Port take another swipe at Cats

Port Adelaide football manager Peter Rohde has scoffed at suggestions he was briefed by Geelong counterpart Neil Balme before the Cats' approach to Power star Travis Boak.

Victorian Boak, who played TAC Cup footy with the Geelong Falcons, is out of contract at the end of the season and on Sunday the midfielder was visited by Geelong coach Chris Scott, skipper Joel Selwood and vice-captain Jimmy Bartel in the hope of luring him to the Cats next season.

That visit sparked a riposte from Port, with club chief executive Keith Thomas saying on Monday:

"If Matthew Primus, Domenic Cassisi and Travis Boak were to bowl into Geelong to meet with Joel Selwood, I am sure (Cats CEO) Brian Cook, his players and supporters would feel more than a little disrespected."

But Scott played down the approach on Tuesday, and said Rhode had been made aware of the visit.

"We've been really open with Port Adelaide. They know full well that we're speaking to him," Scott said.

"(Geelong football manager) Neil Balme has spoken to Peter Rohde and, as Peter Rohde said on the weekend, it was no surprise to Port Adelaide that we were going to be speaking to Travis."

But Rhode has blasted that suggestion and said that while he was aware last month that Boak had already met with Geelong in Victoria, he had no idea the high-powered trio were in Adelaide until he was informed by the media.

"While we became aware of Geelong's interest in Travis and assumed that their discussions would continue, we certainly had no prior knowledge that they were coming to Adelaide on Sunday," Rohde said.

"The first we knew of it was when the media called us for a response."

Scott defended the overtures made to the Port onballer, who turns 24 on August 1, and predicted he would make his mind up about a potential return home soon.

"We didn't advertise the fact that we were talking to him, but it's no secret either," Scott said.

"We gave him the facts as we see them, and I think he's really clear now about where he sits.

"Port Adelaide are pushing him to make a decision and we respect that, so it was important that he knew where we were coming from.

"Now he's informed and we would expect that he'd make a decision fairly soon."