Port Adelaide news: Why Ken Hinkley is predicting a big impact from new recruit Esava Ratugolea

Port Adelaide wanted to bring Esava Ratugolea to Alberton for two years. Now he is at the club, Power senior coach Ken Hinkley is predicting him to have a huge impact on his side’s defence.

Port Adelaide senior coach Ken Hinkley has predicted new recruit Esava Ratugolea will be “massive” for the Power this season as the key defender continues to grow in confidence at Alberton.

The Power were finally able to lure Ratugolea to South Australia after tracking him for two years while he was at Geelong, and trying to bring him to the club in 2022.

The 25-year-old is set to partner Aliir Aliir down back with his 197cm frame giving the Power some height it has in defence in recent years.

Defence was a key area the Power identified to improve after Hinkley’s side was ranked 12th for scores against in 2023.

Hinkley is excited about Ratugolea Picture: Keryn Stevens

Throughout Hinkley’s time at Alberton, the Power have been defensively solid.

“There is no doubt that everyone outside and inside the football club identified that we had a couple of areas of concern and we had some players that were coming to the end,” he said at Port Adelaide’s Annual General Meeting.

Along with Ratugolea, the Power also brought in key defender Brandon Zerk-Thatcher and rucks Ivan Soldo and Jordon Sweet for 2024.

Hinkley predicted Ratugolea to have a big impact at the Power and backed him to finally get a consistent run as a key defender at AFL level.

“He is an infectious person … he is that person who everyone really likes,” Hinkley said.

“He is actually growing in confidence in his time with us … he tends to spend his time second-guessing himself a bit.

“He hasn’t quite established himself in AFL football so I think he is looking forward for that opportunity to really establish his own identity as a key back.

“He will be massive for us, him and Aliir together are going to be pretty hard for the opposition to get back.”

Ratugolea couldn’t get a consistent spot in Geelong’s backline Picture: Mark Stewart

Hinkley also said he was enjoying the ruck battle between Soldo, Sweet and young gun Dante Visentini with the Power still to decide whether it goes with one or two of them in matches.

“Ivan and Jordon, both have sat on the fringe, Jordon has sat behind Tim English the All-Australian ruckman and was an emergency I think over 20 times for the season,” he said.

“Ivan Soldo obviously sat behind Nankervis at Richmond who is their captain. So they are busting to be the number one ruckman and we also have Dante Visentini.

“So I think we have really got ourselves in a really healthy position with ruckmen which is something we haven’t had for the last couple of years.

“It will be interesting to see the battle, I have been enjoying the battle that is going on at the moment in training.

“Out of the three rucks who is winning? Do we play two or one rucks? Those are the things that we will adjust when the competition comes around.”