PORT assistant Garry Hocking provides his assessment of every player on the Power's list.

Mitch Banner
Mitch played nine games for the season and kicked 11 goals after getting an opportunity late in the year because he worked hard at the defensive side of his game, and also had good form at the Magpies in the SANFL. He broke into the team in round 16 and held his spot from then on. He played some good consistent footy and impacted the scoreboard with three goals against Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs. He's certainly one, who we think could put pressure on for a spot in the midfield next season.

Daniel Bass (rookie)

"Bassy" started to understand the game a lot more in 2011. His ability to play both in the ruck and up forward at SANFL level helped South Adelaide reach the finals. But Port Adelaide has decided that at 24 and after two years on our rookie list, Daniel will not be part of our plans going forward. We wish him well with his development and thank him for his contribution during his time at the club.

Travis Boak
'Boaky' had a great year after a slow start through injury. He didn't have the massive pre-season you'd expect from midfielders.  He was a joint-winner of the John Cahill Medal, which was outstanding for him. He led the club in a lot of important statistics, including possessions, inside 50ms and clearances. He can win the ball as an inside player, but also works outside the contest and can hurt the opposition with his run and spread. The defensive side of his game is also very sound. He has really stepped up to become what we feel is an elite midfielder not only at our club but also in the competition. With a big pre-season the sky is the limit for Trav.

Matt Broadbent
Matty played 19 games in 2011, which is the most he's played in a single season at the club. He's terrific offensively and works extremely hard defensively too. The challenge for him is to try and find a little bit more of the ball and uncontested possession. There's no doubt he's part of our future going forward.

Dean Brogan (retired)
'Broges' had an outstanding career. His leadership over the last 18 months really developed. He certainly made the boys walk a lot taller when he played. His work behind the scenes with Matt Lobbe and Jarrad Redden was outstanding and a lot of their development over the last year or two has been a result of Dean spending time with them. It's sad to see such a great player move on, but it gives an opportunity for others to come through.

John Butcher
'Butch' had to spend a bit of time in the SANFL to learn his craft, but got an opportunity late in the season, playing the last four games. He's a high draft pick and we've always rated him highly, but back and hamstring injuries kept him from making his AFL debut sooner. He's probably also improved his application in terms of his attitude. His approach to training and becoming an AFL player certainly picked up halfway through the year. He really stood out towards the end of the season kicking 11.1 from four games, and competed very well for us. He's going to be a big part of our future going forward.

Alipate Carlile
'Bobby' played on the best forwards each week, and performed consistently throughout the season. He suffered a hip injury and it was difficult for him at times playing in defence with the amount of ball that was coming in. Bobby just needs to get his body right and he could become a great leader of our club moving forward.

Dom Cassisi
Dom leads from the front and does everything you want from a captain. He had a massive pre-season but suffered a broken leg against West Coast in round two, which kept him out for 10 weeks. He was a big loss out of our midfield, and him not being there really hurt our ability to win the ball consistently. He's also the best at the club in terms of his defensive work. There's no doubt we played better with Dom back in the team with the leadership he provides and the example he sets for the guys in terms of work rate.

Troy Chaplin
Troy didn’t have the best season. Last year was probably a better year for him, but he was still pretty consistent. What's happening with Troy is that opposition teams are putting more time into him, and are looking at what he does for us in our back half. He has to deal with trying to play well, and also the tactics opposition teams are using against him. He needs to get physically more imposing on the contest.

Chad Cornes (retired)
Chad is a legend of the club and a premiership hero. Working with him in the forward line was fantastic. He played a father-figure role with 'Butch' and Daniel Stewart. He's well loved by the players and highly respected for the way he's gone about his footy. Again, it's sad to see a legend go, but Chad should be very proud of his career.

Kane Cornes
Kane didn't have as good a season as we've seen from him in previous years. We changed his role a little bit from just being a tagger. He had to play more on the wing and across halfback. He struggled to come to terms with that a bit, but I think we can get a lot out of Kane in 2012, with his work rate and experience of having played in a premiership.
 
