Joel Garner comes in off long run to become Port Adelaide’s fifth debutant of the season against Gold Coast on Sunday

Teenager Joel Garner has been described as a born leader by Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley and on Sunday will become the club’s fifth AFL debutant of the season.

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PORT Adelaide will blood its fifth AFL debutant for the season on Sunday when 19-year-old Joel Garner who has been described as a born leader plays against Gold Coast.

The Power has made four changes following the Showdown loss by also recalling Zak Butters after a week off, Billy Frampton after nine goals in the past two SANFL games and Joe Atley for his first senior game of the season.

A spot in Port’s defence opened up when Ryan Burton injured his hamstring last week while Willem Drew, Aidyn Johnson and Todd Marshall have been dropped.

Garner was Pick 60 in the 2017 national draft and his debut coincides with last year’s No. 6 selection Ben King for the Suns.

Garner, 184cm and 83kg, played 10 SANFL games last year before season-ending shoulder surgery in June and coach Ken Hinkley said he had worked hard to put his name up for selection.

“He’s a reliable defender who is hard and tough in the contest and everyone loves playing with Joel,” Hinkley said.

“At any stage of his life he’s always been a good leader. Whether that be school, under-18 football, state football, he’s always been one of the people who straight away falls into leadership positions.

Garner was drafted as a midfielder from the Eastern Ranges but has been used in defence by the Magpies at SANFL level this year. Picture: Tom Huntley.

“Joel has had to work really hard to get his position to be now considered an AFL option and I think he’s done really well at that.”

At the other end of the ground Frampton comes in to play just his second AFL game after his debut in Round 23 last year. He kicked 5.0 against Woodville-West Torrens and 4.2 against Central District before last week’s SANFL bye and the Power is crying out for a key forward to find form.

“We’ve probably got eight of our best 10 or 12 players unavailable but we’ll be OK, we’ll get some of them back, and what we’ve seen is we get to produce opportunities for people underneath who have at times struggled for their opportunity,” Hinkley said.

“There is always some good stuff that comes from injuries and we get to see young people play.”

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