Port Adelaide used Tuesday night’s Telstra AFL mid-season rookie draft to add ruck Alex van Wyk at pick 14 and forward/midfielder Xavier Bamert at pick five, making two moves in a draft the club has repeatedly used to patch lists and find immediate depth.

Bamert, a 19-year-old powerful left-footer and big-bodied midfielder, had already built a strong case for selection. He was overlooked in last year’s national draft, then signed with North Melbourne’s VFL team and played four games so far this season. Born on 29 January 2007, he captained the Sandringham Dragons to a grand final appearance in his draft year and also played all four games for Victoria Metro in the under-18 national championships.

Geoff Parker said Bamert had put the disappointment of missing last year’s draft behind him and used the off-season to work hard on his all-round game. Parker said he had then performed at a high level in the VFL while playing predominantly as a forward, showing his competitive attack on the contest, strong running capacity and ability to impact the scoreboard.

For Port Adelaide, the pair of selections fits a pattern that has run through the club’s recent mid-season activity. The Power have previously dipped into the draft to add Cam Sutcliffe in 2019, Jed McEntee in 2021, Brynn Teakle in 2022, Quinton Narkle in 2023, Logan Evans in 2024 and Mani Liddy, Ewan Mackinlay and Harrison Ramm in 2025.

Van Wyk’s arrival gives Port another ruck option, with the club describing him as a ruck with huge presence. Bamert brings a different look. At 185cm, he is smaller than a traditional key forward but has the size and burst to move between the midfield and attack, which was part of the appeal for Port at pick five.

The draft did not simply reward early promise. It also offered a second chance to a player who had already been tested in the VFL and a club that keeps using the mid-season window to reshape its list while the season is still alive. For Bamert, that means the next step is no longer projection. It is Port Adelaide, and the expectation that his game can translate beyond the promise he has already shown.