List Mgmt. 2026 AFL Draft (Picks as of Round 4: 11, 22, 29, 47, 52, 65)

[PearLover5]

Careful that poster will get triggered.

Don’t know what you mean. Centrals exist as a feeder club for Port SANFL don’t they?

 

[Peninsula Boy]

If someone like Harry Van Hattum is still available, you'll be crazy to pass him up. I think we ought to develop a spine first. Midfields are important yes but developing a spine should take precedent first and foremost.

I'd take a midfielder over Van Hattum. You can get good rucks late. Van Hattum would have to be can't miss for me to even think about it.

 

[bluebaggerjuls]

I don't think this rule will be brought in based on what I'm hearing. Apparently every club, including those that are likely to be bottom 5, are against this rule.

Sorry to drop in but why would clubs down the bottom be against this rule. It gives them an extra pick they wouldn’t have. And yes **** the AFL it’s shameful what they are doing bringing these rules in while it mostly affects struggling clubs after letting top teams get a free ride

 

[Addy23]

Sorry to drop in but why would clubs down the bottom be against this rule. It gives them an extra pick they wouldn’t have. And yes **** the AFL it’s shameful what they are doing bringing these rules in while it mostly affects struggling clubs after letting top teams get a free ride

It's because it's just making it all more compromised and funnily enough, the clubs at the bottom in Essendon, Carlton and Port atm have club tied talents and there's talks that if you have a top 5 pick and match it then you potentially don't get that end of first rounder.

But it's also to do with clubs that made trades historically without knowing what was coming, which you could argue is also the case with all the changes they're making but apparently AFL are all using that reason for this particular rule. There's also concerns that teams might just all bid to get an extra first rounder and dilute it further.

 

[bluebaggerjuls]

It's because it's just making it all more compromised and funnily enough, the clubs at the bottom in Essendon, Carlton and Port atm have club tied talents and there's talks that if you have a top 5 pick and match it then you potentially don't get that end of first rounder.

But it's also to do with clubs that made trades historically without knowing what was coming, which you could argue is also the case with all the changes they're making but apparently AFL are all using that reason for this particular rule. There's also concerns that teams might just all bid to get an extra first rounder and dilute it further.

Have you heard anything about there being a discount for clubs down the bottom. I find it odd they are adding a tax to top2/4 teams but no discount for clubs towards the bottom of the ladder

 

[The Hobo]

Usually the best talent available early are midfielders.

We need rucks, wings, key defenders but midfielders could get us back in the game.

We don't really need tall forwards.

A cultural changing leader in the midfield would be great as well.

We have the worst wings in the comp.
Our rucks are bottom 5 in the comp.

Ruck would be my number 1 priority. Sweet has shown glimpses but is too unreliable for me.

 

[Addy23]

Have you heard anything about there being a discount for clubs down the bottom. I find it odd they are adding a tax to top2/4 teams but no discount for clubs towards the bottom of the ladder

No talk of discounts because that further encourages tanking (and these new rules already do)

 

[KanesBurner]

Anyone thinking Port should just tank and/or lose and be bottom of the barrel to help "rebuild" is ridiculous. And I'd hope Carr doesn't think that way either. As Carr stated already, port are transitioning, and that means the whole squad is getting to know all line coaches and a NEW system. Has nothing to do with rebuilding and they don't need to. They'll get their NGA and f/s players in both 2026 and 2027 with out needing to trade out Butters or even Georgiades which people keep thinking they should do.
Port literally have 2 big KPP at both ends that are young and what any club would want, and that's Whitlock and Ramm. Add the other 18 to 26 age players around them in all areas and its not as bad as people think. A few positions are probably needed, yes, but that's the same for majority of teams right now. Not all teams have a wingman or two, like Geelong with Dempsey. Not all teams have a solid reliable small medium defender and those are the 2 positions Port really require that isn't B grade or lower.. Which is what Port and Carr and coaches are clearly trying to suss out, hence Mead which failed IMO.. but theirs hope. They took Balyn O'brien in SSP who is younger but also a defender with promise. Time will tell.

They get Dougie, Pilot, Salopek and even Rodan plus others in and they be up there again quite easily especially if Butters stays on and this whole system comes to fruition, they'll be contending for that flag.

I don’t think anyone is saying Port tank but they just have to get games into younger players which means we’ll lose a lot of games.

You’ve pointed to all the NGA/FS but they will be incredibly hard to match now. So finishing lower means we can likely match with just our first. If we finished 6-7th it’s likely we need our first plus trading out someone like Bergman for picks to match.

Finishing lower is hugely beneficial this and next year and building the list should be the goal imo.

 

[Jonts]

Is

Believe this will be announced in the next 2 weeks and they won't be grandfathering

Then why not bring last year's draft into the same rules post actively

It's the same level of bullshit

 

[Long live PAFC]

And Tassie can’t trade this year. So the club with the biggest hand next year can’t be involved in any big trades.

 

[Rexie J]

Port desperately need a genuine 'knock' ruckman who can palm to advantage.

