Port Adelaide’s attempts to fill gaps on their list in the trade period haven’t made them any better and could come back to haunt them in the future.
At least needs were addressed, one would respond with. Indeed, the key defensive post has been an issue for a long time and the lack of a ruck presence was quite restrictive in terms of flexibility throughout the season, with the Power looking at their best with Jeremy Finlayson in the role.
Ultimately, we knew which players were coming in from a mile out, it was discussed during finals and while they’ll say it wasn’t a distraction, it certainly didn’t help their September case.
Even so, this all felt like, ultimately, a botched attempt of what the Swans pulled off, filling gaps cheaply. Really, they needed a number one key defender and a good ruck who can follow up at ground level. Instead, the Power have given up a future first-round pick, a young, albeit maligned, midfield and a bunch of picks that other teams will inevitably take advantage of later in the draft.
Esava Ratugolea and Brandon Zerk-Thatcher are tall, so the added height will be welcomed to a completely undersized defence. What the club desperately required was a lockdown type who could thrive in multiple defensive schemes. What they recruited are two intercept-first players who’d much rather peel off their opponent than be in a contest with them.
Ratugolea was pretty good for a player learning his craft, but his defensive success rate was also a testament to the way Geelong sets up behind the ball. Zerk-Thatcher has improved in one-on-ones every season, but appears to thrive as a third-man-up sort of guy.
When Aliir is the existing lynchpin of the defence, a player who is also an intercept, counter-attack defender rather than anything above average in one-on-ones, it means the Power project to be overly aggressive in the way they defend.
All it does is apply more pressure on the midfield group to work even harder defensively to force the opposition to launch high balls into attack – it worked for the three-month undefeated stretch during the season, but in finals, it was difficult for those players to find an extra gear.
When the rest of the defence is made up of excellent, aggressive players in terms of both kicking and field position, it only increases the pressure on these new recruits to succeed in ways they’ve not shown consistently in the past. It feels like a big season for Lachie Jones as part of that group, whose development will likely require him to mirror the successes of Brayden Maynard as soon as possible, to ensure accountability is held by someone in the defensive arc. That sort of barometer player can straighten looser players up, but it’s a big ask for a 21-year-old.
In terms of ruck fits for successful teams, you either want someone who is a strong marking target around the ground with a work rate to find space, or one that follows up at ground level in the contests, either by tackling, winning a clearance or really good tap work.
In Jordon Sweet, it felt like a player worth picking up cheaply and giving an opportunity to. In the final seven weeks of the VFL season, he averaged 17.7 disposals, three marks, 44.4 hitouts, 5.2 tackles and a goal a game to help secure a finals berth for Footscray.
Watch the footage and regardless of the level of opposition, which varied at times, his desire to attack on the ground felt meaningful and lost at state league level.
It’s why overpaying for Ivan Soldo, the premiership Tiger, creates more questions than it solves problems. The former Bulldog moved for more opportunity and to be closer to home, but then Soldo’s move himself was to be the number one ruck.
Soldo’s encountered some injuries in his time and has been handcuffed to Toby Nankervis for his entire career. In the spurts we’ve seen of him as the main guy, he does the right things: he can stick tackles on those around him and this year, he developed his tap work.
Albeit unnatural, he was an unlikely forward target at the struggling Tigers and started clunking them around the ground. Throughout his career, though, he has always been a low time-on-ground player, more impactful in spurts and as the solo ruck.
Richmond was happy in the end to let Soldo chase his dreams as the big banana at a club and in getting Fremantle’s future second-round pick, it was an outstanding deal for a player who may have ended up slipping to third on the depth chart at the club by the end of 2024.
But for Port Adelaide, they’re banking on this being a successful restructuring of their own ruck depth and putting their eggs in the basket of swift Soldo’s solo development.
He doesn’t have the tank to stretch the field and run the opposition ruck into the ground, and the options will be limited if they end up wanting to play both Soldo and Sweet, as neither figures to be an AFL standard forward option for a contending team.
