NewsBite

Port Adelaide draft preview: What the Power need, who’s in the mix and how the night might unfold

Port Adelaide is going back to the future with a Mead, Burgoyne and potentially a Pickett set to join the club. Who else could join them at Alberton next year? See who’s in the mix.

Charlie Dixon raring to go for 2020

Geoff Parker admits the Pickett name would sit pretty comfortably at Alberton.

“We wouldn’t mind having that name here again,’’ Port Adelaide’s national recruiting manager said of South Australian excitement machine Kysaiah Pickett.

“He’s a very talented player and has a little bit of Byron (Pickett) in him.

“He’s not quite as big as Byron but he still hits just as hard and he’s probably got a bit more speed.

“Wherever he ends up, the club is going to be pretty happy, I would have thought. Who knows if that is with us?’’

Stream over 50 sports Live & On-Demand with KAYO SPORTS on your TV, computer, mobile or tablet. Just $25/month, no lock-in contract. Get your 14-day free trial and start streaming instantly >

The nephew of the Power’s 2004 Norm Smith Medallist Byron Pickett, small forward/midfielder Kysaiah has surged up draft boards and is on Port’s radar with its three first-round selections – 12, 16 and 18.

But will Melbourne (pick 10) or the Western Bulldogs (13) crash the Power party?

Both clubs have been strongly linked to game-breaker Pickett, who is almost certain to be a first-round selection after being invited to the opening round of the draft at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium on Wednesday night.

Could Kysaiah Pickett make his way to Alberton on AFL Draft night? Picture: Tom Huntley.
Could Kysaiah Pickett make his way to Alberton on AFL Draft night? Picture: Tom Huntley.

A super talent who has come through SANFL club Woodville-West Torrens’ junior ranks, Kysaiah is a human highlight reel who can take a high-flying mark with his athleticism and skill and split opponents open with his brute strength.

He admits he likes to hurt people with his physical approach to the game and is one of the draft’s most intriguing stories because of his explosiveness and relationship to Power hero Byron.

But where does he fit in the draft pecking order?

“That’s hard to work out,’’ Parker told The Lowdown AFL Draft Podcast.

“We were hoping he might slip out a bit further but won’t now that he’s been invited to the draft.

“So it’s a matter of whether he is still there when we have a pick or if he sits in with what we want.’’

The Power, which has nominated star teenage midfielder Jackson Mead (the son of inaugural club champion Darren Mead) and speedy midfielder Trent Burgoyne (son of 2004 premiership star Peter Burgoyne) as father-son selections, will not publicly show it’s draft hand.

Port Adelaide nominated Trent Burgoyne, son of Peter, as a father-son selection ahead of this year’s draft. Picture: AAP Image/Sam Wundke.
Port Adelaide nominated Trent Burgoyne, son of Peter, as a father-son selection ahead of this year’s draft. Picture: AAP Image/Sam Wundke.

But a second Pickett at Alberton would be a promotional dream.

For the second consecutive year, Port will have three first-round picks after trading Dougal Howard and Paddy Ryder to St Kilda and next year’s first-rounder to Brisbane.

Last year it hit the jackpot with Rising Star runner-up Connor Rozee (No. 5), Zak Butters (12) and Xavier Duursma (18).

Parker concedes this year’s top 20 isn’t as strong on paper as last year’s but he is confident of coming away with three players who can prove to be difference makers.

“Whether they get to last year’s level we don’t know but it gives us a chance to get some really talented kids again,’’ he said.

MORE NEWS

Draft preview: What the Crows need and who’s in the mix

Dees say Pickett’s a perfect 10

Could Port Adelaide land another Burgoyne?

Parker, who hopes to land Mead – dubbed “The Professional’’ because of his approach to the game – with his fourth pick by matching a bid that is expected to come in the second round.

After missing the finals in the past two years and featuring in September only once since 2014 (seventh in 2017), Parker said Port had followed the lead of Geelong (2001-02) and Hawthorn (2004-05) in trying to build a premiership list through the pointy end of the draft.

“We’ve done some study on teams that have been successful and won premierships and they’ve (often) had two or three drafts close together where they have got some really talented kids,’’ he said.

“So we’re hoping we can get another three players like we did last year, that they can grow together and take the club forward.’’

DRAFT HAND

12, 16, 18, 52, 55, 66, 67, 68, 72, 86

WHAT THEY NEED

Recruiting guru Gary Buckenara has put a small forward at the top of Port’s hit-list after allowing Sam Gray (Sydney) to leave, delisting the untried Boyd Woodcock, with plans to move Rozee into the midfield and having star Robbie Gray turn 32 in March.

