Heath Younie has been unveiled as the Port Adelaide Power's new head of development.
Younie will be the head coach of the Power's SANFL side, the Magpies, as well as stewarding the considerable raft of young talent the club expect to procure in upcoming National Drafts.
Younie brings with him a wealth of experience, with more than a decade of exposure to SANFL and AFL environments behind him.
The 47-year-old played 183 SANFL League games for North Adelaide, was Adelaide's inaugural SANFL senior coach from 2014 to 2016 and again in 2019, with two preliminary final appearances to his name in that role. Younie then crossed the border, joining North Melbourne as an assistant coach for 2021 and 2022.
More recently, Younie served as the SANFL's Head of Development, stewarding the proud football state's young talent - a role that perfectly set him up for his next chapter, guiding Port Adelaide's young list.
The acquisition comes as the Power wave adieu to a host of support personnel, with Andy Collins (head of coaching), Matthew Lobbe (head of development) Cam Sutcliffe (development - AFL and AFLW) and Jacob Surjan (SANFL coach, AFL midfield coaching) departing in recent times.
Younie called the responsibility of his new role "a privilege".
“To join a club like Port Adelaide, one that's strong, well-run and has such a long history of success is a privilege,” he said.
“There's a really exciting young list here, with some outstanding talent already in the system and more to come through via this year's National Draft. Being able to play a part in developing that talent is exactly the kind of challenge I was looking for.
“I'm also looking forward to working within a football program under senior coach Josh Carr and (footy boss) Ben Rutten, who are building something with real purpose here. It's a program I'm proud to be part of, and I can't wait to get started.”
Rutten was equally as excited by the securing of Younie's talents.
“We're really excited by this appointment,” Rutten said.
“To have someone of Heath's calibre overseeing the development of our list is a significant addition to our football program. He has a long and proven history in player development and coaching across both the AFL and SANFL systems, and that experience will be invaluable for our emerging group.
“But most importantly, Heath is a person of tremendous character who aligns strongly with what Port Adelaide stands for. He's exactly the kind of person we want helping to shape our young players, both as footballers and as people.”
