Port Adelaide senior coach Josh Carr is excited about the prospect of fresh faces at Alberton next season, as his commitment to building a strong list for his first campaign leading the Power in 2026 becomes evident.
Carr has made several quick changes to both his coaching panel and playing list following the conclusion of Port Adelaide's home-and-away season, notably axing long-time club servants Ryan Burton and Jeremy Finlayson and bringing in former West Coast assistant coach Luke Webster to his coaching panel.
Assistant coach Chad Cornes and Head of Football Chris Davies have also departed since Carr's era officially began.
However, the changes won't end there for Port Adelaide as Carr stated the club is confident they'll add at least two new talents in the off-season and will be active chasers in the player market.
"We're always active in the way that we're trying to make our footy club better," Carr said.
"Will Brodie from Fremantle, we've got to get that deal done. Jacob Wehr from GWS as a free agent, we're looking to bring those guys in and hopefully we'll get Will's [trade] over the line."
Port Adelaide shipped off their first-round draft pick to Gold Coast in a blockbuster three-team trade last off-season, meaning their draft hand is quite limited, hence Carr's urgency to have a strong trade period.
"We're constantly looking on what else we can bring in to improve our football club," Carr said.
"We were heavily into Nas [Wanganeen-Milera] and we missed out on that, but that's football. That won't stop us from chasing others."
Port Adelaide are looking to slightly retool their playing list following a disappointing 2025 campaign, which saw them slide from a top-two finish in 2024 to 13th, but Carr is excited to have fresh faces arrive, making it clear his approach will differ from Ken Hinkley's.
"I'm super excited. I think it's important to have some fresh faces. We're delivering a new footy program really," Carr said.
"With that, when the players come back, they'll see a lot of new faces, and I think that's exciting. They get to learn new things, and this is a part of their journey. They have some new coaches that can teach them."