Mitch Curnow (rookie)
Mitch is a developing ruckman. He struggled a bit at SANFL reserves level, so we decided to push him back to the Under-18s to give him a chance to dominate the competition and get his confidence up. He worked really hard in the last six-to-eight weeks with Lobbe and Redden, to improve his ruckwork. He just needs to develop a competitive attitude towards his footy. One to watch in the not-too- distant future

Jason Davenport
Jase only managed four games this season, which isn't many by his standards. His indicators last year in terms of his tackling inside 50m and goal assists were quite high, but this year he struggled for consistency. He was used as the substitute a few times and suffered a bit because of it, trying to come into games late and have an impact. He just needs to try and find a spot and maintain consistent form.

Brett Ebert
'Ebo' didn’t have a big pre-season, coming off LARS surgery on his knee. He also picked up tonsillitis and a virus, which limited the amount of work he was able to do over the summer. He found his way back into the side, playing 12 games and late in the season started to look like a much better player. The big positive for Ebo is that he's developed his game, and is now able to play in the midfield at AFL level.

Robbie Gray
Robbie had a massive year, playing all 22 games. He showed an ability to play at the highest level up forward and in the midfield and also developed confidence in his body. He ranked No.1 at the club in contested possessions and was pretty high up in clearances and goal assists. He kicked six goals against Essendon in round 23 in a terrific individual effort and topped the club's goalkicking (33), so he had a fantastic year.

Hamish Hartlett
Hamish is all class. He played 16 games and took out the Gavin Wanganeen Medal for rising talent. There have always been big wraps on Hamish. He can play forward and in the midfield, and the shoulder injury he picked up during the year also gave us the chance to look at him across half-back.  Very competitive and tough, he'll be a star for us going forward.

Callum Hay (rookie, delisted)
Cal suffered a hamstring injury for most of the year, but still played some consistent footy for North Adelaide. He's got a great attitude and is pretty tough at the footy. We wish him all the best for the future.

Cam Hitchcock
'Hitchy' burst onto the AFL scene last season, playing 17 games. It was a case of the second-year blues for him a little bit, but he still played 13 games and displayed some good form in the middle-part of the year when he started to work harder and win more of the ball. He needs to mature physically but he's quick, has a great attitude and his football smarts make it difficult for defenders. We expect him to have a big pre-season.

Jarrad Irons (rookie)
Jarrad also burst onto the scene with a big pre-season. He got his opportunity against Collingwood in round one and had four shots at goal for a return of 2.2 on debut. He played three games, but suffered a shoulder injury that required surgery. He's got a great attitude and is a hard worker. We think he can give us more stability both in the midfield and up forward. He needs to continue to work hard and grab his chance.

Ben Jacobs
Ben was cut down by glandular fever late in the pre-season, but worked his way back to make his debut against the Sydney Swans in round eight. He's a classy defender, who can also play through the midfield. He had some big tasks playing on the opposition's smaller and quicker forwards. He defends quite well and with another pre-season under his belt there's no doubt we'll see a bit more of his explosive run and kicking off half-back. He's going to be a player of the future.

Tom Jonas (rookie)
Tommy's an interesting one. He played some good footy with Norwood after starting the season on the rookie list. He learned a lot throughout the year and was given an opportunity to play on Hawthorn skipper Luke Hodge on debut in round 21. He did a fantastic job, keeping 'Hodgey' to 19 possessions. He's very compliant and disciplined. He's tough and hard over the footy and also wins his own ball. He needs to continue his development.

Matt Lobbe
Matty took up the No.1 ruck spot after 'Broges' went down in round 14. He's showed promise throughout his career, but ruckmen generally take a bit more time. His competitiveness was outstanding and he had influence around the ground. He's also grown in terms of his leadership and being able to take control of the midfield. He will be given every opportunity to take over the No.1 ruck mantle in season 2012.

Tom Logan
We love everything about Tom, but who doesn't? He's not blessed with natural skill and talent, but he makes up for it with hard work and effort. He's as tough as they come and is loved by everyone around the club. He defends really well and shows great leadership in the backline. He's has also improved his decision- making. Tom finished third in our best and fairest award, which was a great reward for his passion and dedication.

