Port Adelaide considering rookie listing Tyson Goldsack for AFL insurance and SANFL experience

Port Adelaide is set to consider drafting a premiership Magpie to the club’s rookie list, as they look to boost the experience in their SANFL team.

Port Adelaide is considering rookie listing development coach and Collingwood premiership player Tyson Goldsack this week in a move to provide its young SANFL team with much-needed experience.

In what would be a shock AFL career resurrection, Goldsack has nominated for Wednesday’s national draft and Thursday’s rookie and pre-season drafts at the age of 33 - two years after he last played for Collingwood.

He is among a host of mature-age state league players the Power is looking at to potentially fill one of its rookie spots for next season alongside current rookies Boyd Woodcock, Trent Burgoyne and Jake Pasini.

Watch the 2020 AFL Draft Live on Fox Footy on Kayo. New to Kayo? Get your free trial now & start streaming instantly >

Tyson Goldsack’s last AFL game was the 2018 grand final. Picture: Daniel Carson (Getty).

Port Adelaide has two primary and three rookie list spots still available on its list going into this week’s draft where its priority is securing next generation academy star Lachie Jones while it has also nominated father/son prospect Taj Schofield.

Goldsack retired in 2019 after 165 games in 12 years at Collingwood, including the 2010 premiership. His last AFL game was the heartbreaking grand final loss to West Coast.

“I gave it one more year but football’s grim reaper got me,” Goldsack said when he retired in 2019.

Goldsack made a miracle return from a knee reconstruction in 2018 and it’s understood Port Adelaide has no concerns over the durability of his body.

He initially signed on to captain Port Adelaide’s SANFL team in 2020 with a view to being considered in the mid-season draft, but none of that ever happened because of COVID-19.

When the Magpies’ SANFL season was scrapped, Goldsack began working with Brett Montgomery and the Power’s backline and got involved in training.

Goldsack has a laugh with the Power players during their pre-season camp at Maroochydore. Picture: Sarah Reed.

“He hasn’t lost it at all, I think he potentially even played on the weekend against the Crows in that trial game so he’s been really good for us and another breath of fresh air into the group,” Power midfielder Tom Rockliff said during the season.

If the Power selects him as a rookie, he would be more than handy AFL insurance given his flexibility allows him to play forward or back, and he may take on a similar leadership role to Shaun Burgoyne who is still playing at 38 at Hawthorn and Luke Hodge who played until he was 35 at Brisbane.

But his primary role would be to provide valuable experience and leadership for the Magpies in the SANFL given the influx of young draftees at Alberton in the last few years.

The list will be even younger next year following the retirement of Justin Westhoff, Brad Ebert and Jack Watts.

SANFL rules restrict Port Adelaide and Adelaide to just one ‘marquee’ signing next year and their top-up players must not have been on an AFL list for the past two seasons.

Port Adelaide on Saturday announced that Cameron Sutcliffe would fill its marquee spot with the Maggies in 2021 after he was delisted by the Power.

Goldsack initially signed at Port Adelaide as its SANFL captain but never got to play a game in 2020 because of COVID-19 cancelling the Magpies’ season. Picture: Mike Burton (AAP).

Goldsack quickly established himself as a highly respected and popular figure at Alberton this year after moving to Adelaide where his wife is from.

After it emerged that Goldsack was behind the drum which Hamish Hartlett used to lead the Power’s team song in the rooms this season, senior coach Ken Hinkley said:

“You’ve got to know Goldy to understand strange,” Hinkley said.

“You’ve just got to know the man, that’s what he is, he’s a great man but ... strange.

“He brings a lot of experience from a successful club and he knows those moments when you’re looking for a bit more and he’s brought some things to our team during the week that go unseen.”

Goldsack was initially drafted by Collingwood as a 19-year-old with Pick 63 in 2006 - the same year Travis Boak and Robbie Gray were drafted to the Power.

According to two of his former Collingwood teammates Jarryd Blair and Travis Cloke, Goldsack is considered loyal, caring and “authentic" which are traits that would appeal to the Power which has been big on building connection among its team in recent seasons.

“My favourite part about the bloke is he’s genuine, he cares and it’s on his radar to check in and follow up what other people are going through,” Blair told The Advertiser in September.

Originally published as Port Adelaide considering rookie listing Tyson Goldsack for AFL insurance and SANFL experience