Jack Whitlock to debut for Port Adelaide against Geelong
Emerging Port Adelaide tall forward Jack Whitlock is poised to debut against Geelong on Sunday.
Taken at pick 33 from Murray Bushrangers in last year's national draft, Whitlock is line to replace the injured Jack Lukosius for the away clash.
The Power has been adamant it will not play youngsters before they are ready just because its cannot make the finals.
A raft of injuries and Whitlock's SANFL form, which includes kicking three goals against North Adelaide a fortnight ago, presents the 19-year-old, 200cm draftee with an opportunity.
'Now is a great time to have that conversation a little bit more about the upside versus the downside,' Port coach Ken Hinkley said. — Matt Turner (@mattturner1986) July 31, 2025
'The upside might get in front at this stage of the season.
'When you've got availability quite low, that's where there's potential to explore some youth ahead of time.
'There's a number of experienced players we could lean on but we've also got to balance what's next.'
The Power will be forced to make at least two changes, replacing Lukosius and Miles Bergman.
Bergman was ruled out for the remainder of the season on Wednesday because of a shoulder issue.
Hinkley said the midfielder/defender would have pushed through the pain if playing finals was a possibility.
'It's a tough decision (to end his season early), but the right thing for his long-term future,' Hinkley said.
'Each game he played it was getting a little bit worse for him to handle.
'We've had 18 surgeries since January – that's a really big number.'
Hinkley said captain Connor Rozee would battle on because his fractured hand was a more manageable issue.
'It'll be sore for another week or two probably before the pain goes away,' he said.
Fresh off a 98-point Showdown loss and undermanned, Port is hoping to play at a level it can be proud of against the fourth-placed Cats.
'Last week was really disappointing,' Hinkley said.
'If we're able to challenge Geelong and potentially beat them, that'd be a great bit of confidence for some young people against a really experienced side.'
Hinkley said he would love to see Geelong spearhead Jeremy Cameron reach 100 goals, so long as he did not go well this weekend.
Cameron sits on 69 majors with four minor rounds remaining.
'Jez is a great player,' Hinkley said.
'I think think it'd be outstanding for football to see 100 goals kicked again.
'It's showing us what offence is starting to become again – it's typically getting on top these last couple of seasons. Read related topics: Adelaide Matt Turner Sports reporter
Matt Turner is a sports reporter for The Advertiser and CODE Sports who covers mainly AFL and basketball. He has been with News Corp for more than a decade, starting at The Messenger, where he was sports editor for two years. Matt isn't to be confused with Matt Turner, the award-winning Advertiser photographer, who also shares the same middle name (James). AFL
Blues fans are probably just looking forward to the end of what's been a miserable 2025. But there's still blows landing, with a star sent for surgery which will end his season. AFL
Last year was Will Day's toughest footy experience, sitting on the bench helpless as his Hawks toiled through finals. Now, after a helping hand from a surprising source, he's ready for redemption.
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