News Port passes on Jaidyn Stephenson

[Willsy10]

I think this argument would be easier to stomach if it weren’t completely inconsistent with the other decisions the club has made this offseason.

All we had to work with this offseason were salary and list spots. As such, we’ve just become the first club to opt out of an AFL draft, and our only inclusions were three players who were essentially delisted from other clubs, and what's going to be around four mature-age state league players. We haven’t prioritised youth, nor have we been hesitant to hand out list spots to players in Stephenson’s age bracket.

So it seems ridiculous to choose not to list him on that basis. Does the club genuinely believe some of the players we’ve brought in are better gambles?

Brodie is older, hasn’t played AFL in 2.5 years (a full year longer than Stephenson), and plays in a position where we already have depth. Jack Watkins is a 25-year-old State League midfielder who is shorter than the average AFL small forward, and again plays in a position where we already have depth. Clohsey, who is odds-on to take one of our last list spots, is another slow inside midfielder whose only hope of an AFL game is if we play him out of position, a la McEntee.

We were the perfect club to take a chance on Stephenson. He was cheap, available, has clear AFL-level talent, and fills a genuine list need. It would have been an absolute punt, and likely wouldn't have worked out, but we had nothing to lose by taking it and plenty to gain. Quality clubs take these punts all the time, like Sydney with Paddy McMartin, Geelong with Stengle and now Jack Martin, and even Gold Coast with JUH.

If Carr genuinely thinks that JACK WATKINS is more likely to positively impact our AFL team over the next 3 years than Stephenson, then I think it’s fair to be seriously concerned about his long-term decision-making.

I’ve always liked the look of Jack Watkins playing in the magpies, he was clearly the best player we had in the SANFL last year, worked his arse off for a whole season to get a crack and being best mates with Butters sealed the deal.

Even if it only improves our chance of keeping butters by 1% it’s probably worth it, I would’ve just about added his Dad to the coaching panel I’m that desperate to keep him.

 

[Schulzenfest]

I think this argument would be easier to stomach if it weren’t completely inconsistent with the other decisions the club has made this offseason.

All we had to work with this offseason were salary and list spots. As such, we’ve just become the first club to opt out of an AFL draft, and our only inclusions were three players who were essentially delisted from other clubs, and what's going to be around four mature-age state league players. We haven’t prioritised youth, nor have we been hesitant to hand out list spots to players in Stephenson’s age bracket.

So it seems ridiculous to choose not to list him on that basis. Does the club genuinely believe some of the players we’ve brought in are better gambles?

Brodie is older, hasn’t played AFL in 2.5 years (a full year longer than Stephenson), and plays in a position where we already have depth. Jack Watkins is a 25-year-old State League midfielder who is shorter than the average AFL small forward, and again plays in a position where we already have depth. Clohsey, who is odds-on to take one of our last list spots, is another slow inside midfielder whose only hope of an AFL game is if we play him out of position, a la McEntee.

We were the perfect club to take a chance on Stephenson. He was cheap, available, has clear AFL-level talent, and fills a genuine list need. It would have been an absolute punt, and likely wouldn't have worked out, but we had nothing to lose by taking it and plenty to gain. Quality clubs take these punts all the time, like Sydney with Paddy McMartin, Geelong with Stengle and now Jack Martin, and even Gold Coast with JUH.

If Carr genuinely thinks that JACK WATKINS is more likely to positively impact our AFL team over the next 3 years than Stephenson, then I think it’s fair to be seriously concerned about his long-term decision-making.

It's also worth mentioning that while this board which wants, needs, to believe that things will be better under Carr has been falling over itself to say that this must be because of attitude problems or commitment or some other such extraneous factor, all the media on the subject has been that the club just thought the other three guys had performed better. And yet Stephenson had clearly been our biggest goal threat in both games he played. That tells me that Carr, like his predecessor, doesn't value goals. That's hugely concerning.

 

[Chewy316]

I think this argument would be easier to stomach if it weren’t completely inconsistent with the other decisions the club has made this offseason.

