

That year Jonas also earned selection in the All-Australian 40-man squad, as the club finished the minor rounds in fifth position on the ladder.

Unfortunately for Jonas, he missed the club’s last two games of the year - including the devastating extra-time elimination final loss to West Coast at Adelaide Oval.

The former Redleg took his game and his leadership to another level in 2018, averaging 17 touches and eight marks a game, with a niggling knee injury restricting him to 18 games.

Jonas along with Ollie Wines were elevated to co-captains in 2019 - as Travis Boak stepped aside from the role he had occupied for the previous six seasons.

The pair had been standout leaders within the group - along with vice-captain Hamish Hartlett - but various injuries throughout the year meant they only managed to play 10 games together.

Leading into one of Port Adelaide’s biggest years in its history - its 150^th anniversary year celebration - the club has announced Tom Jonas as the captain for 2020.

He becomes the 28^th player to have his name etched into the number 1 locker at Alberton Oval.