Why Travis Boak must remain at the Power after 2023

Potential doesn’t trump experience, and Port games and finals record holder Travis Boak has experience in spades, but will he go on in 2024? The Power aren’t so sure.

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA – MAY 06: Travis Boak of Port Adelaide celebrates a goal during the round eight AFL match between the Port Adelaide Power and the Western Bulldogs at Adelaide Oval on May 06, 2022 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Mark Brake/Getty Images)

If Travis Boak does not get his Shane Crawford moment and wants to play on, Port Adelaide must re-sign him.

The Power still needs him.

Not only for his leadership, but because the out-of-contract veteran can help the team again contend for an AFL flag.

Boak is understood to be waiting until season’s end to decide his future ahead of what may be his final game, the knockout semi-final against GWS on Saturday night.

Port Adelaide is said to be wanting the 35-year-old to make the call.

Boak deserves the final say as one of the Power’s greatest servants.

On Friday, Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley refused to provide context about the former captain’s future, saying: “They’re decisions that will be talked about later on”.

When pressed if the club wanted Boak to play in 2024, he responded: “They’re list management questions. If they’re the questions that you’ll keep asking, we’ll probably finish (the press conference) and we’ll move on”.

“All the list management stuff will get taken care of by (list manager) Jason Cripps.”

Being seen to be pushing Boak out is like shooting Bambi, especially to Port supporters.

He stuck around when the club was on its knees in 2012 and Geelong was in hot pursuit then, as captain, helped turn the Power around.

Boak’s future remains up in the air. Picture: Tait Schmaal

That call to stay loyal gets spoken about by Port people in a similar reverence to a game-changing goal in a flag win.

List management decisions should not be made on sentimentality, particularly at sides in the premiership window.

But time and again sports teams across the world are too quick to focus on potential over experience.

Boak’s know-how – as the Power’s games record holder (347) and most experienced finals player (14) in 2023 – would have been valuable from the outset on Saturday night.

Instead, he was the substitute for the third time in five matches, coming on during the third quarter at the Gabba as the Lions started kicking away.

Many younger Port teammates lacked composure early.

Connor Rozee, who was the Power’s best against the Lions, pointed out on Tuesday that one of Brisbane’s strengths was “they’re a mature side and have a lot of blokes who have played a heap of finals footy”.

Port fielded the second-youngest team of all finalists last weekend and fourth-least experienced.

With captain Tom Jonas and the club’s most experienced forward Charlie Dixon on the sidelines, Boak could have provided a steadying hand.

And he can again next season, particularly with Jonas retiring.

Boak has gone from star to sub in a short time.

Last year he was runner-up to Connor Rozee in the Power’s best-and-fairest – his fourth consecutive top-two placing.

Rozee and Zak Butters’ emergence as full-time midfielders has squeezed Boak out of the engine room onto a wing.

Boak’s centre-bounce attendances have gone from 74 per cent in 2021 and 61 per cent last year to just 14 per cent in games he plays this season.

Given he has lined up on a wing 67 per cent of the time in 2023, his averages in disposals (26.8 to 15.7), metres gained (337 to 225), clearances (5.9 to 1.8) and score involvements (6.3 to 3.9) have unsurprisingly declined from 2022 to this year, per 100 minutes.

Boak’s form seems to have fallen away since returning from a two-game absence with a rib injury in rounds 11 and 12.

But he can still be a starting wingman next year and pinch-hit in the midfield, where he plays his best footy and should spend more time.

Who is he keeping out?

Only Xavier Duursma (15 matches) and Riley Bonner (11) have spent a higher percentage of their game time on a wing than Boak this year and neither have set the world on fire.

Miles Bergman has been used mostly in defence in Jonas’s absence.

The veteran has struggled to stay in the Power’s best team. (Photo by James Elsby/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Quinton Narkle, Jackson Mead and Jase Burgoyne cannot get regular AFL spots.

Port has high hopes for 2021 first-round pick Josh Sinn but he has been injury-prone.

Boak and Port would be mindful of avoiding the Jonas scenario of playing SANFL for large chunks of next season.

Jonas has handled it with aplomb but there is an awkwardness seeing a club great running around in the state league.

What happened to another surf-loving SA-based veteran, Adelaide’s Rory Sloane, would give Boak encouragement.

The 33-year-old Crow defied doubters coming off an ACL to play 22 games and earn a new one-year deal.

Boak could make a similar contribution.

For him and the Power, the ideal scenario is a Crawford style farewell next month after a flag in what will be Boak’s 350th game.

Boak is back in the 22 against the Giants.

With the season on the line and the pressure ramped up, experience is worth diamonds and teams need players they can depend on in big moments.

Boak has delivered so often for Port and he deserves to go out on his terms, whether that is this year or next.

Originally published as Why Travis Boak must remain at the Power after 2023