Both are likeable characters with upsides, it’s just curious to recruit both, spending more than necessary when young Dante Visentini showed similar signs.
Maybe this is their way of deciding to develop the 20-year-old as a key position prospect, but the Power have been guilty for a long time of driving young ruck prospects into the ground at state league level without senior development opportunities.
All of this makes for a curious set of moves that haven’t necessarily put the Power in a better position for the 2024 flag, while giving away some decent future pieces.
(Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
By no means is this a death knell on Port Adelaide as a whole, but the fans are already disenfranchised by the senior coach and the end to 2023, so the failure of the recruits to have immediate impacts on this team with different roles to what they’re used to will cause a lot of issues.
The Power aren’t notoriously a team that rallies after a tough start, under pressure either.
While the recruitments of Ratugolea, Zerk-Thatcher, Soldo and Sweet addressed obvious gaps in a top-four team, the price paid for questionable fits have put the Power in a difficult situation.
Many teams improved and there’ll be plenty of competition for a spot in the top eight in 2024, while the Power sold part of their future to tread water.
Aaron Paul
Roar Rookie
Ah Dem, the Roar's resident Antonio Rucci wannabe
Maxy
Roar Rookie
I like the 2 rucks even though I haven’t seen alot of them.Soldo is 27 and he will bring a physical presence with him also,Sweet is 25 and while not as physical as Soldo Port think he is one of the better ruckman going around not playing AFL,Hopefully Soldo does well for a couple of years and that gives Visentini time to develop,he is only 20 and Sweet will be there if injuries strike either Soldo or Visentini.Bynne Teakle is gone also so think they need that Ruck depth,so again I don’t mind that
Chanon
Roar Rookie
Sweet hopefully tears up the preseason & demands No.1 ruck position. He will be sorely missed especially when English heads back to Perth in 25’
Aaron Paul
Roar Rookie
I think they may have mildly improved structurally, but ports biggest weakness is psychological
BillyW
Roar Rookie
Spot on JW...we didn't have a lot to trade and got 4 guys that fill a need with room to grow.... Shame about X but he did seem to struggle coming back from injuries with the added pressure of being cast in the Rozee Butters trifecta...I wish him well. Think he will do better closer to home.......
BillyW
Roar Rookie
Too right Adam.....if we jus took picks that wouldn't play next year anyway we'd go backwards for sure... Of that undersized defense we had Jonas retire and McKenzie old and declining along with Clurey and them some kids (including Pasini) a few trades in this area were needed even if they aren't premier KPD of the league (if they were we got no one!) Possibly one more ruck than we needed....assuming we don't let both of Lycett and Hayes go.. The risk with dropping picks is we end up an old/young list but we've had that ....and we actually improve that side of things.....now to f-ing win this thing!!
BillyW
Roar Rookie
I don't mind it either Maxy....we would have risked treading water moreso if we had sat on draft picks (probably gone backwards especially in defense) One of Rat and BZT needs to become a stingy full back for the comps giant forwards and I'm hoping Rat can use his athletic ability to keep up in the air and on the ground with players such as Kings.....I'd be showing him vision of Mal Micheal! He doesn't need to intercept, just bring it to ground to advantage our other defenders.... I agree with the Aurthor on the ruck situ though....one of Soldo or Sweet would have been fine...definitely have to let both Lycett and Hayes go (hoping Hayes especially finds a new home!) so that Dante still gets run here and there.........
Lincoln
Roar Rookie
Have a look at Port's list profile currently. It's very young, most 24 or younger. The club has gone hard at the draft the previous 5 years.
Lincoln
Roar Rookie
Port have invested heavily in the draft for the 5 years 2018 to 2022 inclusive, and done so very astutely I might add. I've include 2022 because they essentially traded up for a 19 year old in JHF that would've been pick 1 in that draft. Furthermore they have a stack of young talent 23 or under. Then there's a big gap in the 25-29 range. If any club can afford to and really needs to trade in some 25yr old role players it's Port. They're bursting with young talent and players that were 30 plus.
