For Port Adelaide, the 2014 off-season was never going to be about the draft – if they had their way. Ultimately after weeks of hard ball they were able to fashion the move for Patrick Ryder that would dictate the club’s offseason and lay their hands down at the draft.
For Port Adelaide this was the classic case of moving all in on a potential blue chip piece.
The resurrection of Port Adelaide has been widely reported over the past three seasons. Those in the know said that change started first off-field before moving on-field.
The club is now a model for leadership, even if the management of the club operations still has to be considered questionable as they are not able to turn a profit.
Perhaps that inability to turn a profit does weigh into what Port Adelaide’s bold off-season moves have been.
Clearly this is starting to look like a premiership or bust for the club as a whole. Right now they continue to ride a wave of momentum, but perhaps this is more momentum than sustained success like a Hawthorn or Geelong.
For as good as Ken Hinkley has been as a coach, doubts will remain if he is going to be a long-term one club coach. His passionate style and approach having a habit of wearing thin over seasons.
As good as the leadership of the administrative team has been off-field will other ventures turn those keen eyes elsewhere. It is starting to look like this is a club that is all in for 2014.
With a first pick at 56 in the draft, it is hard to get a strong read on what Port Adelaide was hoping to achieve with its four live picks.
They ended up taking a key defender, two forwards and a ruckman. All long term projects given the usual time it takes for late key position players to develop.
Theoretically, Logan Austin could end up with the biggest part to play this season given that Port Adelaide are still short on defensive depth.
However Austin truly is a project player given he only recently took up a defensive role.
Billy Frampton – who was one of the last picks in the draft – had elite numbers at underage level and could be a good long-term prospect, while Jesse Palmer is a proven goal kicker who is missing the accurate set shot to be a legitimate third tall weapon.
It was like Port Adelaide were admitting through the draft that they have their team and their premiership squad assembled already. The draft was simply about shooting for high risk, high upside plays. Perhaps more important for Port Adelaide will be the rookie draft, where they may add some mature-age players to build depth.
Port Adelaide told the football world where they were in the trade period. They are all in for 2015. Eyes have to turn to the rookie draft where Port Adelaide could be one of the more intriguing clubs given the wealth of possible South Australian talent that could help add depth and get them through the season.
They were reasonably lucky outside of illness mid-season to have a full team for most the year. Ask a team like Fremantle and they will tell you that all it takes is one or two injuries and a campaign can disappear in the blink of an eye.
Do Port Adelaide have all it takes to make a Power surge in 2015?
Phil Webb
Guest
I also read your piece about Crows sacking Sando and emulating Port Adelaide. You were derogatory to Port Adelaide in that article too. I can only assume you really don't know your footy.
Phil Webb
Guest
A negative article about our coach's durability, what a load of rubbish. You know very little about PAFC to write such stuff.
Radelaide
Guest
Hahaha, yeah thought that might get a rise out of you or Don also the Swanettes go pretty hard :) .
Dalgety Carrington
Roar Guru
Oh yeah, I've always found you Port supporters to be so laid back and thoughtful about critiques of your team. :D
Cameron Palmer
Roar Guru
Jeez, I've taken some heat on this one. You gotta love the roar of the crowd. Just to reiterate these pieces are looking at explaining the narrative of a team's draft and looking at why a club did what. As the start of the piece indicates Port were never into this years draft, project players to compliment a win now list. Not sure why people are thinking that I am negative on Port, simply pointing out: 1. They are all in for a premiership in 2015 2. They are riding a wave of momentum right now 3. They believe they have a premiership squad 4. They are like most other teams in that lady luck wants to be on their side to win that elusive premiership 5. They have a management and coaching group that will be justified with one premiership Always appreciate the feedback, but pretty surprised that this is the one that has been attacked given that as I say throughout, this was a draft with likely no immediate impact other than Port saying 2015 is our year with who we already have.
Will
Guest
Terrible piece. Graham Cornes perhaps?
