PORT ADELAIDE General Manager - Football Chris Davies says the club will approach the 2019 NAB AFL Trade Period as it has any other one, by trying to improve its list.
Davies says the club is always assessing the make-up of its list for the short and long term, and would take a pragmatic approach to the trade period seeking to work towards a list that would win the club a premiership.
“Throughout the trade period there is potential for us to look at different things we can do,” Davies said on Telstra AFL Trade Radio on Wednesday morning.
“Ultimately, we approach this trade period as we do any other one. We want our list to be better at the end of it.
“We’ve got to make decisions now that will be in the best interest of our club, both in the short and long term.
“We are a pretty pragmatic club - in the sense that if something needs to get done, we generally get it done.”
Port will be looking to try and facilitate trades for two of its big men, after Paddy Ryder and Billy Frampton informed the club they would each like to pursue opportunities elsewhere.
Davies said it was always hard to lose quality players and men for the club, but he understands that it was the nature of the business.
“Paddy (Ryder) has obviously been a great person for our club,” he said.
“He’s a great guy, and we will try a facilitate that deal to St Kilda where we can.
“Billy Frampton is one who probably started as a ruck but played this year as a key forward in the SANFL.
“We are disappointed to lose Bill in the sense that he has taken some steps forward as a key forward this year, but he is out of contract and he’s expressed an interest to look for more opportunity elsewhere.”
Despite the loss of two big men on the Power list, Port’s head of football is comfortable where the list sits in terms of ruck stocks, but the club will be open to bringing in more tall options.
“Scott Lycett is contracted to our club for a long period of time,” Davies said.
“We are really pleased with the development of Peter Ladhams this year. We’ve got a guy - Sam Hayes - who we think is going to be a really, really good player.
“We are good in terms of the quality of players we’ve got.
“Going into next season with only three genuine ruckmen on our list - you could probably suggest we might be looking for something else there but that will unfold throughout the trade period.”
The 2019 NAB AFL Trade Period commences on Monday 7 October at 9am, with the NAB Free Agency Period beginning on Friday 4 October.
