Port Adelaide rules out major draft play for star SA teenagers Jack Lukosius and Izak Rankine
PORT Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley has virtually ruled out making a bold draft play to land one of South Australia’s gun teenagers, Jack Lukosius or Izak Rankine, despite conceding re-signing star wingman Jared Polec is a longshot.
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PORT Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley has virtually ruled out making a bold draft play to land one of South Australia’s gun teenagers, Jack Lukosius or Izak Rankine, despite conceding re-signing star wingman Jared Polec is a longshot.
With Polec almost certain to accept a five-year deal with North Melbourne worth about $3.5 million, the Power could be armed with a treasure chest of picks to try to move up this year’s draft order to select either Lukosius or Rankine.
The ace pair’s draft stock gained more momentum on Tuesday night when they led Henley High School to an upset triumph against prestigious Prince Alfred College and its first All Schools Open Knockout Cup since 1980.
Port, which will fight to keep its slim finals hopes alive in the final home-and-away series against Essendon at Adelaide Oval on Friday night, will have a strong hand at November’s draft.
It already has — on current ladder positions and before any priority picks are granted — selections 10, 21 (St Kilda’s pick), 28, 45 (from the Kangaroos) and 46.
The Power also could claim the No. 9 selection from North Melbourne in a deal for Polec, who Hinkley says his club hasn’t conceded losing but notes “every player who at this stage of the year who isn’t signed up does cause concern’’.
“The odds suggest one thing with people who are unsigned,’’ he said.
Hinkley described Woodville-West Torrens tall utility Lukosius and West Adelaide explosive forward/midfielder Rankine as “very, very talented players’’ but said he would prefer to spread the draft load at Port rather than throw all of its eggs into one basket.
“They look out of the marketplace for sides like ourselves or Adelaide to be fair, unless you are prepared to perhaps do a little bit of crazy dealing and give away two or three picks to get one, knowing there is some risk in that,’’ Hinkley told Sportsday SA.
“They both look like highly talented players, they are both probably going to go in the top two or three picks in the draft.
“To me, that would suggest that we won’t be able to get them at this stage. If they slip down the market order and they give us a pick at them we’ll take them because they are very, very talented players.
“But I think you’ve got to be really careful if you are going to parcel up two high picks to try to get one pick and think that’s going to be the saviour.
“I’m a bit more on the numbers. Give us a few (picks and players), instead of one, and we might be better.’’
Hinkley has identified recruiting a classy midfielder/forward as a priority in the off-season but said ninth-placed Port will fully review its list and draft and trade strategies when its season ends.
He stressed the club’s immediate focus is on defeating the Bombers to stay in the finals hunt.
Beat Essendon and have Gold Coast pull off one of the greatest upsets in VFL-AFL history at Geelong on Saturday and the Power will make the finals for the second consecutive year.
“Let’s not die wondering, let’s have a crack on Friday night and see where it takes us,’’ Hinkley said.
andrew.capel@news.com.au