PORT ADELAIDE forward Daniel Motlop has signed a new three-year deal which will see him remain at the club until at least the end of the 2011 season.
Motlop, who kicked 57 goals from 21 games in 2008, said it was good to have his future secured before next season.
"Good to get signed up and get settled I guess. You don't want to be playing through the year thinking about contracts and that sort of stuff so it was good to get it out the way," he said.
"They (Port) got me over here and I didn't want to go anywhere else, and they knew that, so it's was good to sign up."
"Obviously my first year wasn't that good and the last two have been a bit better. The next three years I'm going to concentrate on footy and repay the club."
The 26-year-old admitted it was time that he stepped up and became a leader at the club.
"I'll try and get into the leadership group next year and push towards that. I'm one of the oldest there now so I've got to step up with that," he said.
"I suppose lead the way with the young boys and that sort of stuff. At times I give away free kicks and I suppose that's where I've got to do better - if the young boys see me do that then it's a good example."
"When I first came to the club I stuffed up a little bit, didn't set a good example and the last two years I've been pretty good and I suppose now it's time to chill out."
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PORT ADELAIDE football operations manager Peter Rohde says acquiring Collingwood bad boy Alan Didak in exchange for its prized number four pick on November’s national draft "won't be happening".
Didak, who was suspended for the rest of the season following the round 18 loss to Hawthorn after his much-publicised role in teammate Heath Shaw's drink-driving offence, is expected to remain with the Magpies.
Rodhe said the offer of pick four is unlikely to convince the Pies to trade the classy forward.
"It won't be happening," Rohde said of Didak moving to Alberton.
"He is contracted (at Collingwood) and all the way through, his management and Collingwood have been adamant that he will be staying there and that is the way it is going to be."
Rohde admitted pick four was still on offer if the right deal came along.
"It's true to say pick four would be available but it's a matter of what you get back for it and certainly it's very unlikely we will be trading it," he said.
Rohde also said it was 'unlikely' that Port would be trading with Fremantle this week to secure the return of Dockers' vice-captain Josh Carr - who left the Power after playing in the club's 2004 premiership team.
"We want to check him out in the flesh before we make any commitment and he is away so it won't be happening (this week)," Rohde said.
Port also expressed a 'mild interest' in Melbourne utility Brad Green but Rodhe said the chances of Green moving to Alberton were slim given the kind of money he is after.
"But with the salary he (Green) is after he is probably not in our ball park and he is at the club that finished 16th so leverage wise it's probably hard to get a deal." Rohde said.
Fremantle, who announced that defender Michael Johnson had extended his contract until the end of 2011 on Monday, are resigned to losing promising young ruckman Robert Warnock - who wants to return home to Victoria.
Carlton has offered pick 24 in exchange but the Dockers want further discussions with the Blues before agreeing to a deal.
Meanwhile, Geelong midfielder Brent Prismall has attracted the interest of several club’s despite suffering a serious knee injury in the qualifying final which is expected to rule him out for the majority of next season.
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PORT ADELAIDE midfielder Kane Cornes has become only the second player behind skipper Warren Tredrea to be a multiple winner of the club's best-and-fairest award.
Cornes, who won John Cahill Medal with 135 votes on Saturday night, finished 20 votes ahead of fellow midfielder Domenic Cassisi while small forward Daniel Motlop (99) finished third. Shaun Burgoyne and defender Alipate Carlile rounded out the top five.
Carlile won the Gavin Wanganeen medal for the best player under 21 while Travis Boak won the most improved player award.
In other awards, Cassisi won the best team man and the player-voted Fos Williams Medal, which is based on leadership, selflessness, courage, professionalism, loyalty and sense of humour while Paul Stewart won the best first year player award.
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PORT ADELAIDE defender Alipate Carlile has been rewarded for his role in Port's 76-point win over North Melbourne at the MCG last Saturday with the round 22 NAB Rising Star nomination.
The 21-year-old managed just nine games last season but has stepped up this year following the retirement of Darryl Wakelin, playing all 22 matches.
