Confidence in Port Adelaide\u2019s direction and culture led Jack Whitlock to re-sign on a long-term deal.<\/p>\n
The Victorian key forward, who was already contracted through 2027, was offered deals of various lengths by the Power and chose to extend his stay for five more campaigns.<\/p>\n
Whitlock, 20, has booted 23 goals from 22 matches, including 19 from 18 this year.<\/p>\n
His extension takes him well beyond Tasmania\u2019s entry into the competition ahead of the 2028 season under former Port coach Ken Hinkley.<\/p>\n
Whitlock said he was loving his time at the club and in Adelaide.<\/p>\n
\u201cI did have a couple of (contract) options but ultimately I like where we\u2019re going and have heaps of faith in the coaches and culture,\u201d Whitlock said.<\/p>\n
\u201cComing from country Victoria (Shepparton) \u2026 it\u2019s pretty chill and similar to Adelaide.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s 15, 20 minutes everywhere, which is something I really like.<\/p>\n
\u201cTalking to my brother (Kangaroos player Matt) in Melbourne, it takes 45 minutes to training.\u201d<\/p>\n
Selected with pick 33 in the 2024 national draft, Whitlock has not missed a game since debuting in round 21 last year.<\/p>\n
Port was determined to lock the promising tall away and chats with his management heated up after the first few weeks of the campaign.<\/p>\n
\u201cI always had self-belief I could play some good footy early, but to play every game this year wasn\u2019t what I was expecting,\u201d Whitlock said.<\/p>\n
He is living with Power goalsneak Joe Berry, a former Murray Bushrangers teammate who hails from the Victorian country town of Benalla.<\/p>\n
\u201cHaving someone come over with a similar lifestyle as you growing up definitely makes it a lot easier,\u201d Whitlock said.<\/p>\n
The newly re-signed forward expected back-to-back reigning premiers Brisbane to be really difficult to beat at the Gabba on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Port is taking confidence from pushing ladder-leaders Fremantle for most of last week\u2019s game despite being undermanned, as well as its wins over Adelaide and Geelong earlier this year.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know we can bring our best,\u201d Whitlock said.<\/p>\n
\u201cCarry (senior coach Josh Carr) will get us up like we always do.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Power recalled stars Mitch Georgiades (concussion) and Jason Horne-Francis (suspension) to face the Lions.<\/p>\n
On-ballers Will Lorenz and Jack Watkins, and key defender Harrison Ramm also came into the extended squad.<\/p>\n
Midfielder\/forward Joe Richards (finger) and wingman Jacob Wehr (omitted) are out.<\/p>\n
\u2018Don\u2019t want the season to finish\u2019: Zadow trying to repay the faith<\/p>\n
Mitch Zadow\u2019s dad has travelled from Western Australia to watch all four of the Port Adelaide small forward\u2019s matches during his debut season.<\/p>\n
He even flew to Melbourne for the St Kilda game a fortnight ago, only for his son to be a late out due to illness.<\/p>\n
Zadow, 22, made it up to his dad on Saturday by producing his best performance, kicking 3.3 from 10 disposals in the home loss to ladder-leading Fremantle.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think I owed him one,\u201d Zadow told this masthead.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t believe I\u2019m here and playing the footy I am.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve had family members come over to every game, and mates, and it\u2019s just awesome.\u201d<\/p>\n
Zadow, from Pinjarra, a country town about an hour south of Perth, joined Port as a rookie in February during the supplemental selection period.<\/p>\n
The East Fremantle product debuted against Richmond at the MCG in round 4, then had to bide his time before being recalled for the Power\u2019s upset Showdown win last month.<\/p>\n
He is out of contract at season\u2019s end but is trying\u00a0not to think much about his future. Zadow is more focused on holding his spot.<\/p>\n
\u201cMe and my manager just spoke about\u00a0playing consistent footy and if I do that, everything will work out fine,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t want the season to finish and\u00a0I want to play as many AFL games as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
Zadow said kicking three majors against Fremantle, including the first on Saturday, was a surprise.<\/p>\n
