Port Adelaide should enter the 2022 season as strong contenders for the flag again, with their list still considered one within their premiership window.

Despite being a premiership threat in the past two seasons, that tag brought little reward as the side failed to overcome its constant stumbling block - the preliminary final.

Port Adelaide's list is in pretty good shape, with recruiting staff having the foresight and planning in place to cover the ground during recent player movement periods.

Draft Hand

Picks: 12, 62, 72, 73 and 85

Port Adelaide's opening selection was originally pick 16, but they have since made a meager improvement on that by trading Peter Ladhams to Sydney in exchange for pick 12.

The substantial gap between that first and second pick will put extra pressure on nailing their first choice. Although, if history is any barometer, Port's recent first round picks have been sound, with Connor Rozee, Zak Butters and Xavier Duursma arriving in 2018 and Miles Bergman and Mitch Georgiades in 2019.

Picks 62, 72 and 73 and 85 do give them plenty of options late in the draft. Father-son prospect Jase Burgoyne is another possibility for the Power into the night.

List needs

The recruits of Jeremy Finlayson and Sam Skinner have added key position depth to the squad. Stocks of tall players at either end of the ground are pretty stable, irrespective of Ladham's departure to the Swans.

With their successive preliminary final losses hanging over their heads, there is pressure to bring in more talent to make the most of the side's current form.

Midfielder/Forward:
With Travis Boak and Robbie Gray nearing the twilight of their careers, Connor Rozee and Zak Butters have been laying the foundations to become full-time on-ballers. Brownlow medalist Ollie Wines is also a mainstay of Port's engine room, and is one of the more damaging players in the competition.

But the Power were ranked 15th in the league for goals scored by midfielders in 2021, meaning there is scope to inject a midfielder who can hit the scoreboard into the playing list.

GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA - SEPTEMBER 05: Zak Butters of Port Adelaide celebrates kicking a goal during the round 16 AFL match between the North Melbourne Kangaroos and the Port Adelaide Power at Metricon Stadium on September 05, 2020 in Gold Coast, Australia. (Photo by Matt Roberts/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)

Wingman:
Earlier in the year, it was revealed that Port were interested in recruiting winger Trent Dumont from North Melbourne. Reports suggest that there is still a lingering desire to recruit the specialist wingman.

That is representative of the club's desire to add a player with elite skills on the outside in a wing/half-forward/half-back flank capacity. Dumont still looms as a possible late draft selection or rookie option for Port.

Xavier Duursma averaged 4.7 marks per game as a link-up player on the wing this season and he played his best game of the year in the first final against Geelong - where he kicked at 91%. The side would go from strength to strength by complementing Duursma's form on the other side of the ground.

Ideal Recruits

Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera is a South Australian local, having played four matches for Glenelg in the SANFL. He is expected to be taken between pick 10-20, and will need to be plucked by Port's first pick if he is still available.

Wanganeen-Milera is a classy wingman whose effective disposal sets himself apart from the rest of the draft cohort. At 188cm tall, he would bring exquisite kicking skills and smart positioning as a link-up player.

Port have already been interested in drafting the nephew of club legend Gavin Wanganeen, with his image having already been splashed on their site. Recruiting manager Geoff Parker reservedly said that they'd certainly be in discussions to draft him.

"Everyone has seen that Nasiah has some talent and there is no doubt he would be in discussions for our first pick at No. 12, if he still available," he said previously.

"It is a big discussion. It is really hard to know, particularly when there is live bidding for picks."

Josh Rachele promises to be a dynamic midfielder/small forward that can inject value into Port's line-up as someone who can traverse the ground. He boasts unbelievable goal-smarts, athleticism and competitiveness akin to GWS forward Toby Greene.

RELATED: Draft Profile: Josh Rachele

Rachele excelled for the Murray Bushrangers this year, having also played in the side in his under-16s year. In that year, he also was also Vic Country's MVP at the Under 16 National Championships. He is arguably the best small-forward available in the draft and is expected to be taken in the vicinity of pick 10.

Jase Burgoyne is nominated as a father-son prospect - who is expected to be taken after pick 40 - and would be a great addition in the latter stages of the draft. He also could attract bids from rival clubs, resulting in favourable selections swaps for Port.

The club have indicated that it will utilise the break between Wednesday night's draft calls and the rest on Thursday to discern their strategy around Burgoyne.

The son of premiership hero Peter Burgoyne is a smooth footballer whose time and patience is earned by remaining calm with ball in hand. His disposal is also very sound, meaning he is another option for Port to bolster their stocks of outside midfielders.

He missed a large chunk of the 2021 season through injury. But last year he won the Woodville-West Torrens Under 18 best and fairest award in the SANFL.