Port Adelaide’s coaching reshuffle continues with mass changes ahead of 2026

The Power’s coaching panel is set for a very fresh look in 2026 with the club announcing another two additions including an ex-Sun, while a rival club has poached a development coach.

Port Adelaide has added a coach who Josh Carr worked with at North Adelaide to his panel for his first season in charge of the Power.

And the Power has swooped on a recently retired Gold Coast player to work with its Next Generation Academy, as a development coach has been poached by Hawthorn.

The Power announced on Tuesday that Roosters premiership player Mitch Clisby will join the club as a development coach.

Clisby has been working as North Adelaide’s talent manager and under 18s coach for the past two years, and has also served as an assistant coach in its league program.

He made eight AFL appearances for Melbourne in 2013 and at the Roosters won a SANFL premiership under Carr and alongside captain Connor Rozee.

He is joined at Alberton by recently retired Sun Sean Lemmens, who will take up a hybrid role across the Power’s football and community programs.

Mitch Clisby (c) has joined Port Adelaide. Picture: Kelly Barnes

Sean Lemmens is also on his way to Alberton. Picture: Getty Images

This will encompass work across the club’s Next Generation Academy, father-son and daughter program and futures academies.

The 30-year-old, who played 149 games for the Suns, will also support player development, connect with talent pathways and strengthen the club’s community impact through work with Power Community Ltd.

The two arrivals come as development coach Jason Williams departing to take up a position at Hawthorn.

Jason Williams has been poached by Hawthorn. Picture: AFL Photos

Clisby will fill that role as the Power also look at how it will replace Tyson Goldsack in Carr’s coaching panel after he returned to Collingwood.

Port Adelaide chief executive Matthew Richardson said the Power was pleased with the additions.

“We are very pleased to have Sean and Mitch join the club,” he said.

“Sean brings a unique set of experiences as an AFL player, with a passion for community programs. Sean’s history at Port Adelaide, being the last player to come through our traditional pathway into the AFL also gives him a great sense of connection to the club and what we are looking to replicate in a future context through our expanded academy programs.

“Mitch’s coaching experience and teaching background will complement our coaching group well.

“He won a SANFL premiership under our senior coach Josh Carr and alongside our captain Connor Rozee, so he already has some great relationships in place. He also brings an important development focus to our program.”

“We also wish Jason all the best with his future and thank him for his two years of service to Port Adelaide.”

The Power are also on the lookout for a new footy boss and have a recruiting firm looking nationwide for candidates.

EX-PLAYER TO STEP UP AS PORT HUNT NEW SANFL COACH

Port Adelaide is set to promote former player Hamish Hartlett to an assistant coaching position, meaning the club will likely need to find a new SANFL coach.

The Power have been forced into a reshuffle of the panel underneath first-year senior coach Josh Carr after Tyson Goldsack was lured back to Collingwood last week.

Goldsack was earmarked to be the Power’s forwards coach and take care of its ball movement after spending the last couple of years in charge of the defence.

The Power had also added former Gold Coast senior coach Stuart Dew as its midfield coach and senior assistant, Luke Webster from West Coast to head-up the backline, Glenelg two-time SANFL premiership winning coach Darren Reeves for contest and opposition analysis and Hawthorn’s Andy Collins as director of coaching.

Hamish Hartlett is set for a promotion. Picture: Dean Martin

But with Power coaches to report at Alberton next week, Port will have to pivot from its original plan.

This is set to involve Hartlett, who has been Port’s SANFL coach for the last two years, stepping up to an assistant coaching role.

But this is dependent on how Carr decides to complete his coaching panel.

The former Power vice-captain, who played 193 games, joined the club’s men’s program coaching staff in 2023 as a development coach after a year at junior club West Adelaide following his AFL career ending.

In 2022 he was also an assistant for the AFLW team.

It would mean the Power would be on the hunt for a SANFL coach, and it is unsure whether any successor to Hartlett will be formalised when coaches return to Alberton next week.

Originally published as Port Adelaide’s coaching reshuffle continues with mass changes ahead of 2026