A Melbourne-based AFL club has emerged as a suitor to bring Xavier Duursma home to Victoria.
And Port Adelaide appear open to the conversation, in part to help unlock their own bid to bring Brandon Zerk-Thatcher to South Australia.
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According to SEN, Essendon are interested in luring Duursma to the club from the Power.
With the two clubs already in discussions over a trade for Zerk-Thatcher, the Bombers are said to have floated Duursma’s name as part of the negotiations.
Duursma has a year left to run on his contract at Port Adelaide, and Power footy boss Chris Davies couldn’t rule out a trade for the 186cm utility when pressed on Trade Radio.
“That’s an interesting one,” Davies said on Thursday morning.
“What we’ve never done historically is stand in the way of someone whose best footy might be played somewhere else, if they had real reasons to do that. He was in a situation where he was in our team all last year, disappointed with his form and we hoped for him to be better. He had some injury issues over time.”
Davies flagged the potential for a genuine discussion to take place.
“I don’t think there is any real reason for Xavier to leave the club, but equally if he came to us and said he wanted to, then I guess we have some decisions to make,” the footy boss said.
“But right now I think it’s more likely than not he’s at Port Adelaide next year.”
7NEWS also understands multiple other clubs are considering expressing interest in Duursma.
The man who has become known for his signature bow-and-arrow goal celebration burst onto the scene alongside fellow first-round draftees Conor Rozee and Zak Butters in 2019, with Rozee and Duursma both finishing inside the top 10 in the Power’s best and fairest in their first year.
Duursma has played 73 games for Port Adelaide.
Zerk-Thatcher put together a career-best season in 2023, playing 22 of a possible 23 games, and would slot in next to Aliir in Port’s defensive 50 as a hybrid defender who can play on smalls and talls.
Davies said they have already begun to carve out a specific role for the defender.
“We definitely think Brandon has some good footy ahead of him,” Davies said.
“He won’t play on the big hulking key forwards. We want him to play on the more mobile forwards in the competition.
“It will free up Aliir to be more of an interceptor next year.”
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