It's only round 11 and already this year's band of recruitsare shaping as Port Adelaide's best crop of youngsters to be taken from the one draft.

The Power have currently blooded more 2006 draftees than anyother team, with five out of the eight players taken in last year's NAB AFLDraft having played senior football already this season.

Four players, Nathan Krakouer, Adam Cockshell, Robbie Grayand Justin Westhoff, have made their AFL debuts, while David Rodan taken atpick 86, has played every game since joining the club.

In a growing trend at Port Adelaide, it's the later draftpicks that are making their presence felt.

Of the 22 players selected to take on the Hawthorn last week,10 were picked up in pre-season drafts, elevated from the rookie list or takenat pick number 35 or higher in past national drafts.

To illustrate that late-draft success, Gray and Westhoff,who each made their debut last week against the Hawks, were taken at pick number55 and 71 respectively in last year's draft.

Jacob Surjan, himself aproduct of the club's successful forays into the pre-season draft, said thepair's input was a huge positive for the club.

"We thought Robbie Gray and Justin Westhoff werefantastic and it's a testament to the club that we can recruit these guys andhave them ready for AFL football the next year," Surjan said.

"We've seen Nathan Krakouer and Adam Cockshell already,so it's a great start for them and for the team."

Even Football Operations Manager Peter Rohde has beensurprised by the impact the Power's newest additions have made.

"Probably Westhoff and Krakouer particularly, wethought had a bit more physical improvement and development to go before theycould play senior footy, but their form has been really good and they'vedeserved their chances," Rohde said.

The Power are close to debuting a sixth draftee, with numberfive pick Travis Boak on the fringe of selection.

Rohde is hopeful the impressive group will become one ofPort Adelaide's most successful batch of intakes.

"We're pretty excited about Travis Boak. He's a verytalented player and with Krakouer, Gray and Westhoff playing so early, it's agreat start to their careers," Rohde said.

"It's obviously early days but they've got the right attitudeand we think the skill to go a long way."

Some of the Power's other great recruting success storiesinclude premiership players Dom Cassisi (pick 50 in the 2000 National Draft)and Toby Thurstans (pick 39 in 1998), as well as Danyle Pearce, Dean Brogan andGreg Bentley, who all began their AFL careers on Port Adelaide's rookie list.

It's the development of this group, mixed with some of theAFL's brightest stars, that has created Port Adelaide's recipe for a swiftrebuilding process.

"We've been able to regenerate our list prettyquickly," Rohde said. "To be able to do that in just a couple ofyears you have to be able to get some of your late picks up and playing.

"If these guys can keep developing at such arapid rate, it's looking pretty exciting for the club's future."