Louie Montgomery and Ky Burgoyne grapple at training. Image: Jack Dilks.

THEY are the sons of guns who Port Adelaide supporters and recruiters alike will be keeping an eye on as the year progresses, and for a few days during the school holidays a quartet of father-son prospects have been training at the club with the AFL group.

Gil Wakelin, Rome Burgoyne, Louie Montgomery and Ky Burgoyne - the sons of 2004 premiership stars Darryl Wakelin, Peter Burgoyne, Brett Montgomery and Shaun Burgoyne - were on the track at Alberton over the last couple of days.

And they didn’t have far to look for inspiration with Rome’s older brother Jase Burgoyne and fellow father-son Jackson Mead training alongside them as an example of where they could be if they play their cards right.

Under the watchful eye of coaches Justin Westhoff and Jason Williams, who they have been working with as part of the club’s Next Generation Academy program, the teenage quartet joined in on drills, game reviews and gym sessions.

Gil Wakelin looks on at training. Image: Jack Dilks.

“These boys are going into their draft year so it’s a good chance for them to see where they are at,” Westhoff said of the visit.

“If the club is in a position to pick them at the end of the year, they are eligible.

“At the moment two of those boys – Rome and Louie – are part of the state Under 18 program, so we only have very limited access to them, but being in the school holidays we have invited them down before they rejoin their school programs.

Rome Burgoyne, son of 2004 premiership star Peter Burgoyne, is part of the state Under 18 program. Image: Jack Dilks.

“Given their schooling, it makes it tough to get them out amongst the AFL group on a regular basis but it’s a really good opportunity for them to see how we go about it here, to see where they are at, and to upskill them to play some better footy as the year progresses.”

Woodville-West Torrens product Rome Burgoyne, North Adelaide’s Louie Montgomerie and Gil Wakelin from Sturt are Prince Alfred College schoolmates while Ky Burgoyne plays his club footy at West Adelaide and goes to Henley High.

Louie Montgomery secures a mark at training. Image: Jack Dilks.

Tom and Charlie Wilson - the sons of another 2004 premiership player Michael Wilson – are also in their draft year and have recently joined the NGA program, though weren’t at Alberton this week.

South Adelaide’s Benny Barrett – a fellow NGA participant – has been training with the AFL group regularly throughout the start of the AFL season and added to the youthful feeling on the track.

South Adelaide’s Benny Barrett has been training regularly with the AFL group in 2024. Image: Matt Sampson.

While the group represents the oldest of the NGA crop, Westhoff was excited about some of the talent coming through and staying in touch with the families of past players.

“Our father-son program is really important for us in terms of engaging with past players who have sacrificed a lot for our club so it’s a good opportunity to get those families back in and re-engage with them to give those kids an opportunity to see what the club is all about and what their dad was a part of when he used to play,” he explained.

“It also gives them an opportunity to experience what it’s like to be an AFL player and exposing them to the way our players prepare and train.”

Port Adelaide has previously drafted five father-sons – Brett Ebert, Trent and Jase Burgoyne, Taj Schofield and Jackson Mead.