2008 AFL Draft Review – Port Adelaide Power

Port Adelaide went into the 2008 AFL Draft with 7 picks, and came away with an excellent group of youngsters that should give them plenty to work with for years to come. Despite Fremantle passing on Daniel Rich at number 3, the Power stuck to their guns and picked up exciting hometown midfielder Hamish Hartlett with pick no. 4, and then also appeared to pull a major coup by picking up one of the draft’s sliders Jackson Trengove at no. 22. Those two names merely make up a 7 strong band of rookies however, so let’s take a closer look at them all.

Pick No. 4 – Hamish Hartlett

An All-Australian at this year’s National U18 Championships, Hartlett is an excellent inside midfielder with good hands who can win his own ball. A very skillful player with an excellent ability to read the play, Hartlett already has experience playing senior footy in the SANFL which should have him prepared to make his debut for the Power sometime in season 2009.

Pick No. 22 – Jackson Trengove

Tipped by many to be a first round pick, the Power appears to have pulled off a steal scoring Trengove in the 2nd round. An athletic, versatile tall blessed with good pace and endurance, Trengove would have been talked up as a top 10 prospect had he not suffered a knee injury midseason which also affected his Draft Camp results. Because of that injury he does come with some risk, but he has both the athletic attributes and skills to become a top key position player at the top level.

Pick No. 38 – Matthew Broadbent

A modern day, hard running defender from South Australia, he stood out at the U18 Championships with his long kicking off half back. Turned in a good showing at the Draft Camp with an especially good result for the 3km run. Has also played senior footy in the SANFL which should hold him in good stead to push for his debut game in 2009.

Pick No. 42 – Mitchell Banner

 

 
Best and fairest for the Western Jets in 2007, Banner is a hard-nosed midfielder who doesn’t shirk the issue. Runs all day, getting to a ton of stoppages where he does his best work in and under. Can rack up some big possession numbers, and while his skills by hand are good, he does have improvement to make on his kicking. His kicking and decision making stopped him from being in the mix as a first round pick, however the Power have definitely got a footballer’s footballer with their 3rd round pick.

Pick No. 55 – Jarrad Redden

 

 
Young developing ruckman who had a good U18 carnival for South Australia. Moves well and has good impact around the ground. More of a defensive ruckman than some of the bigger names in the draft, but does play well a kick behind the play because he reads the game well. Will probably take a couple of years to develop like all ruckman but does show good potential for a relatively low pick.

Pick No. 66 – Glenn Dawson

Another SA U18 representative, Dawson is an athletic forward who topped the times for the 20m sprint at the Draft Camp. From a basketball background, so is blessed with great speed, leap and marking. Bit of a project pick but given Port’s good experiences with ex-basketballer Dean Brogan, he might be their next success story.

Pick No. 78 – Jason Davenport

Averaged 32 touches last year on the way to winning the best and fairest for Geelong’s VFL side. Still only 23, Port will be hoping he can come along much like another Geelong VFL star, Brent Prismall.

Port’s recruiting manager Blair Hartley had the following to say after the Draft:

To come out with Hamish Hartlett with pick four and Jackson Trengove at 22, we’re very, very happy. We’re really excited with what we’ve got and that will hopefully stand us in good stead over the next four or fi ve years.

7 picks from Port Adelaide in the draft – and it’s very hard to argue with any single one of them. Hartlett looks a ready made midfielder and looks set to contribute sometime in 2009. Trengove appeals as one of the steals of the draft, and his versatility to play forward or back looks especially valuable to Port at a time when they can be caught short for quality talls.

With their remaining picks, Port made some smart selections and managed to cover a number of positions – a defender in Broadbent, a couple of midfielders in Banner and Davenport, a promising ruckman in Redden, and a flier on an exciting if raw forward prospect in Dawson.

Any time you can come home from a draft with 2 potential stars has to be considered a win, and in Hartlett and Trengove the Power have done just that. Their other selections are the gravy on top of a successful 2008 AFL Draft feast.

Port looks to have had an excellent time at this year’s draft – do you agree? Or are we overrating this batch of youngsters? Leave us a comment with your thoughts!