PORT ADELAIDE will get a very quick gauge of where it stands when it opens the SANFL season against Norwood on Thursday night, and captain Cam Sutcliffe says his side will relish the opportunity to test itself against one of the premiership favourites.
After an enforced year out of the SANFL competition due to the AFL’s COVID-19 rules, Port Adelaide will kick off the season with a blockbuster at the Parade against its traditional rival.
The Redlegs have recruited well, bringing in Paul Puopolo from Hawthorn, Michael Knoll from Sydney, Jacob Kennerly from Geelong and Henry Crauford from Essendon among a host of other new faces.
With a young and fresh group around him, Sutcliffe knows it will be a big test.
“It’s good for us,” he told portadelaidefc.com.au. “Going up against Norwood at Norwood is always a tough task in itself and to have it to open the SANFL season is going to be a pretty exciting time for us.
“All the boys are raring to go. We played numerous trial games last year against the Crows and that’s just about all we did so the boys are looking forward to putting on the prison bar jumpers again.”
Among the new faces at Alberton are a trio of former Redlegs including forward Luke Surman, former Norwood captain Jace Bode and former senior coach Jarrod Cotton, now an assistant to SANFL coach Matthew Lokan.
Sutcliffe said the recruits were not able to provide too much of an insight into their Round 1 rivals.
“I think we’ve just been focussing on ourselves throughout the pre-season,” he said.
“I know Cotts would love it if we can get one over Norwood, having been the head coach there, but it’s going to be a tough game Thursday night.”
The last time Port Adelaide featured in the SANFL was the disappointing 2019 Grand Final loss to Glenelg.
There has been a significant turnover of players since then including some who were drafted after that game but missed out on playing competitive games in 2020 with the club’s SANFL absence.
Sutcliffe has been particularly impressed with two of the club’s youngest players.
“There are a lot of new faces but Taj Schofield is definitely one who has impressed me through the midfield and half forward,” the captain explained.
“He works his butt off, I guess having his dad (Jarrad) as the midfield coach helps with that.
“Also, Ollie Lord as a big key forward has been good. He’s pretty raw but he’s just working into it nicely and I think he’s going to be in for a big year.”
Sutcliffe is also excited about a player he knows very well, Lachie Jones.
The pair are house mates and Sutcliffe said the teenage defender, who is already a SANFL premiership player with the Eagles, had been a great addition to the side.
Jones is currently returning from a minor hamstring strain, and Sutcliffe is hopeful he will be fit to face the Redlegs.
“Lachie Jones will be pretty important to us if he gets to play down back,” Sutcliffe said.
“What you see on the field is definitely not what you see off it.
“He’s a pretty relaxed, pretty chilled out unit.
“He loves catching up with his mates and he’s pretty lackadaisical around the house but when he gets out there on the field, he’s a really hard man.”
So impressed has Sutcliffe been of Jones’ approach and performance that he is expecting the SANFL side to lose him to the AFL side pretty quickly.
“I think Lachie will play some AFL footy this year but that will be dependent on selection,” Sutcliffe said of his housemate.
“Nobody has any inkling about what could happen.
“I’m assuming we won’t see him too much but I’m hoping we do!”
Port Adelaide travels to the Parade to face Norwood from 7:40pm on Thursday night.
