Port Adelaide ruckman Matthew Lobbe under pressure from Stephen Hill and David Mundy. Picture: Sarah Reed Source: The Advertiser
RUCKMAN Matthew Lobbe is next on Port Adelaide's signature hit-list.
The Power has begun negotiations with Lobbe's management as it looks to quickly tie up all its top-end draft picks before positioning itself to make an end-of-season run at a key free agent.
Port's re-signings yesterday of four Victorians it feared losing two years ago has been hailed as a red-letter day for a club which until Ken Hinkley took over as coach was described as a basket case.
Hinkley says the signatures of twin defensive towers Alipate Carlile and Jackson Trengove, dynamic young forward John Butcher and promising midfielder Andrew Moore is concrete evidence the club, which hasn't made the finals in five years, is headed in the right direction.
And he said it sends a strong message to the rest of the league that non-SA players are happy to play for the Alberton-based club.
"This is a really positive day for the club," said Hinkley, who will lead the Power into premiership season battle for the first time against Melbourne at the MCG on Sunday.
"These four players are really important to the future of the Port Adelaide Football Club.
"And the fact they are Victorians and have shown such confidence in where we're going and believe in what we're trying to do at Port Adelaide is a nice, strong message to the rest of the competition we are on the renewal path and we are going there quickly.
"To get the support of these boys to say they want to be a part of the future is a real positive kick and can only give the club and the whole playing group some confidence."
Carlile, 25 and a pending free agent, has signed a lengthy four-year deal which ties him to the club until the end of the 2017 season.
Trengove, 22, and Butcher and Moore, 21, have committed for another two years, keeping them at Alberton until at least 2015. Their signatures come on top of those of new captain Travis Boak and fellow Victorians Jasper Pittard, Robbie Gray and Aaron Young last year.
Four of the eight are first-round draft picks, leaving Lobbe as the club's only first-round interstate selection (No. 16 in 2007) not signed beyond this year.
"And we're working on that," a club spokesman said.
Carlile, the most experienced of Port's re-signed players with 111 games in seven years, was eligible for restricted free agency at the end of the season. But he said he never considered leaving.
"I owe this club everything and I just want to repay the club over the next four years," Carlile said.
"I love the club and really believe in where it is heading. Kenny's been outstanding and along with the other new guys around him (assistant coach Alan Richardson and fitness coach Darren Burgess) has ticked off a lot of boxes in the past five months."
Carlile's key defensive sidekick Trengove said he also was keen to put pen to paper on a new deal early in the year after his previous contract negotiations two years ago dragged on until late in the year.
"Holding out like I did last time takes its toll on you and because I really believe in the way this club is heading, I wanted to re-sign as soon as possible," Trengove said.
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