Brodie, a former Gold Coast Sun and Docker, made the move from the West Australian harbour to Alberton in the AFL’s October trade period, swapped for pick 103 in the draft, a selection ultimately unused by Fremantle in November.
The cheap exchange comes as Brodie failed to crack the Dockers’ best 22 in 2025, and has played just five games at the elite level since 2022, despite it being a year when Brodie found career-best output as a midfielder.
It was while playing under new Power coach Josh Carr that Brodie’s career reached its peak, with the Ken Hinkley replacement plying his trade as midfield coach of the Dockers in 2022.
The move to reunite, and hopefully find such form again under Carr’s guidance, was why Brodie thought the move was a no-brainer almost immediately after Port Adelaide’s succession plan was announced.
“Sort of throughout the year (the process begun), and I was in contact with Carry (Josh Carr),” Brodie said to media on Monday.
“The idea of coming here and speaking through (that opportunity) with my manager, it sort of became pretty clear that would be the best option for me.
“And then we just worked through it, and it was all pretty simple in the end. I’m grateful it all happened pretty smoothly.
“It didn't really get too serious around coming here until last year when it was announced he was taking the coaching job…I think maybe it ramped up a little bit, and discussions got a bit more serious, and then my manager got involved.
“So yeah, it's just a bit of a process.”
Starved for opportunity in purple, Brodie reflected it took little time to make his decision, with the hopes of getting a chance to earn AFL selection in 2026.
A “tough” two-year period has yielded no AFL games, but Brodie is adamant that his best can be recaptured.
“I just had a great relationship with Carry from my time at Freo,” Brodie said.
“He just sort of said he believes in me, and there's another opportunity to come here and give it a go and potentially play a role that suits me, and we'll just see what happens – that’s all it really took (to convince him to play at Port Adelaide).
“I mean, I was at a point where I was really craving some more opportunity, and the idea of a fresh start as well was something that I was just willing to jump at.
“It's been a bit of a tough journey the last few years.
“I just feel like I've moved through that well and come out of it feeling excited and motivated to give it all another go and see what happens.
“I think I'm a better, more improved and developed player now than what I was then (in 2022). An (AFL) career doesn't go forever, so I want to make sure that I'm constantly improving and try to make the most of any opportunity.
“And hopefully I've got plenty more games left in me.”
Will Brodie’s first opportunity to make his case for selection is in Port Adelaide’s preseason fixture against West Coast on March 1, following the club’s summer preseason training block.