All we had to work with this offseason were salary and list spots. As such, we’ve just become the first club to opt out of an AFL draft, and our only inclusions were three players who were essentially delisted from other clubs, and what's going to be around four mature-age state league players. We haven’t prioritised youth, nor have we been hesitant to hand out list spots to players in Stephenson’s age bracket.

So it seems ridiculous to choose not to list him on that basis. Does the club genuinely believe some of the players we’ve brought in are better gambles?

Brodie is older, hasn’t played AFL in 2.5 years (a full year longer than Stephenson), and plays in a position where we already have depth. Jack Watkins is a 25-year-old State League midfielder who is shorter than the average AFL small forward, and again plays in a position where we already have depth. Clohsey, who is odds-on to take one of our last list spots, is another slow inside midfielder whose only hope of an AFL game is if we play him out of position, a la McEntee.

We were the perfect club to take a chance on Stephenson. He was cheap, available, has clear AFL-level talent, and fills a genuine list need. It would have been an absolute punt, and likely wouldn't have worked out, but we had nothing to lose by taking it and plenty to gain. Quality clubs take these punts all the time, like Sydney with Paddy McMartin, Geelong with Stengle and now Jack Martin, and even Gold Coast with JUH.

If Carr genuinely thinks that JACK WATKINS is more likely to positively impact our AFL team over the next 3 years than Stephenson, then I think it’s fair to be seriously concerned about his long-term decision-making.

I agree with almost everything you've said.

But I wouldn't be comparing Stephenson to McCartin, Stengle or Martin. Even JUH is a reach because he's a head case on his own level.

Watkins was upgraded in an effort to keep Butters, along with reward for being a standout at SANFL level last year.

Not sure Clohesy gets a spot, I think Zadow and O'Brien will get the two, but time will tell, I guess.

 

[bringbackbucky]

Weird decision to have him train with us for 4 months and then say see you later. Why keep him training for so long if they weren’t gonna list him? Surely you’d get an idea of what he has to offer after a month or so. Feels like we lead him on a bit. I’d be pretty dirty if I was him…

 

[RangaInTeal]

Weird decision to have him train with us for 4 months and then say see you later. Why keep him training for so long if they weren’t gonna list him? Surely you’d get an idea of why he has to offer after a month or so. Feels like we lead him on a bit. I’d be pretty dirty if I was him…

I think as others have said, the narrative around the time he did the Hammy seemed to shift. Weather that was a String or not only few will genuinely know, maybe that brought a few things up, maybe it was a cover for an indiscretion? Then given ‘another’ opportunity but the damage done.

End of the day, we shook hands and said thanks for your time. He has fronted the media and hasn’t sunk the boots in.

There are many of Country and Ammeter footballers playing Parklands footy all over Australia with a similar story to Stephenson, all the talent, didn’t have the final 2% to ‘make it’

 

[Scodges]

Weird decision to have him train with us for 4 months and then say see you later. Why keep him training for so long if they weren’t gonna list him? Surely you’d get an idea of why he has to offer after a month or so. Feels like we lead him on a bit. I’d be pretty dirty if I was him…

Was very weird, something happened while he was nursing his hammy that the club and or leadership group didn’t like. It certainly wasn’t his form in the intra, or trial. So yeah, extremely weird.

 

[Willsy10]

Weird decision to have him train with us for 4 months and then say see you later. Why keep him training for so long if they weren’t gonna list him? Surely you’d get an idea of why he has to offer after a month or so. Feels like we lead him on a bit. I’d be pretty dirty if I was him…

Same could be said if Zadow and O’brien miss out too, we were never going to list them all.

 

[bringbackbucky]

Same could be said if Zadow and O’brien miss out too, we were never going to list them all.

I reckon Stephenson is a bit different. He has a career behind him to judge him on. Watch some tapes and u can see what he has to offer. They just had to see if he was fit and could still deliver. Strange move to go so far down the path of recruiting him and the bailing on it…

 

[Willsy10]

it’s quite amazing the amount of hysteria this has caused, wasn’t what I was expecting but it’s not worth all this carry on.

I’m going to allow some trust in Carr on this one. None of us have spent the last 3 months with any of the train on lads.