Danny Meyer (retired)
Danny had a disappointing year with ongoing groin injuries. He spent a bit of time back at Glenelg and played some good, consistent footy but never got an opportunity to play AFL. His body let him down and he's made the difficult decision to retire. Again, we wish him all the best.

Andrew Moore
Moorey was troubled by injury again, only playing six games for the season. He comes with high expectations as a No.9 draft pick and he needs to get his body right to give him the best opportunity going forward in season 2012. I really rate Andrew. He's certainly going to help our midfield become bigger and stronger in 2012. We've just got to get him on the park. He's an outstanding talent.

Daniel Motlop
Daniel played 13 games, but we probably would've liked a bit more consistency from him. When he does get the ball he brings his teammates into the play. He's super smart and certainly helps us defensively in the forward line. We played him at half-back to try and get our ball movement going. It worked to an extent and towards the end of the year, Daniel got his attitude and body right and was able to play some really good football for us.

Marlon Motlop (delisted)
Marlon couldn’t manage a game this year. He changed SANFL clubs from North Adelaide to West Adelaide. It was tough for him to settle into a new club and that affected him a little bit earlier in the year. He had a big pre-season and was up and about and his clearance work and kicking ability was prominent. He just didn’t get an opportunity and injuries again played a part in that. We thank Marlon for his contribution to the club.

Ben Newton
We've got big wraps on Benny. He's a classy midfielder, who can also play forward. We haven't seen a lot of him. He only played a handful of games for West Adelaide because of injury, but he showed some class. He's a hard worker both on and off the field. He wants to be very good and with his attitude - provided he gets time out on the ground - he could be a very good player for us.

Cam O'Shea
Cam was a real surprise packet. For him to play 18 games in his first season was very exciting. He played wing and across half-back. He also had some big tasks and one in particular was playing on Andrew Embley against West Coast at Patersons Stadium in round 13. Cam learned a bit that day about what it takes to make it at AFL level. He's a quality kid with a great character. He works hard and could become a 150-200 game player for Port Adelaide.

Danyle Pearce
Danyle is certainly an exciting player, who can run and carry the ball. In the middle part of the year, we moved him to half-back to give our backline a little bit more swagger and run in a Leon Davis-type role. He was able to give us that. Danyle's at a stage now where he's played 134 games, and we're looking to him for leadership and to be a real role model for our younger group. He had a pretty consistent 2011, finishing equal-fifth in our best and fairest award.

Michael Pettigrew
'Petters' had a pretty consistent year, playing 12 games. He played his 100th game for the club, which was a great reward for him. He's a very sound defender, and is rarely beaten in the air or on the ground. Michael needs to improve his ability to make good decisions and execute the ball coming out of defence given the big focus on opposition teams implementing the press.

Simon Phillips
Simon had a tough 2011. He came to the club with a broken jaw, and received another broken jaw at training after he'd just got himself right. He finished the year with a shoulder injury that required surgery. Simon certainly wants to play at AFL level and has a lot of exciting attributes. He's got great speed and defensively he's very good. He generally makes good decisions and kicks some exciting goals for us, so we think he's going to have a big future for us as well.

Jasper Pittard
Jasper made his debut this season and went on to play 13 games. He's all class. He defended pretty well as a young player, and played on some really dangerous forwards. He got a little bit tired during the year and suffered some hamstring injuries, which stopped him playing in the latter part of the season. He has some exciting speed, generally kicks the ball well and makes good decisions. He needs to continue to develop his body, but there are some good signs there for 2012 and beyond.

Jarrad Redden
Jarrad is an exciting ruckman. He played in the opening round of the NAB Cup and showed he was able to compete at this level. He's a beautiful tap ruckman. He's just got to improve his running power and his ability to cover the ground and get to more contests. There's a lot of upside to Jarrad. He's got to have a big pre-season, which he's ready for, and should share the ruck duties with 'Lobbes' in 2012.

