Alex Van Wyk Goes to Port Adelaide at Pick 14
Port Adelaide used pick 14 on alex van wyk in Tuesday night’s Telstra AFL mid-season rookie draft. The move added a ruck option to a list that also brought in Xavier Bamert at pick five. Van Wyk arrives as Port continues to use the mid-season draft to fill specific needs, after a long run of selections through the same window.
Port Adelaide And Alex Van Wyk
Van Wyk was described as a ruck with huge presence, and Port made him its second selection of the night after taking Bamert earlier with pick five. That gave the club two different additions in the same draft: a ruck at pick 14 and a forward/midfielder who had been overlooked in last year’s national draft.
For Port, the order matters. The club did not wait until the end of the draft to address the ruck spot, and it used its stronger early position to take the player it wanted before the rest of the pool thinned out. That is the practical change for the list: a dedicated tall option arrives now, not later.
Xavier Bamert Before Van Wyk
Bamert’s path explains why Port was willing to spend pick five on him before turning to van Wyk. He signed with North Melbourne’s VFL team and had played four games so far this season. In his draft year, he captained the Sandringham Dragons to a grand final appearance and played all four games for Victoria Metro in the under 18 national championships.
National Recruiting Manager Geoff Parker said, “Xavier put the disappointment of missing last year's draft behind him working hard to improve his all-round game through the off-season.” Parker also said, “He has performed at a high level in the VFL playing predominantly as a forward, showcasing his competitive attack on the contest, strong running capacity and ability to impact the scoreboard.” Those details show why Port opened with a different player but still came back for van Wyk before the night was over.
Port Adelaide's Mid-Season Pattern
Port Adelaide has used the mid-season rookie draft often enough that the process is now part of its list-building rhythm. The club had previously chosen 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.
That background frames Tuesday night without changing the core fact: Port came out with two selections, and van Wyk was the one it landed at pick 14. Miles Bergman was recovering well, while Lachie Jones and Jack Lukosius would both be tested this week, but the draft move stood on its own as a direct list addition. For a club that has kept returning to this draft, the message was plain enough — use the window, take the player, and plug the spot now.
