Port Adelaide news: Jason Horne-Francis keen to join Port Adelaide leadership group

Jason Horne-Francis is enjoying his most consistent season with Port Adelaide yet. He touches on his leadership ambitions and the Power’s midfield group.

He may be just in his third season, but Port Adelaide young gun Jason Horne-Francis is chomping at the bit to join the Power’s leadership group.

The former No. 1 draft pick is in the midst of his best and most consistent season of his fledging career so far, on the back of a strong, injury free, pre-season.

“I think I’m starting to get some consistency which is really pleasing,” he said.

“That is the main thing, you want consistency, you don’t want to just be a highlight reel and I think maybe in previous years I have been so it is really pleasing to play some consistent footy.”

Jason Horne-Francis is in fine form. Picture: Getty Images

Already touted as a future leader at Alberton, since he returned to South Australia in a highly publicised trade from North Melbourne the 21-year-old said he would love to join the Power’s leadership group.

“Yeah I feel like I am a natural leader and I want to lead by example whenever I can,” he said.

“And even if that is not in the leadership group, whenever I can lead by example and help the young boys out I am always trying to.

“I’m sure when the moment is right I guess Ken (Hinkley) will ask me but at the moment I am waiting and whenever I am called upon I will be ready.”

The Power changed its leadership group make-up going into 2024 with Connor Rozee replacing the now retired Tom Jonas as captain, with Zak Butters as his vice-captain along with Willem Drew, Sam Powell-Pepper and Dan Houston being elevated into it.

But rival clubs are expecting Melbourne to make a move for Houston come the end of the season.

Horne-Francis will surely be in Port’s leadership group in the near future. Picture: Getty Images

While he has largely had a stellar 2024, there have been moments where Horne-Francis has conceded he still has much to learn.

He gave away multiple free-kicks after Gold Coast players got under his skin in the Power’s loss to the Suns last month.

He said being able to get on top of situations like this was something he was working on.

“I’m working on my mindset stuff and in game when things aren’t going well that is probably the main thing I am working on,” he said.

“It is just trying to talk to as many people as I can during the week, the leadership group about what I need in that moment

it has been really good for them to reach out this year.”

While there have been question marks around Port Adelaide for most of this year, the Power are in third with three games to go and basking in the glow of its demolition of the ladder-leading Sydney last time out.

This followed on from defeating Carlton at Marvel Stadium the previous week.

Chief in this red-hot run of form by the Power recently has been the work of Port’s midfielders’ around stoppages.

Port Adelaide are on the charge. Picture: Getty Images

The last six weeks has been the Power’s best return since 2017 for points scored from clearance differential over such a period.

From rounds 16 to 21 the Power’s 31 per cent is the best clearance to score percentage, as is its 17 per cent for clearance to score against percentage.

Its clearance differential of +5.7 is ranked third in the competition.

Horne-Francis said the midfield group had worked hard on this.

“The focus has been getting back to our DNA, which is just hunting the oppo if we don’t get the ball and if we do get the ball then playing our offensive way,” he said.

“I think we have gotten back to this over the past couple of weeks, just getting our pressure up.

“As a midfield group if our pressure is up then the rest of the teams will be as well.

“When all of us are in there up and about we have so many people who compliment each other.”