Janelle Cuthbertson and Ebony Marinoff hold the Variety Showdown Shield. Image: Jack Dilks.

PORT ADELAIDE captain Janelle Cuthbertson is not putting any ceiling on her side ahead of the club’s AFLW season opener against the Crows on Saturday night.

The Power will kick off its third season in the AFLW with a Showdown at home at Alberton Oval, wearing the club’s iconic black and white prison bars for the first time in that competition.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Adelaide co-captain Ebony Marinoff on Tuesday, Cuthbertson said the group is process driven and expecting to continue growing after a strong pre-season.

She also discussed the excitement of facing the Crows at home to kick off the season, some of the young teammates who have impressed her and the areas the side has focussed on for improvement in the pre-season.

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AFLW Showdown III Captain's press conference - 27 August | PTV

Janelle Cuthbertson and Ebony Marinoff speak to the media ahead of AFLW Showdown III on Saturday night.

Janelle Cuthbertson on the excitement building into a Round 1 Showdown:

“(It’s) super exciting. Obviously, round one, Saturday night. It feels like it's been a pretty long off season and pretty long pre-season, I'm sure, for everyone. So yeah, to know that we're finally at round one, and game week is super exciting. The energy's up and about and the vibes are up amongst the group and yeah, (just) excited to get out there.

“What better way to test where the ledger is than against Adelaide? Like, obviously, a phenomenal team, very successful across the years, and it'll be great for us, a great test to see where we stand up. And we can't wait for the battle. We know it's going to be lots of pressure, super heated, both teams going to come out firing. So, yeah, what better way to start the season?”

Janelle Cuthbertson on the club’s expectations for the 2024 season:

“We're not really putting a ceiling on what the limit is. As long as we can keep seeing continual growth amongst the group and maturity and like looking back at what our process is, and sticking to that process, that's what we're trying to look for in amongst the four walls, and week in, week out, we'll adjust that, and see where we stand up. Rather than looking too far ahead, it's just week to week and make sure we can see that growth amongst the group.

Cuthbertson said the energy from the group is high heading into the blockbuster. Image: Jack Dilks.

“(After last season) it was a lot of a lot about our contest and our fitness. They're two things that we've really worked on across the off-season, across the pre-season, that's been supplemented and supported by increasing resources across our staff, and high performance. And, you know, we've seen a lot of maturity amongst the group, adding a whole other pre-season, another off season into a really young group is something that you currently take for granted. Going into our third season, we've got girls that were drafted three years ago, coming into their third full off-season, third full pre-season, we're seeing significant growth in that area. So that really helps us and allows us to kind of tackle our pre-season and really focus on our contest and our game plan.”

Janelle Cuthbertson on the arrival of premiership player and All-Australian Kirsty Lamb from the Western Bulldogs:

“Kirsty's obviously a contest beast and coming over from the Bulldogs, she's had a lot of experience, a lot of knowledge. She's been around from the start. So yeah, she brings a wealth of experience, and what she can bring to a really young midfield group, and just across the group in general. She’s has been really beneficial for us.”

Cuthbertson said the development of the younger group of players is really exciting. Image: Jack Dilks.

Janelle Cuthbertson on some of the young faces in the group who have impressed her:

“Seeing your likes of Shineah Goody, I think we've already seen the last couple of games, the impact that she can have in a game, and Molly Brooksby, Lauren Young, Piper Window, to name a few. They've been playing since they were, you know, five, six years-old and I watch them out on the track and just their knowledge of the game, the instinct, how they read the play. I can't wait to see them grow and develop over the next 5-10, years, and sit on the balcony and watch them when they're running the show. Because they’re just great athletes, but also great footballers and great people at the end of the day as well so they've added a great amount of substance to out to our culture, and they fit in so easily. I love having them out on the track. They obviously run rings around me.”

Janelle Cuthbertson on her expectation of the crowd at Alberton on Saturday night:

“Obviously, we've got the grandstands out at Alberton, so we're hoping for a sellout crowd. And there's obviously still tickets available online. I think being in South Australia, being a Showdown, we're hoping to get a really good balance of Port and Adelaide Crows fans and yeah, I'm expecting, hopefully a sellout and a great atmosphere on a Saturday night. I can't wait.”