PORT Adelaide coach Matthew Primus says the club will consider recruiting a mature-age ruckman if inexperienced players Matthew Lobbe, Jarrad Redden and Daniel Bass are unable to fill the void created by retiring veteran Dean Brogan in the latter part of the season.
On Tuesday, Brogan announced he would retire at the end of the year, making way for the Power's budding ruckmen.
The 32-year-old has shouldered the ruck duties since the retirement of premiership teammate Brendon Lade in 2009, but is likely to receive fewer opportunities in the second half of the season as the club plans for the future.
Lobbe received a late call-up to play his fourth game against North Melbourne on Sunday after Brogan withdrew from the team with a hamstring complaint.
The 22-year-old made a bright start opposed to in-form Kangaroos ruckman Todd Goldstein and finished the game with career-best figures of 14 disposals, 23 hit-outs and six marks, despite fading in the second half.
Rookie and basketball convert Bass also impressed in his first league game with SANFL club South Adelaide this season, while Redden made a solid return from a long-term hamstring injury with Woodville-West Torrens.
Brogan has already been ruled out of the clash with the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba on Sunday, allowing Lobbe to play consecutive games.
Primus said Lobbe, Redden and Bass would be given plenty of opportunities to prove themselves before the end of the season.
"They're a long way off where Dean has finished his career … but everyone starts their journey somewhere and they get an opportunity now because of what Dean's doing," Primus said on Tuesday.
"A fair bit of that [need to recruit a ruckman] will have to do with how those guys pan out in the next nine weeks.
"We think we've got some good combinations to look at, but [recruiting an experienced ruckman] is definitely something we'll have a keen eye on.
"We'll see what's available and how they've progressed over the next nine weeks, but it's something on our radar for sure."
Brogan has served as a mentor to the club's young ruckmen over the past few years, and also worked closely with midfield coaches Dean Laidley and Ryan McMillan this season.
The vice-captain is also completing a coaching apprenticeship through the AFL, with the hope of being employed as a ruck coach next year.
Brogan was confident his students- Lobbe, Redden and Bass- had the potential to become good AFL players, but called for patience in their development.
"Ruckmen take ages," Brogan said.
"If you look at all the good ruckmen around the league now, Aaron Sandilands is late-20s, Dean Cox is about to turn 30, Darren Jolly is late-20s, Shane Mumford has taken years to get to where he is and Brad Ottens is playing good footy and he's 30.
"Everyone just needs to b a bit patient with ruckmen. It's a bit different to a midfielder, who you can throw straight in after they get drafted.
"It's such a demanding and unique position that it just takes time.
"I've got no doubt the guys we've got on our list with a bit more work and, maybe, a ruck coach … they're going to be good players for us.
"There's a spot there now and it's up to them who grabs the opportunity. "
Katrina Gill covers Port Adelaide news for afl.com.au. Follow her on Twitter: @AFL_KatrinaGill