David Rodan
It was a pretty consistent year for 'D-Rod', playing through the midfield and also up forward. He had an exciting game against Adelaide in round four, kicking four goals as a defensive forward. He is very dangerous and clean around the stoppages. The forwards love him because he generally uses the ball well out of congestion. He showed this year the defensive side of his game has really improved. There are exciting times ahead for David.

Steven Salopek
Steven started the year slowly because of shoulder surgery and then hurt his knee during the pre-season. He was inconsistent at times and found himself in and out of the team for most of the year. He started to get some good consistent form towards the end of the year, and played a great game against Melbourne at Adelaide Oval in round 24. A good reader of the play, who generally uses the ball well, he should bounce back in 2012.

Nick Salter
'Salts' had a stress fracture in his foot, which limited him to only six games. He's a classy defender and when he did play was rarely beaten. He's a beautiful kick and makes excellent decisions. He's changed his body shape and physically looks a lot more like an AFL player. He's one player we're keeping our fingers crossed can play consistently down in our backline next season.

Jay Schulz
Jay hurt his knee in round one and missed five weeks. Like Chad, he became a real leader in our forward line and made a fantastic contribution to our leadership group. He's very competitive. He hunts the ball in the air and on the ground and likes to set up goals in our forward line. He was second in our contested marking and goalkicking, only kicking two goals less (31) than he did last year despite missing six games.

Daniel Stewart
It was a fairly inconsistent season for Daniel. He was in and out of the side, playing only 12 games. He found it a bit difficult trying to play forward and as that back-up ruckman, but we need to develop him to be able to play both roles. He's a great contested mark, but needs to continue to work on his competitiveness and consistency.

Paul Stewart
Paul started the year pretty well coming off a really good 2010, but was again cut down by a shoulder injury. His ability to close down the opposition team's ball movement is close to the best in our team. He can also win the ball and hit up forwards, and is a very classy and dedicated player. We're looking forward to him having a big 2012.

Jacob Surjan
'Surj' was in and out of the side this season because of inconsistent form. He finished off the year quite well, defending strongly in games. He brings a lot of voice and offers direction. He's competitive and we need him playing at his best.

Matt Thomas
Matty is always going to give you 100 per cent effort. He had a tough task each week, playing on the opposition's bigger and better midfielders, but was always at the bottom of the pack. He loves to chase and tackle. He just needs to be cleaner around stoppage and to get more uncontested ball. We love the way he plays.

Jackson Trengove
It was a great year for Jackson. He developed his ability to defend against some of the best forwards in the competition. He certainly learned a lot throughout the year. Jackson has grown in his leadership and in the direction he wants to take the club moving forward. He was recognised by winning the John Cahill Medal alongside Travis Boak. He's a great leader, a great character and probably a future captain of our football club.

Daniel Webb (rookie)
'Webby' displayed very consistent form for West Adelaide. He developed across the year and improved his contested marking. He is a forward, but can also play in the ruck, which is a good sign for us because we're going to need someone to support 'Lobbes' in that role next season. We feel he's got something to offer us going forward. He just needs to keep developing and working hard to try and get a spot on the senior list.

Justin Westhoff
Justin played 20 games this season. He played some fantastic matches, but was a little bit inconsistent at times. He was forced to play in different positions, including on the wing, in defence, up forward and also in the ruck. He was No.1 in contested marks for us and generally has a lot of shots at goal. He's in that middle-tier of players that we need to take our club forward. He needs to continue to work on his leadership and work rate for 2012.

Matt Westhoff (rookie, delisted)
Matty struggled throughout the year with a hip complaint. He was in and out of rehab and his form at Central District wasn't as good as it has been in previous years. He broke his arm a couple of weeks ago, so it's been a tough couple of years for him. We wish him the best for the future.

Aaron Young
Aaron is exciting. He's really developed physically and his form for North Adelaide at senior and reserves level saw him named as an emergency for the last couple of games of the season. He's a bit of an unknown in terms of his position on the ground. He could possibly play on a wing, or across half-forward. He'll build up a bit more strength and fitness over the pre-season, and could give us more of that outside run and carry we need going forward.

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs