Port Adelaide SANFL captain Cam Sutcliffe and coach Matthew Lokan pictured at the season launch at Adelaide Oval. Image: Matt Sampson.

PORT ADELAIDE SANFL coach Matthew Lokan says the added depth in the club’s contracted list will give his side the best chance of winning games this season.

The club added a host of new faces in the off-season including Nick Moore and Jackson Lee from Woodville-West Torrens, Brayden Kirk from North Adelaide and former Norwood premiership player Anthony Wilson.

The club will for the first time open the SANFL season at Adelaide Oval with a match-up against Adelaide’s reserves on Friday evening, replacing the traditional game at the Parade against Norwood.

The SANFL captains pictured at the season launch at Adelaide Oval ahead of Round 1 this weekend. Image: Matt Sampson.

Lokan said there was an excitement amongst the group after a long pre-season.

“It’s been a big build up over summer,” Lokan said at Tuesday morning’s SANFL season launch at Adelaide Oval.

“Any team playing in Round 1 is super exciting but to be able to play here (at Adelaide Oval) against Adelaide is special for our club and a really important game to kick off our season.

“I think it’s a great initiative by our two clubs and the SANFL to play our two Showdowns at Adelaide Oval.

“I know last year our boys loved it. It’s a Crows home game so I’m sure there’ll be more Crows supporters here but to be able to give that opportunity to our SANFL contracted boys and our young guys to play out here – many of our young AFL listed guys haven’t played AFL football yet – so to be able to play out here on Adelaide Oval on a big night is great for our clubs.”

Lokan said he had been excited by the development of some of the younger AFL-listed players including first-year midfielder Hugh Jackson and young key position players Ollie Lord and Jake Pasini.

Big man Ollie Lord is one of several youngsters SANFL coach Matthew Loken has labeled to keep an eye on during the season. Image: Brandon Hancock.

He was also confident that adding more SANFL league experience with the recruitment of Moore, Lee, Kirk and Wilson would allow the club to balance the need to develop AFL talent while being set on challenging for the SANFL premiership.

“We always want to win,” Lokan explained. “You ask any coach what they want to get out of a season and that’s to win games of footy and to win a premiership and it’s no different for us at Port Adelaide.

“We’ve certainly got some other things that we need to consider, with regards to developing our younger listed players and working through a few injuries at AFL level.

“It is a challenge at times but we have one focus and that’s to win games of footy.”

Lokan will name his first side of the season on Thursday evening before Port Adelaide faces the Crows to open the SANFL campaign from 4:10pm on Friday at Adelaide Oval.