Hopefully the two out of Obrien zadow and clohesy take their chance. Their profiles probably read more like a Carr/Collins type players.

 

[Willsy10]

I reckon Stephenson is a bit different. He has a career behind him to judge him on. Watch some tapes and u can see what he has to offer. They just had to see if he was fit and could still deliver. Strange move to go so far down the path of recruiting him and the bailing on it…

I don’t think it’s that bad, if he had other clubs after him and we wasted his time maybe but he didn’t. It was never a guarantee and we aren’t privy to all the information.

 

[bringbackbucky]

How much do the train on boys get paid?

 

[Fosman]

Welcome to the forum.

I definitely understand and echo some of your sentiments. At the same time, it is my opinion when looking at the list profile, that it's on the young side and a few years away from having the requisite profile of other premiership winners over the last 20ish years.

As RussellEbertHandball messaged me earlier today, 6 players from the 2024 prelim team are no longer on the list (Boak, Burton, Dixon, F Evans, Narkle and Rioli) whilst Aliir, Wines and DBJ have all entered their 30s and slowing down. Additionally, SPP is coming back from another big injury, as is Marshall. So whilst I understand that there's bound to be organic growth, the list management team have essentially replaced those 6 who have left with young players who are going to take time to develop. Hence, I understand why they haven't necessarily gone "all-in" this season. Going "all-in" per se also leads you to end up making decisions like trading high end picks for more established, lower ceiling veterans (Ratugolea, Soldo etc).

I agree that there's a lot to be optimistic about internally with regards to the coaching team, the list and the draw.

Butters can say whatever he wants publicly about his decision being football related. If that were truly the case, he would be considering teams outside of Victoria for starters. The reality is that if he returns to Victoria it's because his mum has essentially been in his ear every day since he was drafted in 2018 to come home.

Port have already made multiple offers to Butters, including what imo was a silly 2 year deal with a further long term option in the player's favour of around 6 or so years to be added to it at any time of his choosing. This theoretically would mean Butters could have signed the 2 year extension and then left as an unrestricted free agent - and with the way the AFL is heading, would likely end in no compensation coming back to Port. As a restricted free agent, if Butters does leave, Port will rightly match the deal and force a trade, which should land them multiple first round picks. This is important especially in the context of acquiring all of Cochrane, Pilot, Salopek and potentially Rodan, who all could be first round picks in the draft (the two aforementioned top 5 picks if not higher).

FWIW, Port even considered trading Butters last year - they're far from oblivious about the likelihood of him going home to Victoria.

A quick look at our list shows what it looks like when you only include players who are 27 years of age or less:

F: Whitlock, Georgiades, Berry
HF: JHF, Lukosius, Richards
C: Burgoyne, Moraes
HB: Rozee, Farrell
B: Sinn, Ramm, Jones
FOLL: Visentini, Bergman, Butters
INT: Evans, Lorenz, Durdin

Other players I have deliberately omitted because I don't think they'll ever be in the best team at AFL level (at full strength) include:

Barrett
Tom Cochrane
Lai
Walsh
Anastasopoulos
Moss
Macklinay
Durdin
Liddy
Lord
Mead
Watkins

My point is that there is a reasonably strong nucleus in place. Even if you take out Butters, move JHF on the ball then add all of Dougie, Pilot and Salopek to it. It has strong potential, but it's clearly going to take time imo to realise said potential.



You are spot on with regards to culture and system being more important than the list man for man. It's why we saw a fair amount of players with talent leave this off-season - they simply were not culture fits for what Carr wants to deliver.

I think you're overreacting though with the Stephenson non-selection. He would literally be taking one of the last list spots. He also hasn't played AFL football in 18 months, and has kicked 20 goals in a season just once in the last 5 years. Let's not mistake him for the young 2018 player who was a young star, because he's clearly not that anymore. And I'm far from oblivious to the notion that they need to find a small forward who can kick goals. Haven't had a reliable one since Fantasia in 2021 (Rioli was not reliable), and even that was only for a season.

