Former teammate backs Brendon Ah Chee to shine at West Coast and says Port Adelaide might regret letting him go

FORMER Port Adelaide utility Paul Stewart has backed wantaway midfielder Brendon Ah Chee to shine at West Coast and warned that the Power might regret letting him go.

Brendon Ah Chee is seeking a trade to West Coast after a lack of opportunities at Port Adelaide. Picture: David Mariuz AAP).

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FORMER Port Adelaide utility Paul Stewart has backed wantaway midfielder Brendon Ah Chee to shine at West Coast and warned that the Power might regret letting him go.

While Stewart says the numbers just didn’t add up for Ah Chee to stay at Port, he believes the 23-year-old, who has played only 27 games in six seasons, has the tools to be a high-quality AFL player.

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“I love Arch as a player and a person,’’ said Stewart, who played alongside Ah Chee at the Power before being delisted after 101 games in 10 seasons at the end of 2016.

“He’s a good kid, a professional, he’s improved his engine every year and he’s got that X-factor about him when he goes forward.

“Him and (triple club champion) Robbie Gray had the best set of hands at the club in my time there and if you are a good clearance player who can go forward and kick goals, like Arch can, you have a lot going for you.

“He’d be a great pick-up by West Coast.’’

Paul Stewart in action for Port Adelaide Magpies. Picture: Stephen Laffer

Brendon Ah Chee stars for Port Magpies in the SANFL Grand Final. Picture: Sarah Reed

Ah Chee, who is from WA, has requested a trade to the Eagles, who believe he can help fill the midfield void left through the retirements of Brownlow Medallists Sam Mitchell and Matt Priddis.

“We see Brendon as an inside mid who can go forward and have some impact,’’ said West Coast list manager Brady Rawlings.

“With Mitchell and Priddis retiring, he probably sees an opportunity to fit into that sort of role for us.

“We could do with another experienced guy through there to complement some of the youth we will bring in through the draft.’’

Port and West Coast met at the opening of trade talks in Melbourne on Monday but have yet to finalise a deal.

The Power is understood to want a late-second or early-third round draft pick for the out-of-contract Ah Chee, who played just five AFL games this year.

The Eagles currently hold picks 13, 30, 48 and 67 at the draft.

“He’s nominated that he’d like to come to our club, so hopefully we can work through something with Port Adelaide to get a deal done there,’’ Rawlings told AFL trade radio.

Stewart said Ah Chee, the Port Adelaide Magpies’ best player in their one-point SANFL grand final loss to Sturt, was unlucky to not get more opportunities at the Power.

“Having Ollie (Wines), Robbie, Brad (Ebert), Trav (Boak), Sam Powell-Pepper this year and then having Sam Gray probably grab his spot this year made it hard for him,’’ Stewart told The Advertiser.

“I’d certainly hate to play on him but it probably gets to a point where you have to let a player go for more opportunity.

“Arch has earned that right but I certainly think he will do very well at West Coast and is a player that Port could eventually look back on and wish it had played him more.’’

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