Port Adelaide can’t confirm if it will be able to re-sign Miles Bergman as the season continues.
Club head of football Chris Davies even told AFL Nation it was proving a “challenge” to get the rising 21-year-old to sign on the dotted line.
Bergman is the signature Port will hope for most across the next five months alongside Mitch Georgiades, but the defender is reportedly in no rush to sign a new deal.
When questioned on the prospect of Bergman staying at Alberton, Davies wouldn’t be drawn into much optimism.
“Well, look, it’s a challenge,” he admitted.
“But what I do know is our club is doing everything we possibly can to make not only Miles, but all of our players – whether it be Georgiades who’s also out of contact – the environment is as good as we can possibly have it.
“If ultimately they want to return home, then we also need to respect that because we get plenty of players who go the opposite way.
“But all we can do and I know all Ken can do is provide the right environment for all our players to flourish, and right now it feels like we’re in a pretty good spot.”
Bergman, a Victorian, is enjoying a career-best season in his third year at AFL level after being taken in the first round of the 2019 draft.
But Davies revealed that despite starting off half-back for much of 2023, the plan was to play him higher up the ground.
“Miles has been fantastic for us… he did the whole pre-season as if he was going to play on the wing, the reality was we had a few players out early in the year and we felt like maybe he could go back and do a job again as a half-back,” Davies added.
“He’s a really diligent worker, I was leaving the club late last night and he was in the ice bath, doing everything he could to be ready for the game.
“You’ve got to admire a young player who is already getting a real sense of what he needs to perform well.
“That’s been a challenge for us over time, we’ve certainly been talking to our players through the last four or five weeks to embed some of the things they’re doing well now so that when we’re under pressure in the future, where not going to win every game from here until the end of the year, but we’ve got to be able to anchor their performances back and Miles is someone who’s getting really comfortable with the way he needs to prepare himself each week.”
Bergman last week said he felt settled at the Power, but confirmed contract talks were on hold.
“At the moment, I’m not focused on that (contract discussions), that’ll happen later in the year,” Bergman said.
“The club and I have talked about it and we said we’re both comfortable just to wait because we’re really enjoying the way we’re playing at the moment.
“We’ll get to the decision when it comes.
“I’m loving the club and just want to play some good footy.”