After re-signing star young guns, Port Adelaide turns its attention to its blossoming ruck stocks
With its star kids tucked away, Port Adelaide now faces some tough decisions with its blossoming ruck stocks.
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Port Adelaide has declared it wants to keep its plethora of unsigned ruckmen but concedes “some of those decisions will be taken out of our hands’’.
After signing star young guns, last year’s first-round draft picks Connor Rozee, Zak Butters and Xavier Duursma, to two-year contract extensions, along with promising defender Joel Garner and injured midfielder/forward Jake Patmore, the Power will turn its attention to trying to striking new deals with veteran All-Australian Paddy Ryder and youngsters Peter Ladhams, Sam Hayes and Billy Frampton, who are all attracting attention from rivals.
With West Coast premiership ruckman Scott Lycett taking over the No. 1 ruck duties in his first year at Port and starring, former Bomber Ryder, 31, has been dropped to the SANFL and Ladhams, 21, Hayes, 20, and Frampton, 22, who also can play as a key forward, are stuck in the SANFL.
All bar Hayes fall out of contract at the end of the season and have AFL suitors.
“That is something that we’ve got to manage into the future,’’ Davies said.
“We're happy with our ruck depth at the moment and don’t think we’ve got too many. We think five is the right number.
“We’re happy with their development and thinking all have been given good opportunities at AFL or SANFL level.
“But there comes a time in every player's career where he needs to look at what he wants to achieve and whether he’s willing to be in an SANFL team or wants to play at AFL level.
“We understand that players have an opportunity to make whatever decision they want.’’
Davies said the form of Lycett, former Hawk Ryan Burton and the club’s three 2018 first-round draft picks had vindicated the club’s decision to make tough personnel decisions at the end of last season and reshape the playing list.
The Power invested in three first-round draft selections to claim Rozee (pick 5), Butters (12) and Duursma (18), while signing Lycett as a restricted free agent and trading for 2017 Rising Star runner-up Burton from Hawthorn in a swap for dual All-Australian Chad Wingard.
Jared Polec and Jasper Pittard (North Melbourne) and Jack Hombsch (Gold Coast) were other key outs.
“Ultimately time will tell with that but we brought Lycett in for a specific reason, to have additional ruck depth in our team, and he’s played some really good footy so far this year, so we’ve been rapt with his input,’’ Davies said.
“Burton was someone we had shown interest in over time and we're pleased that he came to the club and those three (first-round picks) have certainly bought a significant amount of energy to the group, which has been fantastic.’’
Davies said while the club had rated Rozee, Butters and Duursma very highly, the trio had “exceeded’’ expectations in their first season.
Croweater Rozee, 19, has played in all 15 of the Power’s matches this year, kicking 20 goals and averaging 15 disposals.
He is a strong contender for the Rising Star award.
Teenage Victorians Butters, 18, and Duursma, 19, have averaged 15 and 19 disposals respectively.
Duursma — the round six AFL Rising Star nominee — has played all 15 games and Butters has missed just one game, against Adelaide in round eight.
They have all signed two-year contract extensions, tying them to Port until the end of 2022.
“We brought them into the club thinking they would play some (AFL) footy this year but there’s no doubt that all of those guys have exceeded our expectations to this point,’’ Davies said.
“We’re rapt with their input this year and they have shown they have the ability to have long careers in the AFL.’’
Garner, 20, has also signed for two more years, keeping him at the club until the end of 2021.
Patmore, 20, who has not played a game this season after rupturing an anterior cruciate ligament in the pre-season and undergoing a knee reconstruction, has signed for another year.