From the backline: How Port Adelaide might line up in 2014

PORT Adelaide has recruited with a specific deficiency in mind: speed, securing five players with pace to burn.

Captain Travis Boak will again be a key to Port Adelaide's hopes in 2014. Picture: Sarah Reed

ANDREW Capel goes deep inside the Port Adelaide footy club to predict how the Power's best line up could look next year.

PORT ADELAIDE

IN

Matthew White (Richmond), 26, midfielder

Jared Polec (Brisbane), 21, midfielder

Jarman Impey (Murray Bushrangers), 18, utility

Mitch Harvey (North Adelaide), 18, key forward

Darcy Byrne-Jones (Oakleigh Chargers), 18, defender

Karl Amon (Sandringham Dragons), 18, defender

OUT

Matt Thomas (Richmond)

Brett Ebert (retired)

Nick Salter (delisted)

Daniel Stewart (delisted)

Nathan Blee (delisted)

HAVE WE GOT THE BEST 22 RIGHT? WILL PORT PLAY FINALS AGAIN IN 2014? LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW

COACHES

Ken Hinkley (senior coach)

Phil Walsh (midfield manager)

Josh Carr (midfield coach)

Matthew Nicks (defence coach)

Tyson Edwards (forwards coach)

ST KILDA'S BEST 22

SYDNEY SWANS BEST 22

BEST 22

B: Jasper Pittard (22, 31 games), Alipate Carlile (26, 133 games), Tom Jonas (22, 34 games)

HB: Matthew Broadbent (23, 79 games), Jackson Trengove (23, 78 games), Dom Cassisi (31, 215 games)

C: Brad Ebert (23, 122 games), Travis Boak (25, 131 games), Kane Cornes (30, 268 games)

HF: Chad Wingard (20, 43 games), Justin Westhoff (27, 134 games), Andrew Moore (22, 41 games)

F: Angus Monfries (26, 174 games), Jay Schulz (28, 142 games), Robbie Gray (25, 90 games)

RUCKS: Matthew Lobbe (24, 43 games), Ollie Wines (19, 24 games), Hamish Hartlett (23, 68 games)

INTER: Jared Polec (21, 16 games), Matthew White (26, 105 games), Cameron O'Shea (21, 46 games), Aaron Young (21, 17 games)

BIGGEST AFL BRAIN FADES OF 2013

HOW WILL PORT PLAY?

With more speed. Port pinpointed the "need for speed'' in the off-season, securing five players with pace to burn.

The lightning-quick Matthew White (from Richmond) and Jared Polec (Brisbane) are expected to be in the club's best 22 while teenage draft pick-ups Jarman Impey, Darcy Byrne-Jones and Karl Amon have been recruited with a fast future in mind.

The talented Impey could make an instant impact next season.

"We've got a lot quicker, a lot more explosive,'' football operations manager Peter Rohde said. "We played more of a combative style of football last season and we wanted to add some speed to our team to cover both the attacking and defensive side of our game.

"We think we've done that and we look forward to seeing what these players can do.''

The midfield should be a strength for Port with White and Polec adding to an already quality group of ball-winners.

News_Image_File: High-profile recruit Jared Polec joins Port training.

READY TO FLY

Matthew Lobbe. The once injury-prone ruckman - a first-round draft pick in 2007 - nearly doubled his games tally last season and is now poised to become one of the premier big men in the competition.

Lobbe has enjoyed his best pre-season, stacking on muscle while running elite times for a big man. Teammate Jasper Pittard says Lobbe is "fast becoming a man mountain".

News_Rich_Media: Adelaide's AFL stars Taylor Walker and Travis Boak are happy for different reasons at their respective clubs. Walker is making strong progress on recovery from a long-term knee injury while Boak re-signs with Power for another 4 years.