Esava Ratugolea Biography

Esava Ratugolea is traded to Port Adelaide in exchange for picks 25, 76 and 94 going to Geelong.

"Esava's size and skill set will assist with the improvement of our defensive group and our team defence overall," Port Adelaide list manager Jason Cripps said.

"Esava is an outstanding young man and is also the right age for our list profile."

Esava Ratugolea has nominated the Power as his preferred new home for 2024, with Geelong expressing confidence in securing a good outcome for the club.

"There's no doubt, if you look across the competition with the key-position players in general, there's a real need from clubs in those players. But there's not that many available," Geelong footy boss Andrew Mackie said on AFL.com.au's trade and draft show Gettable.

"We'll keep working what that looks like from our end. From our end, we're involved over a strategy and we try and work through what that looks like. We're clear internally on what that needs to be."

Esava Ratugolea will remain with Geelong in 2023 after Port Adelaide failed to finalise a trade for the contracted Cat on the final day of the 2022 AFL Trade Period.

Geelong list manager Andrew Mackie has confirmed Esava Ratugolea and the Cats are mapping out where his future lies, with several clubs reportedly interested in his services.

Since debuting in 2018, Ratugolea has been a semi-regular for the Cats, playing 59 games over a stretch of five seasons in a myriad of different roles – primarily up forward.

However, Ratugolea was starved of opportunities in the Cats' run to the premiership this year, featuring only four times despite showing promising signs in the VFL as a key defender.

"Clearly, blokes like Sav, six years into the system, just want to start playing footy and we've had that discussion with him, and we continue to try to map that out how that would look for him," Mackie said.

"He's a contracted player and no doubt the coach does love him, we love him, but totally understand he's trying to work out where he's going to play his footy. We're pretty clear on how that looks."

Esava Ratugolea signs a new two-year with Geelong to remain at the club until the end of 2023.

"I can't wait to see what this group does going forward, and I want to be a part of it so it's very exciting times," Ratugolea said.

Esava Ratugolea says he is open to a change of role in 2020 as Geelong figures out how to make best use of new arrival Josh Jenkins.

"If Josh needs more space I'll give him more space. That will probably give me more chance to play a bit more in the ruck as well and help Rhys out a little bit," Ratugolea said.

"I like to play as a forward but I like to play in the ruck as well because it gets me into the game a lot more."

Esava Ratugolea isn't looking past his first marking contest as he prepares to return in Geelong's JLT Community Series opener against West Coast this week.

Ratugolea, 20, admits he's carrying some nerves for the clash at Leederville Oval, his first outing at the top level since suffering a season-ending broken ankle while flying for a mark in round 10 last year.

"Going into the game I'll be thinking about it a lot. When I do it, it'll be a bit of a relief," Ratugolea said of his first marking contest.

"I just can't wait to go there and attack the ball, it's just another way to build my confidence. (I'll) get this game out of the way and then feel good about myself up forward."

Esava Ratugolea will resume running for the first time this week after post-season surgery in a bid to push his case for round one selection.

Still recovering from a September clean-up to have screws removed from initial surgery following his broken ankle in round 10, Ratugolea will soon begin to ramp up his training.

"The ankle's going really well and I'll run today for the first time on the Alter-G (weight-bearing treadmill) in about five weeks," he said.

"(I've been) doing a lot of cross training, bike sessions in the heat room and rope sessions.

"Now it's just about building my confidence up and I've got a lot of time before round one to do that."

Esava Ratugolea will make his comeback from a broken ankle this week in the VFL against Box Hill.

Esava Ratugolea signs a contract extension to remain at Geelong until the end of 2021.

Esava Ratugolea is sidelined for an indefinite period after surgery for a badly fractured right ankle.

The young Cat went under the knife to have a plate and screws inserted into his leg to stabilise the tibia and fibula fractures.

Esava Ratugolea is taken to hospital after suffering a suspected broken leg early in the second term during the Cats' clash against Carlton at GMHBA Stadium.

The 19-year-old forward instantly felt for his right leg – just below his knee – after it was crushed at the bottom of a marking contest.

Esava Ratugolea signs a contract extension with Geelong to remain at the club until the end of 2019.

Esava Ratugolea makes his AFL debut for Geelong at the MCG with 8 disposals (5 kicks and 3 handballs), 5 marks, 5 hitouts and a goal in a 3-point win over Melbourne.

Tim Kelly, Lachlan Fogarty Esava Ratugolea will make their AFL debuts for the Cats in Geelong's season opener against Melbourne.

Cats coach Chris Scott says they forced their way in off strong pre-seasons and were picked on "merit" ahead of a number of more experienced teammates.

"This is not about planning for the future this is about our best team for Sunday," Scott said on Friday.

"They're in based on merit, we highly rate the opposition and we know we need to play at our absolute best."

Geelong draftee Esava Ratugolea is already drawing comparisons to fellow Fijian and Eagles All-Australian ruckman Nic Naitanui.

"He's not quite as tall as 'Nic Nat' … but definitely physically, his power, his leap and the way he attacks the ball is very Nic Nat-like," Murray Bushrangers talent manager Lee Fraser said.

"Then there's his ability to influence the contest within that 10m area and his forward pressure as a big man. He's really an imposing figure at times."

Geelong select Esava Ratugolea with pick No.43 in the 2016 National Draft.

"Esava is a player who had a really good second half of the year," Geelong list manager Stephen Wells said.

"We think he's a project who will develop and will improve and we're confident that once he gets into the AFL system he'll really come on well for us.

"He can pinch-hit in the ruck but he'll certainly get the opportunity to develop as a forward."