AFL Draft 2024: Port Adelaide selects Murray Bushrangers forward Joe Berry at pick 15
Robbie Gray was part of the Port Adelaide contingent that drove to visit Joe Berry in Benalla in August. Three months later, the Power traded up to secure the goalsneak. Here’s why.
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Robbie Gray has helped Port Adelaide recruit a player who models his game on the Power champion.
The club selected Murray Bushrangers small forward Joe Berry at pick 15 in the national draft at Marvel Stadium on Wednesday night.
Gray was part of the Port recruiting team that drove from Melbourne to visit the goalsneak in Benalla in mid-August.
Asked then by the Power who he modelled his game on, Berry named four-time All-Australian Gray.
Berry himself was an All-Australian this year – at under-18 level – after impressing at the national championships, averaging 2.3 goals.
Port Adelaide national recruiting manager Geoff Parker told this masthead the 181cm youngster did some things similarly to Gray.
“The stuff he does inside 50 one-on-one is a little bit like Robbie but it’s hard to compare anyone to Robbie because he was such a great player,” Parker said.
“Joe will be his own player but he’s very skilful like Robbie was and got an idea to protect his space like Robbie could.
“When we interviewed him, he really gravitated towards Robbie and was asking for a lot of feedback from Robbie.
“It helped us make up our mind that he might actually be the one we actually want to pick.
“It showed he understood there’s a good player sitting in front of him, he was thinking about getting some information to make him a better player.”
The Power traded picks 16 and 45 to West Coast to move up one spot to make sure it got Berry.
Fremantle, which was at No. 17, was understood to be interested in him and was looking to deal with the Eagles.
The Dockers were believed to have made a slightly better offer than Port, which was unlikely to use 45, but West Coast opted not to trade with its local rival.
Parker thought Berry was the best performing small half-forward in 2024.
“It probably wasn’t an urgent need, but we’ve got a few tall forwards – and there were one or two we did talk about until we decided to go a bit smaller – but the way the draft’s gone is probably an indication of the way the AFL game’s gone the last couple of years,” he said.
“Joe’s really well balanced, covers the ground really easily, can change gears easily and has got some real good IQ on when to come up to the contest or when to sit back.”
a big night for Joe 📠pic.twitter.com/H9EvKqLz9v
— Port Adelaide FC (@PAFC) November 20, 2024
Berry will be part of a refreshed Power forward line next year.
Long-time spearhead Charlie Dixon and goalsneaks Quinton Narkle and Francis Evans are gone, while Jack Lukosius (Gold Coast) and Joe Richards (Collingwood) have arrived from other clubs.
The Power draftee trained with Richards, a fellow Wangaratta product, last pre-season.
Former Port Adelaide captain Matthew Primus presented Berry with his Power guernsey.
Originally published as AFL Draft 2024: Port Adelaide selects Murray Bushrangers forward Joe Berry at pick 15
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