To the Port Adelaide list management team

To the Football Department,

 

Firstly, may I congratulate the whole football department on the recent free agency and trade period. All of the members and supporters of the Port Adelaide Football Club could ask for no more than the recruitment of three players who walk straight into our best 22 for Round 1 in 2018. Rocky, Mots and Watto we welcome you to the PAFC family and wish you well in the summer ahead and going into your first season at the PAFC in 2018. You can now proudly say #weareportadelaide #carnthepear. See you at Adelaide Oval.

 

Adding to our midfield depth and our forward of centre mix we look to have target recruited players who instantly make our side better and bolster areas most observers felt we needed to. Support for our midfield and more options forward of centre.

 

Then during the trade period we granted the wishes of five players who were seeking greater opportunities at other clubs. To Lobbes, Arch, Youngy, Jars and Jacko we thank you for the commitment you showed to our club, thank you for the blood, sweat and tears you gave for our club and all members and supporters of the PAFC wish you all the best in your on field and off field future.

 

Unfortunately in 2017 none of the above mentioned were able to truly cement a spot in our AFL side and by giving these players the opportunity to seek a new start elsewhere we have shown that we were committing to a new path. A path that includes recruiting and keeping players we see in our best 22 and who are set for a tilt at top 4 finishes for the next 2-3 years or those who we see as the future of the club, the next generation of Port Adelaide AFL players. The likes of Marshall, Atley, Drew, Frampton etc. Your time will come boys, it will come.

 

This then leads me to the discussion this weekend just gone that suggests the club may be interested in the services of North Melbourne’s Lindsay Thomas if, as expected, he is delisted by the NMFC. Thomas, who turns 30 in February has played 205 games and kicked 329 goals across 11 seasons at North. A solid career at AFL level. Much maligned by opposition fans over the years and at times by North fans, Thomas struggled to hold his post in the North Melbourne AFL side in 2017. Dropped from the AFL side that managed just 6 wins in 2017, he played 9 games and kicked 5 goals. Disciplinary issues cost him several weeks at VFL level.

 

Which brings me to ask this, where does Thomas fit in the program the football department entered into during the trade / free agency period?

 

Does he fit into our best 22? I would think that’s unlikely with Robbie Gray, Chad Wingard, Steven Motlop, Sam Gray and Tom Rockliff holding down spots in our forward half rotations with Jake Neade and Karl Amon potentially starting in the SANFL with the Magpies.

 

Is he the future of the club and part of the next generation to take us forward? Turning 30 at the start of 2018, that’s a simple “No”.

 

Now while there are people who are far, far more credentialed than I am to form our playing list and this group in recent times has been able to create a system that has made our club a destination for the likes of Angus Monfries, Jared Polec, Paddy Ryder and Charlie Dixon I have to question, on behalf of all members and supporters, is the media simply offering some post season scuttlebutt or is there genuine interest from our club in Thomas?

 

If we believe we need back up for the back up then may we look to one of our very own, one from our heart land, Robbie Young. Robbie has shown commitment to our club, has worked extremely hard on the defensive side of his game and has natural goal sense.

 

Listening to a beer swilling punter from the Riverbank Stand won’t get us our next premiership but I can’t help but think I can try…

 

3rd generation Port Adelaide member proudly sharing my love for our club with a 4^th generation.

 

#since1975

#weareportadelaide