PORT Adelaide is set to place a significant focus on the key defender market in the coming months, as the club ramps up its pursuits for a long-term intercept partner alongside its former All-Australian Aliir Aliir.

After an unsuccessful bid to lure versatile Cats prospect Esava Ratugolea during last October's Trade Period, with the reigning premiers electing to hold him to the final season of his contract, Power officials continue to survey their options.

As revealed on AFL.com.au's Gettable last month, Port Adelaide has already signalled its interest in North Melbourne's star free agent Ben McKay as it looks to bolster its undersized backline.

Aliir and Tom Clurey are both 193cm, Ryan Burton and Trent McKenzie stand at 191cm, while captain Tom Jonas is just 188cm, with the Power struggling to contain a series of the game's best key forwards in the opening month of the campaign.

INSIDE TRADING Fyfe spurns rivals, deal in works for Roo, mid-season vacancies

However, speaking on AFL.com.au's new trade and draft show Gettable this week, Port Adelaide football boss Chris Davies said the club continued to place an emphasis on securing an imposing partner for Aliir in its backline.

"I think it's an area of our list that we need to keep looking at," Davies told Gettable.

"Our key defenders in our AFL team at the moment are more towards the end of their careers, if you think about our captain Tom Jonas or Trent McKenzie. They're two guys who are holding down pretty important roles for us at the moment and they're both 30-plus. We do need to regenerate.

"We do have some guys who we've drafted who we think have got potential in Tom McCallum and Kyle Marshall and Jake Pasini, who are yet to play at AFL level. But we're probably missing that mid-20s aged player who can come in and play regularly. I think it's an area that we'll keep our eye on, definitely."

McKay has already established himself among the market's hottest free agent targets this season, having emerged as one of the game's best intercept defenders following an impressive few years at North Melbourne.

The 198cm McKay assessed his options at the end of last season, ultimately electing to stay at Arden Street, but has already registered on the Power's radar as he enters his free agency year.

LISTEN Crows' list analysed, Port's future trade plans

"We're looking at players across the board," Davies said.

"Ben's obviously in a situation from a contract perspective where there will be some interest in him. Suffice to say, we're interested in the market. The key defender market, you can't have too many good ones. We'll be interested."

Port Adelaide has recruited 13 draftees in the last four years and brought more youth through the door when it completed a blockbuster trade for the 19-year-old former No.1 pick Jason Horne-Francis last October.

Included in that four-year stretch have been other first-round selections such as Miles Bergman (pick No.14 in 2019), Mitch Georgiades (pick No.18 in 2019), Academy graduate Lachie Jones (pick No.16 in 2020) and Josh Sinn (pick No.12 in 2021).

TRADE HUB All the latest player movement news

But it has combined its strong draft approach with a nice balance of acquiring players through trade and free agency as well, also finalising deals for Aliir, Orazio Fantasia, Jeremy Finlayson and Junior Rioli throughout that period.

According to Davies, it has left the Power's list in a nice position as the club embarks on securing finals football for the third time in four seasons in 2023 following its 2-2 start to the campaign.

"Our list is constantly evolving," Davies said.

"(List manager) Jason Cripps will always say there's no endpoint to your list and you've got to be willing to continue to take a punt on youth. From a SANFL perspective this year, it might be a bit of a battle for us because we do have a number of young players playing at that level who are learning their craft. That'll be something we'll have to manage.

"But we do think we've got some good young players on our list and if you look at our starting midfield at AFL level right now, it's a really young group who should be able to take us through the next 10 years if we can keep them all together."