But he says the Power’s list is balanced and that there “isn’t really a standout need’’, allowing its recruiters to take a “best available’’ mentality into the draft.

Parker said Port’s focus would “probably be in the middle and forward of the ball’’.

“I think our back eight are pretty settled,’’ he said.

“With picks 12, 16 and 18 we’ll be about a mix of players because you can’t just get the same type of player. You have to make sure they help the list totally.

“What we do with our first pick will affect what we do with our next two picks because we need to get that mix right.’’

After surprisingly dumping Woodcock and developing key defender Riley Grundy

just one year in to two-year deals to keep late draft picks which could be used to match a bid (on points) for Mead, the Power has vowed to redraft the pair as rookies.

“They will be at our club next year,’’ Parker said.

THE TARGETS

Dylan Stephens

Norwood/South Australia

Midfielder, 183cm, 74kg

Dylan Stephens could slip to Port Adelaide at pick 12. Picture: Michael Klein.
Dylan Stephens could slip to Port Adelaide at pick 12. Picture: Michael Klein.

If the Redlegs running machine somehow slips to pick 12 – or Port jumps up the draft order – the Josh Kelly clone would be a perfect fit for a club that needs midfield speed and elite kicking skills.

“You can never have enough good kicking midfielders,’’ Parker said.

“That’s probably been identified in the media, that our efficiency rate, whether it’s decision making or skill level, probably hasn’t been as good as some other clubs.

“We think we addressed that a bit last year with Rozee, Butters and Duursma and hopefully we can address it further in this year’s draft.’’

Cody Weightman

Dandenong Stingrays/Vic Country

Small forward, 178cm, 75kg

Brilliant forward in the mould of Collingwood’s Jamie Elliott.

Marking is a strength but he is also good at ground level and he is a deadeye dick around goal.

Was the leading goalkicker at the national under-18 championships with nine from four games.

“He’s a similar player to Jamie (Elliott) and had a great season, being an All-Australian (under-18),’’ said Parker.

“The fact he’s been invited to the opening night of the draft suggests he’ll go reasonably high.’’

Will Day

West Adelaide/South Australia

Medium defender, 189cm, 76kg

The cousin of Gold Coast’s Sam Day and grandson of 1971 Hawthorn premiership player and West Adelaide star Robert Day, Will is lightly-built and will take time to develop.

But he uses the ball superbly coming out of defence and has great upside.

Day is unlikely to play much AFL in his first season because of his light frame and the fact that he hasn’t played a lot of club football due to college commitments but he is a natural, smart footballer.

“Will’s still pretty skinny and has some physical developing to do but with his baseball background and lack of exposure to SANFL footy so far, we think he’s got a lot of upside,’’ said Parker.

Kysaiah Pickett

Woodville-West Torrens/South Australia

Small forward/midfielder, 171cm, 71kg

Nephew of Port’s 2004 Norm Smith Medallist would prove a special fit at the Power – for his name and what he would bring to the team.

Trent Bianco

Oakleigh Chargers/Vic Metro

Midfielder/defender, 178cm, 73kg

Trent Bianco has been compared to Collingwood’s Steele Sidebottom. Picture: Kelly Defina/Getty Images.
Trent Bianco has been compared to Collingwood’s Steele Sidebottom. Picture: Kelly Defina/Getty Images.

A superb kick on both sides of his body, Bianco captained the Chargers to the NAB League premiership and starred on grand final day with 29 disposals and 10 marks.

Has been compared to Collingwood running machine Steele Sidebottom.

Would add class and composure to the Power line-up.

Jackson Mead

Woodville-West Torrens/South Australia

Midfielder, 184cm, 83kg

Port is expected to secure Mead as a father-son selection, would find it hard to turn down Vic Metro key defender/forward Fischer McAsey – linked to Adelaide at pick six – if he falls to one of its selections and also is understood to rank another Victorian key utility, Josh Worrell, and SA under-18 captain Will Gould highly.

WORTH THE PUNT

Port is taking a serious look at Glenelg Magarey Medallist Luke Partington, most likely as a rookie.

LIVE TRADING HYPOTHETICAL

Packaging up two first-round picks to move into the top 10 to take one of the draft’s “elite’’ players.

Parker said list manager Jason Cripps had made calls to clubs armed with top-10 selections to see if they would consider moving back down the draft.

Add your comment to this story

To join the conversation, please Don't have an account? Register

Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout

Original URL: https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/afl/port-adelaide-draft-preview-what-the-power-need-whos-in-the-mix-and-how-the-night-might-unfold/news-story/7531044b994bbf314a3acb606b70e13a