AFL Draft 2023: Port Adelaide takes Xavier Walsh in rookie draft, Crows redraft Hamill, Borlase
The Crows played a dangerous game, but were rewarded at the rookie draft, redrafting two former players as the Power claimed an athletic key forward from WA.
A West Australian key forward who crashes packs, enjoys crunching opponents in tackles and has had an interrupted season has completed Port Adelaide’s draft haul.
The Power selected East Perth’s Xavier Walsh with its sole pick, No. 13, in Wednesday’s rookie draft.
Walsh was invited to the national combine despite playing just one under-18 championship game for WA and eight colts matches.
The 195cm, 89kg forward missed much of pre-season with an ankle issue, was suspended for three weeks for a dangerous tackle that ruled him out of the remainder of the national titles and had a concussion late in the campaign.
WA talent manager Adam Jones told this masthead Walsh’s potential was a little unknown because he had “a real rough trot where he just didn’t have a great run at it this year”.
“He’s a big boy who really flies for his marks and is a very good contested mark,” Jones said.
“He’s going to have the size to play key position and has got the marking ability to crash packs – he really launches himself.
“He’s also got a really good tackle focus at ground level and likes to crunch blokes.
“You didn’t see the best of Xavier this year, but the limited stuff he did show was very good in glimpses.
“There’s a fair bit of upside.”
Port was open to keeping a rookie spot vacant for the supplemental selection period if there were no players it wanted, but pounced on Walsh.
The left-footer averaged 88 ranking points, 10.3 disposals, 3.6 marks, 1.5 contested marks, 5.4 score involvements, 1.3 score assists and 1.6 goals from his eight WAFL colts games this year.
He boosts the Power’s already deep key forward stocks, which include veteran Charlie Dixon, Todd Marshall, Mitch Georgiades, Jeremy Finlayson, Ollie Lord and Tom Scully.
Walsh is the fourth draftee to join the Power over the past two days.
Port chose small forwards Tom Anastasopoulos (pick 48) and Lachlan Charleson (52), as well as wingman Will Lorenz (57) during the national draft’s second night on Tuesday.
Adelaide’s two rookie choices were players it committed to re-selecting: half-back Will Hamill (pick 9) and tall defender James Borlase (20).
The Crows axed them over the past month as part of list changes that allowed them to elevate key backman Nick Murray.
Adelaide drafted key defender Daniel Curtin, midfielder Charlie Edwards and rebounding backman Oscar Ryan with its three selections on Tuesday night.
Port fills small void with big double trade play
Port Adelaide went tall during the trade period.
On Tuesday night, the Power targeted a pair of goalsneaks.
Port felt it needed to strengthen its small forward stocks after losing Orazio Fantasia to Carlton so drafted Tom Anastasopoulos and Lachlan Charleson with its first two selections.
Willie Rioli (31 goals), Francis Evans (10) and Jed McEntee (14) played important roles this year for the Power, but it occasionally had to improvise in attack and swung All-Australian defender Darcy Byrne-Jones there for much of the season.
Port, which was not slated to pick until 69, traded up the order to secure both draftees.
The Power coughed up Essendon’s future fourth-rounder to get North Melbourne’s pick 48 and take Geelong Falcons livewire Anastasopoulos.
Then Port dealt its own 2024 fourth-round selection to Hawthorn to grab Greater Western Victoria Rebels pressure forward Charleson.
The Power finished its night off by choosing wingman/forward Will Lorenz at pick 57.
Power recruiting manager Geoff Parker told this masthead the club had been without much small forward depth.
“We’ve obviously got Willie and Jed McEntee, Orazio’s gone … and we haven’t got a lot of younger ones,” Parker said.
“During the trade period we attacked the talls to bring in and tonight we wanted some smaller types who could play in the front half of the ground.
“We also drafted a lot of tall blokes last year (Tom McCallum, Tom Scully, Kyle Marshall) so wanted to balance everything out.”
Parker described Anastasopoulos, who stood 176cm and 65kg, as a good finisher.
The 18-year-old kicked 21.2 from 11 games for the Falcons this year.
“Tom’s got a good mix of speed and endurance … and applies a bit of pressure,” Parker said.
“His good’s very, very good.”
Parker said Charleson had a lot of grunt, was a strong tackler and had played a little bit through the midfield.
“He’s got some forward craft – knows how to shift his opponent off the ball, find a little bit of space when there’s not much around and knows how to finish in front of goal,” he said.
One of us. Welcome, Tom â
— Port Adelaide FC (@PAFC) November 21, 2023
Following a pick swap to bring us up the order, the crafty small forward joins us with pick 48 🤠pic.twitter.com/KQx7bIfyBp
Parker said the Power was unsure what players other clubs were targeting so was comfortable dealing late selections to move up the order.
“When you’re picking where we’re picking, you don’t quite know what’s going to happen in front of you,” he said.
“We had some players we were looking at so we had the capability with the late pick we got in the (Xavier) Duursma deal and clubs were happy to entertain trading back.
“When it became apparent we could do that, we thought we may as well get into it.
“We sat here all night last night and couldn’t pick, and half of tonight.”
Parker called Lorenz a very skilful player and good decision-maker who could find a home on a wing after Duursma’s departure to Essendon.
Port will assess its options overnight before deciding whether to use its available rookie spot on Wednesday.
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