Port Adelaide coach Mark Williams said Carlile, who has played on the likes of Jonathan Brown, Barry Hall and Brendon Fevola, had matured into a reliable key position player.
"Alipate has been an absolute shining light for us this season. He has come in after just a handful of games last year and basically been a straight replacement for a club legend in Darryl Wakelin," Williams said.
"He is a great story, having been born in Fiji, and coming from country Victoria to us and developing so quickly into a reliable defender that the coaching staff now completely trusts with all the big jobs."
"As a full-back you don't always get the accolades, particularly with the team losing a lot of games, but our club and our supporters have noticed him all year, and it's fantastic that NAB and the AFL have also recognised him because he thoroughly deserves it."
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PORT ADELAIDE has dealt a massive blow to North Melbourne's top four hopes with a 76-point win at the MCG on Saturday afternoon.
The Power dominated after quarter-time, slamming on 20 goals to six to cruise to a convincing 23.10 (148) to 10.12 (72) victory.
The Kangaroos had their fate in their own hands but went missing after a promising start in veteran Shannon Grant's 300th AFL match.
The result means the Roos will now need Adelaide, Sydney and St Kilda to lose if they are going to claim fourth place and the double chance.
The loss was made worse for North with Leigh Harding leaving the field in the first term with what appeared to be a serious injury to the left knee he had reconstructed in 2006.
Peter Burgoyne was damaging with a game-high 45 possessions and one goal while Kane Cornes kept classy Kangaroos midfielder Daniel Wells quiet and was a busy contributor in the middle with 30 disposals.
Port had 12 individual goalkickers for the match - David Rodan the most effective with a career-best five majors while Toby Thurstans, Robert Gray and Daniel Motlop chimed in with three apiece.
David Hale played a lone hand up forward for the Kangaroos, booting four of his side's ten goals while Brent Harvey (27 possessions) tried hard all day.
North started brightly, booting the first three goals of the match to skip out to a 19-point lead at the 12-minute mark.
Peter Burgoyne capitalised on a poor clearance from Shannon Watt to bring up Port's first before two goals in two minutes from Robert Gray got the Power to within five points of the Kangaroos at the first change.
Port was still in touch midway through the second term before piling on the last four goals of the first half to open up a handy 18-point lead at the main break.
Hale kicked the first goal of the second half but from thereonin the Power dominated, winning the football at the stoppages and moving it quickly through the middle of the ground as they slammed on eight unanswered goals to take a match-winning 62-point lead into the final change.
The sting was well and truly out of the contest in the final stanza, with the Power adding a further five goals to end the season on a positive note.
NORTH MELBOURNE: 4.3, 7.5, 9.10, 10.12 (72)
PORT ADELAIDE: 3.4, 10.5, 18.8, 23.10 (148)
GOALS: North Melbourne: Hale 4, Grant 2, Jones, Campbell, Pratt, Harding
Port Adelaide: Rodan 5, Gray 3, D.Motlop 3, Thurstans 3, Cassisi 2, P.Burgoyne, Pearce, Stewart, Lade, Logan, M.Motlop
BEST: North Melbourne: Harvey, Hale, Petrie, Rawlings
Port Adelaide: Rodan, P.Burgoyne, Cassisi, Pearce, S.Burgoyne, D.Motlop
INJURIES: North Melbourne: Leigh Harding (left knee - medial ligament)
Port Adelaide: Nil
REPORTS: Nil
CHANGES: Nathan Lonie replaced Travis Boak in Port Adelaide's selected side
UMPIRES: Farmer, Schmitt, Mollison
CROWD: 22,144 at the MCG
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PORT ADELAIDE has snapped a four-game losing streak with a 78-point demolition of Melbourne at AAMI Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Power were never challenged in a one-sided contest, eventually prevailing 18.21 (129) to 7.9 (51).
It was Port's sixth win of the season, taking it into 13th position on the AFL ladder while the Demons look set to win the wooden spoon unless they beat Richmond next weekend and West Coast loses their remaining games against Hawthorn and Geelong by plenty.