FWIW, I will be personally happy with any more than 10 wins this season whilst keeping the blow out losses to a minimum - I've got the bar set pretty low, simply because the team was a mental mess by the end of last season, and given the turnaround in the list profile and the embracing of youth, I don't see a squad ready to win now at all. But if they keep this nucleus together for the next few years, finals is realistic in 2026 and they should be contending in 2027.

Thanks mate, I really appreciate your detailed response and insight.

Just philosophically, I find it hard sometimes when sporting organisations temper expectations and it triggered me to hear that might be happening behind the scenes. The last thing I want for Port is to end up like the Norths of the world in a perma-rebuild with no idea what success looks like.

We are pretty lucky where it is almost impossible for us to burn our future now as we will need to keep our draft picks to allow access to Dougie and Zemes. I think instilling that culture of success will make it more likely for Louis and Tevita to leave Melbourne and choose us as well as help with NWM/Bailey in the future.

I do agree with a lot of your points regarding the list profile and agree that Stephenson was unlikely to make a big difference either way. I just feel that the aim and the expectation should always be to win a premiership every year. Not saying that the year is a failure if we don't but just want that mentality back in the club after so many years of not having it!

 

[240volt]

Good decision, I never wanted him in the first place and believed the new coaching group would pass on him.
Taking him on would have been a step backwards and thankfully the people that count have done the right thing.
We move on!

 

[240volt]

Could "influx of youth" be deemed a rebuild? Sshhh. Don't tell Koch.

It’s a Clayton’s rebuild.
Was always going to happen because that’s the only way forward.

 

[MrChow]

I like what I've seen of Zadow so far. At almost 22 (born March 2004) you'd think there's still upside.
However, he does seem to be another version of Richards, and not too dissimilar to Durdin, DBJ or even Berry in the type of forward he would be.

As a comparison, St Kilda - who many here wouldn't rate - go into this season with Liam Ryan, Higgins and Hall as three small forwards who can hit the scoreboard pretty regularly.
Carlton - another team that will be struggling to make the top 10, let alone 8 - have Ainsworth and Hayward.

The fact that our small forward stocks are less threatening than either of those two mediocre sides, is the concern for me. It's not like we have dominant big forwards to pick up the slack either. Only Georgiades has runs on the board.

We basically haven't replaced Rioli with another dangerous, goal savvy small forward. Cochrane is the only one on our list who seems to have any potential to be that type of forward, and that's on the back of 3-4 SANFL games at the start of last year, half of which were trial games.

Berry will improve this year, but he's not kicked more than 1 goal in any AFL match yet and doesn't really win the footy a lot inside 50.
Richards is a one goal per game forward at best, and is better suited to playing as a link man between the arcs.
Durdin's history strongly suggests he's not capable of being the player we need.
DBJ is a another goal per game type.

Who's going to regularly threaten with 2-3 goal outings other than Mitch G?

Interestingly I think we only have 4 on our list, who have kicked a 5+ goal game. Marshall, Georgi, Luko and Rozee.

Lords kicked 4. Not sure who else.

We definetly played better 2 years ago, when JHF went forward 50/50.

Anyway, Rozee could kick 40-50 goals playing forward. But would we be a better side.

 

[240volt]

Stephenson may have matured, realised he pissed away his talent and career and is looking for redemption? Whilst the chances of him pulling it off are against him, if he does it would be an awesome story.

Also has 240 recently retired and now has nothing better to do than post here? Never really noticed him untill recently. His posting is up there with the worst that exists on the Port board.

Yeah tell me about it.

 

[240volt]

You may look like genius with this post or an idiot. I can’t wait to find out which come September 2026.

 

[JohnHinckleyJr]

Good decision, I never wanted him in the first place and believed the new coaching group would pass on him.
Taking him on would have been a step backwards and thankfully the people that count have done the right thing.
We move on!

 

[Launchpad McQuack]

From the intraclub and sound of the reserves trial, he was the best performed small forward.

We aren't interested in having an effective small forward for the cost of a list spot and salary.

We are a well run football club.

