PORT ADELAIDE will field a young side when it travels to Noarlunga to take on South Adelaide on Sunday afternoon.
Neither side can make the finals this season, but SANFL coach Matthew Lokan is aiming to finish the season on a high with this clash with the Panthers and next week against Adelaide.
South Adelaide find themselves in a similar position, boasting a youthful side set to blood its 19th and 20th debutants for the season, while the wide expanses at Noarlunga always provide a unique challenge for visiting sides.
“It's really important that we finish off our season strong and it's always tough to play down at Noarlunga,” Lokan said.
“We're going to be really young this week. It's exciting to be able to give some contracted guys the opportunity to play with the AFL side playing at the same time in Melbourne.
“It obviously takes a couple of guys away from our side.”
The Magpies were impacted at selection by a run of injuries, suspension and call-ups to the AFL side set to face Essendon in Melbourne later on Sunday evening.
Speedsters Orazio Fantasia, Josh Sinn and Anthony Wilson all miss through injury, while ruckman Sam Hayes is serving a striking suspension.
Mitch Georgiades, Jackson Mead, Trent Dumont and Ollie Lord have all been named as emergencies to battle the Bombers.
Despite having a youthful side at his disposal, Lokan is looking forward for the opportunity it will provide Port's SANFL contracted list.
“That's the challenge for our program at the moment is that we will have a number of contracted guys, but it gives the guys that haven't played much footy for us this year the opportunity to play league footy.
“Aryan Sareen is going to come back in and play for us.
“Mac Nield gets the opportunity again, Cam Wildman comes in after a couple of weeks off, the first two guys are new to our program this year.
“To be able to have them in playing in the back end of the season is good for their development, and hopefully they can grow for us going forward.”
The last meeting between the sides at Noarlunga fell nine-points the way of the visitors in Round 3 last season.
However, the Panthers got the win in the most recent encounter at Alberton in Round 2 this year, with Jeremy Finlayson kicking six for the Magpies and now Essendon player Jye Menzie booting six for South.
With neither players pulling on the boots in this clash, Lokan said the Panthers still have plenty in their forward line.
“South have dangerous forwards, I think with Sam Overall has been a consistent forward in the competition for a number of years now, and if they get enough entries, they tend to score,” he said.
“As most weeks, the game will be won and lost around the contest and we need to restrict the amount of opportunities they get in the front half.”
The first bounce is at 1.35pm at Noarlunga.