Peter Burgoyne returned to form with a game-high 37 possessions and two goals. Kane Cornes and Domenic Cassisi were profilic in the middle with 30-plus disposals while Daniel Motlop was damaging with five majors, four of which came in the first half.
Melbourne won a lot of the football too but were generally wasteful with Simon Buckley and Paul Wheatley among their better players with 32 and 31 possessions respectively.
The Power stamped their authority on the contest in the opening term.
They ran hard and moved the football quickly through the middle of the ground as they slammed on six goals for the quarter with Daniel Motlop booting three to help his side to a commanding 36-point lead at quarter-time.
The start to the second term was hardly inspiring with seven straight behinds booted before Motlop chimed in with his fourth.
Melbourne hit back through Cameron Bruce but the Power remained in control with majors from David Rodan and Justin Westhoff allowing Port to take a 48-point advantage into the main break.
The Demons lifted their intensity in the second half and won a third term which failed to reach any great heights, with a running goal from Matthew Bate from 55m reducing the deficit to 44 points heading into the final change.
The Power didn't take their foot off the pedal in the final stanza, slamming on four of their eight goals for the term in a stunning nine-minute burst.
PORT ADELAIDE: 6.6, 9.10, 10.17, 18.21 (129)
MELBOURNE: 1.0, 2.4, 4.8, 7.9 (51)
GOALS: PORT: D.Motlop 5,
P.Burgoyne 2, Lade 2, Pearce 2, J.Westhoff 2, M.Westhoff 2, Rodan, Cassisi, Boak
MELBOURNE: Miller 2, Bruce, Wonaeamirri, Bate, Jamar, Newton
BEST: PORT: P.Burgoyne, Cassisi, D.Motlop, K.Cornes, Brogan, Logan, S.Burgoyne, Pearce
MELBOURNE: Buckley, Wheatley, Green, McDonald, Morton
INJURIES: PORT: D.Motlop (dislocated finger)
MELBOURNE: TBC
REPORTS: Nil
CHANGES: Nil
UMPIRES: Margetts, Head, Keating
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PORT ADELAIDE has appointed brewing company executive Mark Haysman as its new chief executive.
Haysman, who will take up the post in October is currently the regional director for Lion Nathan in South Australia, the Northern Territory, Victoria and Tasmania.
Port president Greg Boulton said said Haysman was the standout candidate.
"Mark Haysman is a proven manager of people and brands with a strong customer and sponsorship focus in the highly competitive national brewing market," Boulton said.
"This makes him the ideal person to be the third chief executive of the Port Adelaide Football Club in the AFL."
Haysman said he was looking forward to the challenge of working at an AFL club.
"I am excited at the prospect of working with the club and its people as we take on the challenge to continue to grow," he said.
He replaces former chief executive John James who quit the club in June this year to take up a position with an investment firm in the United States
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PORT ADELAIDE coach Mark Williams has dimissed suggestions that he wants to coach interstate.
Williams said he'd like to stay at Port while he's a required member of the club.
"Being asked what I want to do in the future, I certainly want to coach Port Adelaide and as long as they want me here I want to be here," he said.
"The challenges are immense here and I'm certainly looking forward to meeting those and getting this club back to where it has been in the last 10 years."
Despite signalling his intentions to remain at Port Adelaide, Williams said he wasn't expecting a premature extension to his contract which ends at the end of 2009
"Over the last 12 years, and three of them we finished top and we won a premiership, they never negotiated my contract any time prior (to the end of the contract)."
Port are currently languishing in 14th place on the AFL ladder after playing in last year's grand final, but Williams said there was plenty to like about the club's future.
"Our players have got some experience, they are a little older so the results mightn't show that but certainly we don't think we are as bad as the position on the ladder is," he said.
Meanwhile, defender Michael Pettigrew's season is over after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his shoulder on Monday. He is expected to be fully recovered in time to commence pre-season training.
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