The club invited 10 promising young footballers to Alberton this week to gain valuable insight into life as an AFL footballer. Image: Matt Sampson.

Port Adelaide has welcomed a group of academy footballers and their families to Alberton Oval for a ‘live the week’ experience to gain valuable insight into life as an AFL footballer. 

In a continued investment in talent development in South Australia, the club invited 10 promising young footballers to Alberton, with plenty of surnames among the group already well-known to Power fans. 

Visitors included Tevita and Maikeli Rodan (sons of David, who played 120 games for Port Adelaide), Louis and Max Salopek (sons of 121-gamer Steven), Percy Burgoyne (son of Shaun, who played 157 matches for Port Adelaide) as well as First Nations and multicultural teenagers Dougie Cochrane, Zack Young, Zemes Pilot, Mason Tambe and Archie Faulkner. 

Zemes Pilot in action during the squad's main training session. Image: Matt Sampson.

Dougie holds an extra special connection with the Power, with father Stuart making 54 appearances for the club, and older brother Tom making his AFL debut last season. 

The boys were integrated into the playing group from Monday with a tour of the facility, before being kitted out in Port Adelaide gear to join training and meetings throughout the week. 

Along with their families, they were also exposed to a swathe of industry professionals to learn about nutrition, strength and conditioning and sports psychology, while also hearing from CEO Matthew Richardson and list manager Jason Cripps. 

Academy coach Mark Clayton, academy programs manager Sean Lemmens and head of academies Shane Grimm led the activities for the week, alongside Cripps, recruiter Robbie Gray, and national recruiting manager Geoff Parker. 

“This week is really important for us to connect with players and their families within our academy system,” Grimm said. 

“Not only do we want to get to know these young men really well, it’s a great opportunity to engage with their parents and families, without whom, they wouldn’t be where they are. The education and experiences they have this week will help to equip them to meet the expectations of AFL football, should that opportunity arise in the future. 

The boys were integrated into the day-to-day happenings throughout the week. Image: Matt Sampson.

“We have some incredibly exciting First Nations, multicultural and father-son talent coming through our academy, and the significance of making them feel comfortable at the club from an early stage in their development can’t be overstated.” 

Dougie Cochrane and Zack Young are the oldest of the group and can nominate for the national draft in 2026, while Max Salopek is the youngest, and won’t be eligible until 2029.