CHAD Wingard's head was in "no man's land" before making the "shock" decision to leave Port Adelaide, former teammate Jared Polec says.
Wingard looks set to join Polec in departing the Power during the NAB AFL Trade Period ahead of Wednesday night's 8.30pm AEDT deadline.
While Polec's move to North Melbourne was forecast a long way out, Wingard's exit despite having a year to run on his contract came out of left field.
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"I've spoken to him a few times about it, not during the season, but after the season," Polec told Channel Nine's The Trade Table on Monday night.
"His head was kind of in no man's land at that stage and I believe that he's heartbroken.
"He loves the club, anyone that speaks to him knows he loves Port Adelaide.
"It was a bit of a shock decision."
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Wingard, 25, has played 147 games for the Power, was an All Australian in 2013 and 2015 and won the club's best and fairest in 2013.
Polec said there was no "bad blood" between himself and Power coach Ken Hinkley after accepted a lucrative five-year offer from the Kangaroos.
"He understood my decision," Polec said.
"We both knew where it was heading and ended up that way.
"There's definitely no bad blood between us."
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The Power made a big splash in Trade Period last year, adding experienced trio Tom Rockliff, Jack Watts and Steven Motlop, but failed to make the finals.
Polec said the team struggled to adapt to a revamped game plan.
"I don't think the recruiting was off, I just think we played to a certain structure that didn't quite work well for our side," he said.
"We tried going a new way, tried to structure a bit differently, but it didn't quite work.
"Things did work to that structure, but changes will be made at that club and they'll be better off for it."