\u201cI went into the game trying to be a bit of an annoyance to Jordan Clark,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had a great chat to Sam Powell-Pepper before the game and he told me that some of his best games come from doing a role on someone.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat gave me a bit of confidence.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m ecstatic to go all right, but we didn\u2019t get the win.\u201d<\/p>\n
The game was extra special for Zadow because he played alongside his housemates Balyn O\u2019Brien and Xavier Bamert.<\/p>\n
It was the AFL debut for fellow SSP addition O\u2019Brien and the sixth match for mid-season recruit Bamert.<\/p>\n
\u201cTraining with Balyn as an SSP, we created a bond quite early \u2013 I\u2019m a country boy and he\u2019s a country boy,\u201d Zadow said.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo see him get the call-up was awesome.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love the way he goes about it and the coaching staff does as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cBammo (Bamert) is almost untapped potential and I think he can go a long way at AFL level.\u201d<\/p>\n
Zadow said the trio was determined to make the most of its opportunities as the team, sitting 15th with a 6-12 record, battled a long injury list.<\/p>\n
\u201cMe and Balyn and all those boys, if we had a full-strength side we probably wouldn\u2019t be in there,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re just playing our role.\u201d<\/p>\n
POWER TO REGAIN TWO STARS, LOSE YOUNG GUN<\/p>\n
Port Adelaide is expected to regain two stars for Sunday\u2019s away clash with Brisbane but has lost in-form Joe Richards for a month due to a broken finger.<\/p>\n
Just as Mitch Georgiades prepares to resume from concussion and on-baller Jason Horne-Francis becomes available after serving a one-game ban, Richards,\u00a0arguably the Power\u2019s best in Saturday\u2019s home loss to ladder-leader Fremantle,\u00a0is likely to miss up to four weeks.<\/p>\n
Port has used 38 players this season, the equal-fifth most in the competition.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs much as you don\u2019t want injuries to your key players, it does give you opportunities to look at your list,\u201d Power defensive coach Luke Webster said.<\/p>\n
Three-game key defender Harrison Ramm has a chance to return after withdrawing late against the Dockers.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a kid that we want to have in our team and we think he can add some real value to our backline,\u201d Webster said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Power was considering whether utility Miles Bergman would revert to defence from the midfield because Horne-Francis was returning.<\/p>\n
\u201cSelfishly, I\u2019d love him to be in the back half \u2026 but he can help us in multiple roles,\u201d Webster said.<\/p>\n
The backline coach pushed the All-Australian case for key defender Aliir Aliir, who made the side in 2021.<\/p>\n
Aliir leads the AFL for most intercept marks this year and ranks\u00a0third for intercept possessions.<\/p>\n
Port is third for fewest points conceded.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe performs week in, week out and, not having Sav (the injured Esava Ratugolea) much this year, we\u2019ve given him the number one key forward each week,\u201d Webster said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome of those guys have kicked goals on him, but he\u2019s still having great impact in the air.\u201d<\/p>\n
Webster said it had been a challenging year for fellow key defender Brandon Zerk-Thatcher, who had played three AFL and 10 SANFL games, but the ex-Bomber had done a great job at \u201cstaying really level, finding his way into the team, and sticking to what he does\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought he was pretty solid for the majority of the game on the weekend, playing against probably the best key forwards in the comp,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been a grind for him having to spend a fair bit of time in the Maggies \u2026 but we\u2019ve got to keep giving him opportunities to keep performing and improving.\u201d<\/p>\n
Superstar Zak Butters is back at Alberton to start his rehabilitation after his ankle syndesmosis repair.<\/p>\n
The vice-captain is expected to be sidelined for up to five weeks, leaving him in a race against time to play again in 2026 with five rounds remaining.<\/p>\n
Wingman Jack Lukosius is a fortnight away from resuming from his burst Baker\u2019s cyst \u2013 a fluid-filled lump behind the knee that causes tightness.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Confidence in Port Adelaide\u2019s direction and culture led Jack Whitlock to re-sign on a long-term deal. 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