AFL round 3 team news: Port Adelaide set to make at least three changes
Tom Cochrane is used to breaking boundaries, but even he didn’t expect his debut – as the first known AFL player with tourettes – to arrive so quickly.
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The son of a former Port Adelaide wingman has made a rapid, inspiring rise to become the Power’s third debutant in three weeks.
Tom Cochrane was overlooked for the state under-18s, never featured at reserves level and was Port’s last pick in the 2024 rookie draft.
But on Thursday night the 19-year-old forward – the son of ex-Power and North Melbourne player Stuart Cochrane – will play against Essendon at Marvel Stadium.
The younger Cochrane has done it while living with Tourette’s syndrome, which causes repeated tics.
He earnt his AFL call-up after booting seven goals in two SANFL trials this past fortnight.
Kyle Jenner, who coached the 183cm talent in Central District’s under-18s last year, was shocked, but chuffed, when he heard news of the debut.
“He really deserves it,” Jenner told this masthead.
“He’s had some difficulties with what he’s going through.
“But he’s a great kid, really polite, really respectful, a bit shy.
“He’s worked really hard and just loves footy.”
Cochrane will become the first AFL player known to have had Tourette’s.
He was diagnosed at the age of nine.
Before then, he did not know why he made involuntary head movements or screamed words.
Other children initially teased him about it.
Medication has helped to reduce his tics, which do not occur when he is playing because he is enjoying what he is doing.
They sometimes emerge in meetings, brought on by inactivity.
“The guys were aware of it, they knew it was going to happen ... they were really comfortable around him,” Jenner said.
“You could tell he would hold it in at stages and might not be listening to what’s going on in a meeting.
“When he was on the footy field, it never happened and it was similar in trainings with us.
“It definitely happened (in meetings) during under-16s but in under-18s we haven’t heard him do it for about 18 months.
“I think because of that comfort factor of being around people he’d played with for four years.”
Central District did not expect Cochrane to get drafted because there did not seem much interest among AFL clubs.
But in November’s rookie draft, Port took a punt at pick 13 on a player who Jenner said “does stuff no one else can”.
Two of Cochrane’s goals against West Adelaide on Saturday fit that description.
They were brilliant, instinctive shots from deep in Alberton Oval’s northeastern pocket.
“He has those things in his game,” Jenner said of Cochrane, who booted a goal and recorded 22 disposals in the Bulldogs’ losing under-18 grand final last season, despite playing with a foot stress fracture.
“He can drop the ball into space for people to take a mark and I’ve seen him take a couple of hangers.
“When you see guys get rookie-drafted, you think it might be a year or two for him to learn the system and structure before debuting.
“But he does have those traits where you go ‘wow’.”
Cochrane’s younger brother, Central District key-position player Dougie, is an early contender to be taken at No.1 in the 2026 national draft.
Stuart featured in 50 matches for North Melbourne from 1998-2002, 54 for the Power from 2003-05 and won two SANFL premierships with Central District.
He became a development coach then academies director at Port Adelaide but left the role after being diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in 2018.
Stuart is still battling the illness.
Power coach Ken Hinkley was proud of the Cochranes, calling the debut a great story.
“Tom’s been able to take on his challenges and fit into an AFL environment in such a short period,” Hinkley said.
Cochrane spoke to his Power teammates about having Tourette’s during his first fortnight at the club.
Hinkley said Tom showed courage.
“Everyone sort of knew where Tommy was at, but to be comfortable enough to tell us very early in his time at Port Adelaide was such a sign for us that he was part of our family, and he’s been part of this family (through Stuart) for a long period of time.”
Cochrane makes it three debutants in three rounds for the Power.
Goalsneak Joe Berry played his first match against Collingwood in round 1, while fellow Victorian draftee Christian Moraes got his chance versus Richmond last Saturday.
LORD UNLIKELY TO REPLACE LUKO AGAINST DONS
Ollie Lord is unlikely to replace Jack Lukosius in Port Adelaide’s attack against Essendon at Marvel Stadium on Thursday night, paving the way for a potential two-ruck line-up.
Lord did not take part in most of Tuesday’s session at Alberton as he recovered from a shoulder injury he sustained in the SANFL last weekend.
With the 23-year-old key forward expected to be unavailable and Lukosius out for at least three months with a fractured kneecap, Jeremy Finlayson, Dante Visentini or Ivan Soldo shaped as the most probable inclusions in attack.
The Power will be forced to make at least three changes with defenders Ryan Burton (hip) and Lachie Jones (adductor) also ruled out.
Finlayson featured in what appeared to be the A team’s backline during match simulation, alongside Esava Ratugolea and recruit Rory Atkins.
Ratugolea and Atkins could come into the side for Burton and Jones.
It would be a Port debut for former Crow and Sun Atkins, who joined the club from Gold Coast as part of the off-season trade for Lukosius.
Atkins and Soldo have been named as emergencies in both the first two rounds.
The Power might also consider rookie forward Tom Cochrane after a pair of strong displays in SANFL trials.
Cochrane – the son of ex-Port Adelaide and North Melbourne wingman Stuart Cochrane – booted four goals against West Adelaide last Saturday following three the previous weekend.
Power half-back Josh Sinn said the string of injuries, which also included losing Brandon Zerk-Thatcher (back) during pre-season, was unlucky.
“But the beauty of our backline is we’ve got a lot of players who can come in and play their role,” Sinn told SEN.
Soldo ended Tuesday’s session by rucking with fellow big man Jordon Sweet to Port’s first-choice midfielders.
Lord had been in line for a potential promotion after being overlooked for the first two matches.
Scans cleared him of an acute injury but a short turnaround and not training with the main group meant he almost certainly would not face the Bombers.
Finlayson would be earning a reprieve a week on from his axing after the team’s 91-point round-1 hiding against Collingwood at the MCG.
That night, the swingman played as a defender to cover Ratugolea and Zerk-Thatcher, whereas he could re-emerge as a forward with Lukosius and Todd Marshall (ruptured achilles) sidelined long-term.
Visentini last featured at AFL level against Fremantle in round 24 year as a tall forward and secondary ruckman with the now-retired Charlie Dixon missing.
Soldo has not played a top-tier match since June.
Power senior assistant Josh Carr talked down the prospect of playing two ruckmen before round 1, but that was before Lukosius went down.
Port will name its team on Wednesday evening.
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