Track watch: All the latest from Alberton as Port Adelaide pre-season training begins

There were plenty of fresh faces at Alberton on Monday as Port Adelaide’s pre-season training kicked off – and one has received some pretty high praise from a Power young gun.

Young Power gun Jase Burgoyne says he expects to remain on a wing in 2025 despite a matchwinning performance in defence last September.

Port Adelaide has a Dan Houston-sized hole to fill in its back line after the All Australian defected for Collingwood in the trade period.

With Houston suspended for the finals campaign, Burgoyne was swung into defence and dominated against Hawthorn with a 25 disposal, nine mark, two tackle and one goal game in the semi final.

Despite the dominant performance, Burgoyne said he was eager to stay on the wing for Ken Hinkley’s side.

Jase Burgoyne and Power youngsters on the move at Power training.

“We haven’t really spoken too much in depth,” he said.

“I guess they will use me wherever they think I should be.

“I was pretty happy on the wing, spent most of the year there but went back in finals and I was pretty comfortable there as well.

“I’m pretty settled on the wing, we have such a good defence group and guys like Josh Sinn, Logan Evans coming through, Dylan Williams and Kane Farrell.

“We have so many options back there.”

Burgoyne was among the Power players who were at Alberton on Monday as Port kicked off pre-season.

While it was for one to four year players, the Power had new recruits Jack Lukosius, Joe Richards and Rory Atkins joining vice-captain Zak Butters on the track.

“It just sets a good example for the younger boys to work hard,” Burgoyne said.

“Everyone knows he (Butters) is such a competitor and he was chomping at the bit to come back and he was as intense and as competitive as ever and he is pushing us all.”

Power one to four-year players returned to Alberton today.

Also training with the Power are North Melbourne’s VFL captain Jack Watkins and Burgoyne’s younger brother Rome – who was not picked up by Port as a father-son in last week’s draft.

Burgoyne said training with the Power over pre-season in the hope of getting a spot on its list would be good for Rome.

“He got overlooked in the draft but Port have given him a pretty good opportunity to train here in the pre-season,” he said.

“He has been living with me for the past 10 weeks now, I have taken him under my wing and taken running and to the gym so he is in pretty good shape and it is going to be a really good experience for him doing a pre-season with us.”

Watkins is good friends with Butters and Burgoyne said there were similarities.

“He is like ‘Buttsy’ to be honest, he just runs and runs and is so competitive and he looks in pretty good shape,” he said.

“So he looks like he is going to be pretty hard to hold back from that spot.”