Port Adelaide has given some insight into how off-season recruit Ryan Burton will be used by his new club next year.
The 2017 NAB Rising Star runner-up joined the Power from Hawthorn in a trade involving Chad Wingard after just three seasons in the brown and gold.
In the same trade period, Port lost Jared Polec to North Melbourne but it appears they may have found a foil with Burton expected to fill a very similar role.
The Advertiser’s Reece Homfray spent some time with the club during their pre-season camp in Noosa and discussed on SEN SA Breakfast how Burton could be deployed in season 2019.
“He’s fit and strong and left all those leg injuries behind,” said Homfray of Burton.
“Kenny (Hinkley) says he’ll definitely start across half-back. He can go forward if he needs to but he finished fifth in a Best and Fairest at Hawthorn across half-back.
“They way he was able to stop and use the footy, looking inboard, it was a similar way that Jared Polec would kick and open up the ground.
“If you are worried about what you were going to lose with Polec, you bring a bit of that in with Burton.
“He also took some really good overhead marks and showed good closing speed to spoil, similar to Dougal Howard, so I think he’s going to be a real asset.”
Homfray also commented on two of Port Adelaide’s high draft picks - Connor Rozee and Zak Butters - tipping the former to make his senior debut early next year.
“I couldn’t have been any more impressed,” he added.
“They’ve held Butters back a bit with his shoulder.
“With Rozee, I’d pencil him in for Round 1 right now, he looks great.”
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