Alessia
Guest
Before the pre season has even started, you are having a go at a club that has not put a single foot wrong in the last two years... Um what did you expect them to draft at pick 56? They identified their need for talls in the future and have drafted based on that. This young side is going to Dubai to get fitter so any team that comes up against Pirt next year had better be prepared to run and run and run and run some more.
Brendon the 1st
Guest
I reckon there will be another ten articles like this before the 2015 season get's going, just like there were last year and the year before that. No defensive depth? Carlisle, Trengrove, Hombsch, Jonas, Broadbent, Pittard, O'shea, Clurey, Stewart, Impey with Ebert, Wingard and Neade going through as they did at times last season, Looks pretty deep to me. Port should have a period of long term success, there is bags of talent across every line with backup in the reserves, loads of multi position players also. Check out the midfield depth, Boak, Ebert, Hartlett,Gray, Polec, Wingard, White, Wines, Moore, Broadbent. This team is an absolute beauty.
Radelaide
Guest
The draft is very hit but mostly miss if you can pick up a proven performer to strengthen the team on field that's always a better option than taking a chance (I'd say about 60-70%) on someone who'll never make it.
Radelaide
Guest
33000 watched Adelaide United play the Victory about a couple of months ago and made $500,000 profit, there is some serious rorting going on.
Radelaide
Guest
I replied to him the same way before I read your comment, quick to defend the club I must sound like Freo and carlton supporters.
Radelaide
Guest
At the same time flu went through the club including a couple that were hospitalized, something like that doesn't just last 24 hrs for a professional athlete. It can take weeks to get the strength back to the kind of level needed, but I won't try to make too many excuses but Port over achieved based on the age profile of the team so I expect us to be better in 2015.
Josh
Expert
Got to disagree with you here Cam, I think Port are set up to have a big period of success over the next five or so years. The majority of their important players are young and just hitting the peaks of their careers, and they have talent all over the ground. I don't necessarily know that they'll win it all in 2015 but I'd be surprised not to see them have at least another two flags by 2020. That said, I agree that to see them trade themselves out of the draft entirely is a bit of a worry, especially for just a single player. Even when you're at your peak you want to keep bringing in high quality young kids. Hopefully they take their picks a bit more consistently over the next few years.
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
It would have been nice to get a mention that both Logan and Austin came out of the GWS Academy system ...
Paul D
Roar Guru
Brisbane Lions are in the same boat, we traded away our first three picks and then had to spend the next two on Father-Son academy picks. Sometimes your drafting happens for you. As others have said, Port Adelaide's lack of profit is more to do with the extortionate stadium deal and less to do with management. They need that rewritten, stat. While I'm sure it costs a bit to play there, the stadium makes nothing without the AFL clubs. They need to be raking in a lot more than what they were getting. Another pretty ordinary piece Cam.
Kevin Martin
Guest
To the author ... When your first pick is #56 you are shooting for a gem In the Draft pool not a guaranteed player ... nothing to do with making any statement as you say nearly the worst piece I've read on the roar
Kevin Martin
Guest
Stan ... we lost to collingwood by 8 points at the G...we had half the team get gastro...Inc 2 from reserves hospitalized
Stan McCan
Guest
Damo. As soon as Carlisle and Trengove went down they couldn't even beat Collingwood. Apart from that next to no injuries all year. Stay injury free next year again and they are a chance. Like about 8 other teams.
kevin
Guest
Um ... shoot holes here! Questionable management ... can't turn a profit ... you know nothing about AO deal and before that at Footy park. Defensive depth? We have Tom Clurey and Cam Oshea wasn't a regular last year!
Damien
Guest
"...outside of illness mid-season..." obviously you forgot about Port missing both Trengove and Bobby down back for an extended time, or the numerous ankle injuries the team copped to different players for about 7 or so weeks running (Monfries, Boak, Hartlett, Wingard, Westhoff)