Dougie Cochrane Biography

Josh Carr says Port Adelaide will do whatever it takes to land potential No.1 draftee Dougie Cochrane despite changes to the AFL draft bidding system.

The Power have first access to precocious talent Cochrane, the son of former Port and North Melbourne player Stuart, through the club's Next Generation Academy.

But Port faces the prospect of having to stump up a suite of high draft picks to secure Cochrane under changes to the bidding system soon to be announced by the AFL.

Under the changes, clubs will no longer be able to use a raft of low draft selections - such as Brisbane used for dual Norm Smith medallist Will Ashcroft (picks 34, 35, 38, 40 and 41) - to accumulate draft points to convert into a high pick.

Instead, the Power could be forced to use two top-10 selections to secure Cochrane.

"He's a fantastic kid. He's got obviously really good grounding and just wants to be a really good player," Carr said.

"He's competitive - he's got all the ingredients. So we'd love to have him at this footy club."

Dougie Cochrane's application to join Port Adelaide's Next Generation Academy as an Indigenous player is approved by the AFL.

Dougie's father, Stuart Cochrane, a former player at Port Adelaide and North Melbourne, wrote to the League in the middle of 2024 requesting his sons be given access to Port's Next Generation Academy program as the family explored its Indigenous heritage on his maternal side. Throughout the process the AFL has worked with Port on the steps of the approval while his application has been pending.

2026 draft top prospect Dougie Cochrane will miss the AFL Under-18 National Championships due to a hamstring injury, potentially affecting his chances of being the No. 1 pick next year.

"We just want him to be OK, that's the priority at the moment," said Central talent manager Scott Stevens. "That's our No.1 priority. A timeline on when he'll be back isn't the focus."