Sweet is adequate in some ways while Vis is still learning but does he have the right tools?

Coaching the mids without a competent ruckman would be a challenge.

I was typing when The Hobo posted

 

[PortAdelFC1997]

Sweet is adequate in some ways while Vis is still learning but does he have the right tools?

Sweet does everything besides centre ball ups well and Visintini is meh.

So I agree with you that Port needs a ruck that can actually tap to the mids. Preferably someone that can leap and is over 203cm minimum.

 

[Peninsula Boy]

We need a ruck or two but we don't need to burn a first rounder on a ruck.

 

[Holden Hillbilly]

We need a ruck or two but we don't need to burn a first rounder on a ruck.

Correct.
If we want to draft any of the potential elite f/s, academy players in the next 3 years we will only have picks after 50 for rucks.

 

[Cheese Tastes Good]

terrible day for the tank

 

[JHF1870]

We need a ruck or two but we don't need to burn a first rounder on a ruck.

Visentini definitely shows promise

Gawn was 34
Xerri was 72

Problem is when a player is top 20 pick they usually have attributes better suited to being a key forward, or a key defender. Rucks are usually less versatile but ruck dominant. Naitanui was probably one of the most versatile rucks I can remember. players like Thilthorpe, Jackson and TDK are the most versatile atm.

That's an overall lack of talent and I've said this many times over the last 20 years that if the talent pool was incredibly tight then a lot of rucks would be out of business.

 

[PortAdelFC1997]

What do you guys think of Josh Tovey? His name popped up in the draft board as a potential MSD. I took a look at his stats and seems to be getting the pill. 3 rounds in and averages 25 touches. Big bodied mid around 195cm. Strong contested marker and looks like he can pull his weight around stoppages with his strength.

 

[all seeing eye]

What we dont want is to load up with spuds during the msd and have to carry them thru 27. No short term fixes, only promising kids at this stage of the rebuild.

 

[JHF1870]

What do you guys think of Josh Tovey? His name popped up in the draft board as a potential MSD. I took a look at his stats and seems to be getting pill. 3 rounds in and averages 25 touches. Big bodied mid around 195cm. Strong contested marker and looks like he can pull his weight around stoppages with his strength.

TBH If you want to look at a mature player with potential but will likely get snapped up if not this year next year. James Tarrant from North Melbourne. Looked solid in his game this weekend.

 

[The Hobo]

Port desperately need a genuine 'knock' ruckman who can palm to advantage.

Sweet is adequate in some ways while Vis is still learning but does he have the right tools?

Coaching the mids without a competent ruckman would be a challenge.

I was typing when The Hobo posted

I don't think the ruck work is the big issue with either of them.

I mean yes, there's room for improvement - but for me, the lack of impact around the ground is the biggest issue.

No contested marking, no contested possessions - just a complete non entity aside from ruck contests.

As I said, Sweet has showed signs at times, including yesterday - but then he will completely get dominated the next week by some mid tier ruck. It's like he gets complacent after a decent game.

 

[EskimoPAFC]

If there is a CDT or Thilthorpe type, sure draft em. Otherwise I wouldn’t draft them, particularly not early. I would find a mature ruck in the league. He’ll throw some cash at McAndrew.

We don't yet know enough about Van Wyk and Dante anyway. Our ruck situation could look totally different in 5 months time.

 

[EskimoPAFC]

I know for the future finishing bottom 2 is better but i hope people dont barack for us to lose like we all did last year with hinkley

I want us to win every game again now but a top pick is one hell of a silver lining when we don't.

 

[JHF1870]

We don't yet know enough about Van Wyk and Dante anyway. Our ruck situation could look totally different in 5 months time.

I'd like to get the next Thilthorpe/TDK and develop them ourselves.

I've had a flick through some of the draftees and still unsure on the top 10. I did like a few of the players. Armstrong plays like Serong and Kenh plays like Quaynor but it's hard to tell without being a recruiter because they're lookng 3-5 years growth and some players don't start out. I still think Langford for the Dees is an example of someone with tremendous upside.

I'm not sure on the talls at this stage.

Also Lyon and Heally suggesting we should let players walk the end of season and load up. Would want 4 top 10 picks in that case

 

[JHF1870]

I want us to win every game again now but a top pick is one hell of a silver lining when we don't.

I think it's more about playing the youth for the future but still trying to win, you want the winning culture but the long game is more important.

I'm 100% with Wingard and 891 on gameday that we can't be bringing in Brodie and Visintini and axe them after a single game. They need more game time to work out if they're going to be on the list going forward.

Watkins needs a rest. We gave him a go and now we need to keep rolling through the team. We also need to identify whether good SANFL form translates into AFL for some of the players and if not, then delist.

 

[240volt]

I want us to win every game again now but a top pick is one hell of a silver lining when we don't.

It’s just totally against anything the club has ever stood for.
I can’t buy it, I remember going back some years ago it would have been better for us to lose to North in the last game of the year.
We played great that day and won,I’ve seen too much Port to ever want to deliberately lose.