MELBOURNE has claimed former Port Adelaide midfielder Ben Newton as a delisted free agent.
The 22-year-old made his AFL debut and played four matches for the Power – all in 2014 – but shone in the SANFL this year.
Given the strength of Port Adelaide – and its midfield – this year, Newton decided to pursue his opportunities elsewhere and not to accept a one-year deal with the Power for 2015.
He was subsequently delisted by Port Adelaide and snapped up by the Demons after the first list lodgement was announced on Friday, October 31.
General manager of player personnel Todd Viney said the club had kept a close watch on Newton throughout the season.
“He’s had a really solid year and he managed to get a good pre-season under his belt last year and played some outstanding footy,” he told melbournefc.com.au.
“He took the eye of our recruiting team in Adelaide, [pro scout] Kelly O’Donnell and other recruiters who had watched him during the year and they liked what they saw.
Viney said Newton was recognised by Melbourne as an AFL-listed player missing out on matches.
“He was one of those players that we identified to watch after being an elite junior [footballer]. We watched him pretty closely and monitored his form over the last period,” he said.
“He did some things that really caught our eye.”
Viney said Newton was a strong clearance player.
“He’s got a great ability around the stoppage to take the ball cleanly from stoppage and get out of traffic well,” he said.
“He’s a left footer who has a bit of time, he has some nice foot skills and he’s a goalkicking mid, which is always a good attribute to have. But he’s a natural finder of the footy – he can find the ball well.”
Originally a graduate of the AIS/AFL Academy program and a Western Australian under-18 representative, Newton was drafted by the Power at No.35 in the 2010 NAB AFL Draft.
His first season was ruined by injury – he missed the opening six rounds with an ankle injury and then the last 12 games of the year with a hip problem.
In 2012, he worked his way through the West Adelaide reserves to play one senior SANFL match.
He produced a fine season with the Port Adelaide Magpies in 2013 and was on the cusp of making his AFL debut, being an emergency for the Power in round 22.
This year, Newton broke through to play his first AFL match against Greater Western Sydney at StarTrack Oval (formerly Manuka Oval) in round seven. He then played against St Kilda in round 12 and back-to-back games against Melbourne and Collingwood in rounds 18 and 19 respectively.
He looms as a shrewd acquisition by the Demons.
