WA youngster ready to make his mark at Power

2019 Western Australian draftee Mitch Georgiades is primed to make an impact in his debut AFL season, the first-round draft pick set for an early season debut for Port Adelaide.

Son of former Western Bulldogs and Subiaco sharpshooter John Georgiades, the 191 cm youngster has similar traits to his father and has been earmarked for AFL honours in 2020.

Speaking to Sports Drive on Tuesday, Georgiades said he was hopeful of debuting in the early stages of the premiership season.

“That’s my ultimate goal, to play the first round of the year,” he said.

“I’m trying not to think about it too much, just focus on one game at a time.”

“It’s obviously in the back of the mind, you’re thinking about it a little bit but just focusing on the mean time and just going from there.”

The 18 year old Wembley Downs junior was taken with pick 18 in the 2019 National Draft, having missed almost the entire 2019 season due to a nasty quad injury sustained the previous year that required surgery.

Georgiades said he was somewhat surprised to have his name called out so early in the draft.

“I sort of went in to the first-round thinking there was a fifty-fifty chance, I wasn’t really expecting too much, I was more thinking the second night was more for me,” he said.

“To get called out on the first night of the draft was absolutely amazing.”

“I actually hadn’t spoken to Port at that stage, just once over Facetime and that was it. It was a bit of a shock to go there but absolutely stoked and couldn’t be happier.”

Georgiades described himself as a third tall forward option for the Power, with good aerobic capacity and the ability to cover plenty of ground.

Former Port Adelaide champion and premiership player Chad Cornes made headlines last month when discussing the teenager, saying he was showing more talent than West Coast Eagles forward Jack Darling at the same age.

Georgiades was humbled by the comments from the current forwards development coach at the club.

“I try not to read in to that stuff too much, just try and focus on my game and try and be my own player,” he said.

“It is very nice to hear stuff like that, I look up to Chad a lot and he’s also been amazing at the club so for him to say that is pretty humbling.”

Georgiades played three quarters before pulling up sore in the opening Marsh Community Series match against Brisbane nine days ago, sitting out of the trial match against Adelaide last Saturday.

He expects to be fit for his side’s final pre-season hit out against Western Bulldogs at Bennett Oval this Saturday.

IMAGE: PAFC website.