AFL Draft 2021: Port Adelaide trade up on draft night to take Josh Sinn with pick 12

The Power swapped its 2022 second-round selection to West Coast on Wednesday to move up two spots – from 14 to 12 – so it could take Sandringham Dragons’ half-back/midfielder Josh Sinn.

That move came a month after Port Adelaide climbed four positions in the first round when it traded ruckman/forward Peter Ladhams to Sydney.

Power national recruiting manager Geoff Parker did not know if Essendon, which was linked with Sinn on Wednesday, would have snared the left-footer with the selection before it if the club did not agree to the deal with the Eagles.

But Parker said the club rated him very highly so was happy to move up to get him.

“There’s always a risk – we weren’t 100 per cent sure what Essendon were thinking,” Parker told News Corp.

“We looked back over past drafts and they’d drafted some players that we liked.

“From the first day of trade period our plan was to try and be aggressive to try and get up as high as we could in the order.

“We wanted to target someone we think can change games and add some real talent to our list and complement what we’ve already got.

“He’s got a real change of speed and acceleration

“(Power list manager) Jason (Cripps) was talking to all the clubs about who might be prepared to trade back and we were able to find a buyer in West Coast.”

Injuries restricted Sinn to five NAB League matches this year for the Dragons, whom he co-captained.

He missed the AFL Academy game against Geelong’s VFL team in April with a hamstring strain and suffered an ankle injury during Vic Metro’s clash with Vic Country in June.

Port Adelaide was confident of his quality and considered him among the top four or five players after the national under-16 carnival in 2019, when he captained Vic Metro.

“He’s had some injury issues and then Covid (affected Victorian competitions) so hasn’t really been able to play and that’s why some clubs would’ve let him come through, but each clubs also have their own needs,” Parker said.

The Power will consider another pick exchange on Thursday so it can bridge the gap between its next selection, in the middle of the fourth round.

It has nominated father-son prospect Jase Burgoyne – whose dad is Port Adelaide premiership player Peter Burgoyne – but does not expect a rival club to bid on him until after pick 40.

Melbourne and Essendon have shown the strongest interest in the Woodville-West Torrens half-back/wingman.

With its later picks, the Power has been linked to the likes of North Adelaide duo Hugh Jackson and James Willis, as well as West Australian inside midfielder Kade Dittmar – the nephew of Port Adelaide great George Fiacchi.

The Power also has some interest in delisted North Melbourne on-baller Trent Dumont.

It has spoken to the 113-game South Australian and is eyeing him as a potential late pick on the second night of the draft on Thursday or as a rookie on Friday.

Taken by North Melbourne with pick 30 in 2013, Dumont would add midfield depth to a Port Adelaide side that had lost veteran Tom Rockliff to retirement.