 

[Chachi]

It's also worth mentioning that while this board which wants, needs, to believe that things will be better under Carr has been falling over itself to say that this must be because of attitude problems or commitment or some other such extraneous factor, all the media on the subject has been that the club just thought the other three guys had performed better. And yet Stephenson had clearly been our biggest goal threat in both games he played. That tells me that Carr, like his predecessor, doesn't value goals. That's hugely concerning.

That’s not a fair inference and frankly just an emotional response because you don’t like the decision.
We have an excellent team of coaches at the club who have months of information to draw on about JS.
I have complete confidence they have made a decision that is in the absolute best interests of the club and by extension, us.

 

[RossFC]

 

[Peninsula Boy]

For mine, I think the club knew what Jaidyn had on the field but it was the off field stuff they were worried about and I think they needed a fair amount of time to assess that. Everyone is good when it is going well but they needed to see him when things were a bit harder. I think Addy said he'd been on autopilot for the last few weeks. A very concerning report. The other thing I would say is that he doesn't have the normal vibrancy of a footballer. They usually have a bit of a glow because their bodies are in very good condition but he actually looks worn out. He looks a much older 27.

I go with the club and with Josh trying to change the culture of the club from that lazy, unaccountable, unprofessional clique that Hinkley instilled to a team of professionals willing to sacrifice for the team, I think it is worthwhile not to have a guy like Jaidyn in the team even if his form is good. Josh is about the right principles. We will find another small forward in the future who can kick goals with the right attitude.

 

[Chewy316]

Thanks mate, I really appreciate your detailed response and insight.

Just philosophically, I find it hard sometimes when sporting organisations temper expectations and it triggered me to hear that might be happening behind the scenes. The last thing I want for Port is to end up like the Norths of the world in a perma-rebuild with no idea what success looks like.

We are pretty lucky where it is almost impossible for us to burn our future now as we will need to keep our draft picks to allow access to Dougie and Zemes. I think instilling that culture of success will make it more likely for Louis and Tevita to leave Melbourne and choose us as well as help with NWM/Bailey in the future.

I do agree with a lot of your points regarding the list profile and agree that Stephenson was unlikely to make a big difference either way. I just feel that the aim and the expectation should always be to win a premiership every year. Not saying that the year is a failure if we don't but just want that mentality back in the club after so many years of not having it!

I understand your perspective for sure.

For starters, Port aren't ever going to drop to the doldrums of where North has been at. That's not going to happen.

Fwiw, there are zero concerns that Salopek is going to stay in Melbourne - he will be at Port irrespective of where they sit on the ladder in coming years. Player acquisition via trade and free agency is a weird alchemy of sorts that often doesn't make sense to us supporters - and dare I say it's not strictly a law to the AFL either. One only needs to look to the NRL's recent blockbuster move of Payne Haas to South Sydney for identical money he was on in Brisbane to make the point.

NWM's manager expressed interest in his client returning to SA and joining Port as far back as Octoberish 2024. Of course, things can change, and he's currently under contract with St. Kilda, but I won't be surprised in coming years if he returns to SA.

The mentality you're talking about is what the coaching staff and players need to have during the season, absolutely. However, there is the nuance of list management that requires the backroom footy department to see a greater perspective so they can set the team up for sustained success. It's why we've seen the transition to go much younger over the last 2 off seasons, reducing the minimal likelihood of bottoming out whilst accelerating the development of a number of players such that there is a clear window opportunity for sustained success in the coming years given the resources Port has available to them in the coming years via the draft.

 

[Shaucob_Burjan]

Committing to youth is kind of moot with our upcoming drafts. Take advantage of being able to go all out to win games with the best young talents in upcoming drafts basically guaranteed to us

 

[Chewy316]

Committing to youth is kind of moot with our upcoming drafts. Take advantage of being able to go all out to win games with the best young talents in upcoming drafts basically guaranteed to us

So do you think they should prioritise playing experienced players ahead of guys like Whitlock, Berry, Moraes, Ramm, Evans etc?

Those experienced players probably get you a slightly better result this year, but also quite possibly aren't around on the list once the team has gotten all of its NGA and FS prospects in two years time. Those 40ish games could be quite valuable for those young players to improve and have the list in a better position by then, though.