Port Adelaide are looking to bolster their key defensive stocks this trade period.
While they’ve been long linked to out-of-contract Geelong tall Esava Ratugolea – a player they went after last off-season, Kane Cornes says the club is heavily into another defender in Essendon’s Brandon Zerk-Thatcher.
Like Ratugolea, Zerk-Thatcher is coming out of contract and the 24-year-old is a South Australian native hailing from the Sturt Football Club in the SANFL.
“There’s just a watch on Brandon Zerk-Thatcher at Port Adelaide,” Cornes said on SEN Breakfast.
“They are heavily into him and confident he will go to Port Adelaide.
“That’s as well as Esava Ratugolea to bolster up their defence.”
While Port Adelaide will need to offload multiple draft picks in order to get Ratugolea and Zerk-Thatcher through the door, Cornes believes their moves could come easier due to their contract status.
While Zerk-Thatcher isn’t a big name, Cornes believes the Don could offer good depth at the position at Alberton.
“Zerk-Thatcher is not a big one,” Cornes said.
“I mean, is he in your best 22? Probably not.
“But he gives you depth that they don't have in the key position defensive posts.
“You do (need picks to make those trades), but Ratugolea is out of contract, so that makes it a bit easier.”
Zerk-Thatcher has played 17 games for the Bombers in 2023 so far while Ratugolea has played 13 times for the Cats.