JASON Horne-Francis and Junior Rioli are now Port Adelaide players after a complex four-club trade was completed to bring them to South Australia.
Horne-Francis was the first pick in the 2021 AFL National Draft and moves to Alberton in a deal which will tie him to Port Adelaide until the end of 2028.
In his debut season, Horne-Francis earned a Rising Star nomination and averaged 17 disposals, 3.5 clearances and three tackles per game.
The highly talented teen had a career-best 23 disposals and five tackles against Sydney in round 4.
Horne-Francis is no stranger to Port Adelaide, having trained with the club alongside new teammate Jase Burgoyne in their draft year as part of the NAB AFL Academy.
The Christies Beach and South Adelaide product also has family ties to Port Adelaide with his father Fabian Francis having played both SANFL and AFL for the club, and being part of the 1995 and 1996 SANFL Premiership winning teams.
Horne-Francis will join a midfield featuring Brownlow Medallist Ollie Wines and brimming with young talent including Zak Butters and All-Australian Connor Rozee.
“Jason is a highly talented player who we know will complement our developing and exciting midfield group,” said Port Adelaide list manager Jason Cripps.
“He is competitive and aggressive, and we like his power and explosiveness as well as his ability to go forward and hit the scoreboard.
“Once Jason indicated a desire to be traded to our club, we explored a range of options to satisfy North Melbourne and ensure he would be a Port Adelaide player in 2023, and we are thrilled to welcome him to Alberton.”
Rioli lands at Alberton on a four-year deal.
He is no stranger to South Australia, having been drafted by the Eagles with pick 52 in the 2016 national draft from SANFL club Glenelg.
The 27-year-old has so far kicked 60 goals in 51 AFL since making his debut in Round 2, 2018.
Rioli was part of the 2018 premiership-winning side that featured current Port Adelaide ruckman Scott Lycett and was that club’s Best Emerging Talent in the same year.
“Junior certainly has some attributes that will strengthen our forward line, particularly given some of the players we have lost since the end of the season,” said Cripps.
“He has had a difficult couple of years but we feel a change of scenery and within the environment we have created at Alberton, we will see him return to the electrifying footy we know he is capable of.”
Rioli kicked 14 goals in 13 games for the Eagles in 2022.
While he has primarily been deployed as a forward, he has also shown an ability to make an impact during stints in the midfield.
The trade leaves Port Adelaide with picks 33 and 60 in next month’s AFL National Draft, with two days remaining in the Continental Tyres AFL Trade Period.
Port Adelaide receives:
Jason Horne-Francis
Junior Rioli
2023 2nd Round selection (tied to Collingwood)
2023 3rd Round selection (tied to Fremantle)
Port Adelaide gives up:
2022 picks 8, 43, 53, 57
2023 1st Round selection
2023 2nd Round selection
2023 3rd Round selection
Jason Horne-Francis
DOB: 21/06/2003
185cm, 81kg
Debuted Round 1 2022
Recruited with pick 1 in 2021 national draft from South Adelaide (Christies Beach)
AFL games: 17 (17 in 2022)
AFL goals: 4 (4 in 2022)
2022 Round 7 NAB Rising Star nominee
2022 North Melbourne Best First Year Player
Junior Rioli
DOB: 04/06/95
175m, 78kg
Debuted Round 2, 2018
Recruited with pick 52 in 2016 national draft from Glenelg (St Mary’s NT Xavier College Vic)
AFL games: 51 (13 in 2022)
AFL goals: 60 (14 in 2022)
2018 AFL Premiership player
2018 West Coast Emerging Talent award