AdamDilligafThompson
Roar Rookie
Hey where's the teal Joel gone, that's like a almost positive comment about Ken.lol.
AdamDilligafThompson
Roar Rookie
For somebody that professes to hate the AFL so much, you certainly do spend alot of time worrying those few little brain cells left in your head about it. :laughing:
AdamDilligafThompson
Roar Rookie
Whether it works or not will be the million dollar question but at least they've tried and the amount invested in the draft in the last few years should hold us up well plus if anybody decides to go home there's an easy first round pick to get back into the draft. I'm not totally sold.on who we brought in but im glad.weve tried and aren't trying to relieve on the while team defence line when in comes to having an undersized defence.
Shane
Roar Rookie
Would have made more sense to keep Lycett than trade for Soldo. Sweet, Lycett, Hayes and Vinsentini is enough.
Woody
Roar Rookie
Port did considerably better than Adelaide in this trading period. Will they be better in '24 ... only time will tell. Adelaide's defence was thin enough as it was, but to lose Doedee and only receive a couple of higher numbers for drafting ... shot themselves in both feet. Scoring improved a lot last year but you need to score more than the other lot ... imo bottom six at best
Curmudgeon1961
Roar Rookie
Lots of athletes in the system now. Contested ball and aerobic capacity. There are exceptions but its painful to watch some avoid handballing with the non preferred hand
Boo
Roar Rookie
Port are a long way off a flag doubt the new recruits will get them there .
Maxy
Roar Rookie
Or maybe they just don't rate the draft very highly next year.Have 2 1st round picks overcoming injury in Mitch Georgiades and Josh Sinn who didnt play much last year,players like Jackson Meade was pick 25 trying to break into our young midfield.Have young Talls on the list like Ollie Lord Dante Visentini who are showing good signs...I don't mind what Port did
Beameranged
Roar Rookie
Ruck depth/durability and general height — particularly in defence — have been Port’s two biggest deficiencies since, well, perhaps forever. I like that these have finally been addressed. I am less convinced that the specific acquisitions were worth the cost, or that value of existing assets was sufficiently leveraged. Hayes and Lycett potentially get delisted and acquired by other clubs for free now, and trading Duursma really was not necessary at all. It may well prove to be a shot worth taking, though. Port already had minimal capital in the current draft — which is probably one of the better ones to skip anyway — and the position next year is almost back to normal. Still lacking a first round pick, but maintaining the same total number, that probably includes greatly improved positioning in the fourth. And given there are up to four father-son prospects available to Port in 2024, with another two in 2025, maybe the draft issue can solve itself.
Aransan
Roar Rookie
Trading picks to the extent Port have will have consequences in 4 or 5 years time. Success is essential over the next 2 or 3 years.
JW
Roar Rookie
They’re not worse than they were, and it’s hard to argue this hasn’t improved their squad. yes they gave up a future first for rutogolea and soldo, and dursma for BZT but that’s not a bad result given - they didn’t have a particularly good draft hand to begin with, having no first rounder this year after the JHF trade. - they need players similar age to rozee, butters and JHF who are ready to play now, not a skinny 18 yr old, pick 15 (or thereabouts) in next year’s draft who will take a few years to develop. Particularly when their need is big bodies. - it fills and adds depth to obvious gaps on their list (tall key defenders and rucks), that were exposed by injury at the end of this year - it’s questionable whether dursma is in their best 22 anymore, given the number of young players coming on who can play his position. BZT fills an area of need, whereas dursma didn’t. So, overall, this seems an improvement vs what they could’ve done in the next two drafts, given their list profile. Maybe a couple of them don’t do that well, but it’s likely one or two of them will, particularly when they just need some role players to support their midfield and Alir. So I think it’s a definite B or B+ trade period.