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and somehow manages to say nothing. For all we know, Port could be planning to draft a Yeti ...
Power could recharge 'old' spark
Alan Shiell
afl.com.au
1:31:40 PM Fri 21 November, 2003
Port Adelaide is considering taking an AFL-experienced player in Saturday’s National AFL Draft.
Alan Stewart, the Power’s national recruiting manager, has not ruled out the possibility of the club using one of its five picks – Nos. 15, 30, 34, 39 and 46 – on an experienced type.
Asked on Friday whether it would be tempting to take an experienced AFL player late in the draft, Stewart said: “That’s an option that’s there for us. It’s well documented that a player with AFL experience would suit our list.
“If that person is available, we’ll definitely look at that.”
Stewart did not want to reveal any names, but, of Port’s approach to the draft, he said: “We’re looking for a mixture of things that will suit the football club. Obviously key-position players are always a priority in the draft.
“But where we are at 15 and 30, it’s a little bit difficult to actually gauge exactly what we’ll get.
“As you sit there and watch the names come out, everything changes and you have to be able to think on your feet a bit, and we’ll go through that experience again this year.
“You tend to be judged a little bit by your first pick. I think if you’ve done your homework, you have no problems in picking a player who is going to be good for your list.
“If you’ve worked hard and you know what’s going on … at pick 15, we’ll get a good player who will play AFL football.”
Was it a matter of picking the best player available or plumping for the type needed most?
“At pick 15, I think you have the right to do both,” Stewart said. “You’ll look at it and make an assessment on the day. If we can get a player who’s talented and suits the needs of the club, then that’s what we’ll do.”
On Port being without an earlier first pick than No.15 through being unable to negotiate a satisfactory trade deal for Nick Stevens, Stewart said: “We would have loved to have got an early pick for Nick and we would have liked to have got an experienced AFL player, as well.
“That hasn’t happened and our club’s made a stand in that regard, and I’m totally supportive of the decision that was taken. We’ve got 15, 30 and other picks, and we’ll do the best we can with them.”
Stewart said he did not believe it was a ‘deep’ draft.
“Some people are saying that,” he said. “I believe it’s an even draft. It would be good to have a pick inside 10. That’s strong. Outside of that, I think it’s a very even draft.
“After the first round, clubs will be trying to accommodate their needs as much as they possibly can, whereas in the past you probably just kept picking the talent.”
Stewart described West Adelaide’s versatile Adam Cooney, who seems certain to be taken at No.1 by the Western Bulldogs, as ‘an outstanding talent – the most outstanding player, in terms of talent, in the pool’.
“There’s no doubt about that,” he said. “But Adam’s not the complete package. He still has a number of things to learn about the football world to become a great player. He has a lot of work in front of him, but he has got some outstanding talent to play our game.”
Power could recharge 'old' spark
Alan Shiell
afl.com.au
1:31:40 PM Fri 21 November, 2003
Port Adelaide is considering taking an AFL-experienced player in Saturday’s National AFL Draft.
Alan Stewart, the Power’s national recruiting manager, has not ruled out the possibility of the club using one of its five picks – Nos. 15, 30, 34, 39 and 46 – on an experienced type.
Asked on Friday whether it would be tempting to take an experienced AFL player late in the draft, Stewart said: “That’s an option that’s there for us. It’s well documented that a player with AFL experience would suit our list.
“If that person is available, we’ll definitely look at that.”
Stewart did not want to reveal any names, but, of Port’s approach to the draft, he said: “We’re looking for a mixture of things that will suit the football club. Obviously key-position players are always a priority in the draft.
“But where we are at 15 and 30, it’s a little bit difficult to actually gauge exactly what we’ll get.
“As you sit there and watch the names come out, everything changes and you have to be able to think on your feet a bit, and we’ll go through that experience again this year.
“You tend to be judged a little bit by your first pick. I think if you’ve done your homework, you have no problems in picking a player who is going to be good for your list.
“If you’ve worked hard and you know what’s going on … at pick 15, we’ll get a good player who will play AFL football.”
Was it a matter of picking the best player available or plumping for the type needed most?
“At pick 15, I think you have the right to do both,” Stewart said. “You’ll look at it and make an assessment on the day. If we can get a player who’s talented and suits the needs of the club, then that’s what we’ll do.”
On Port being without an earlier first pick than No.15 through being unable to negotiate a satisfactory trade deal for Nick Stevens, Stewart said: “We would have loved to have got an early pick for Nick and we would have liked to have got an experienced AFL player, as well.
“That hasn’t happened and our club’s made a stand in that regard, and I’m totally supportive of the decision that was taken. We’ve got 15, 30 and other picks, and we’ll do the best we can with them.”
Stewart said he did not believe it was a ‘deep’ draft.
“Some people are saying that,” he said. “I believe it’s an even draft. It would be good to have a pick inside 10. That’s strong. Outside of that, I think it’s a very even draft.
“After the first round, clubs will be trying to accommodate their needs as much as they possibly can, whereas in the past you probably just kept picking the talent.”
Stewart described West Adelaide’s versatile Adam Cooney, who seems certain to be taken at No.1 by the Western Bulldogs, as ‘an outstanding talent – the most outstanding player, in terms of talent, in the pool’.
“There’s no doubt about that,” he said. “But Adam’s not the complete package. He still has a number of things to learn about the football world to become a great player. He has a lot of work in front of him, but he has got some outstanding talent to play our game.”

