AFTER an eventful men's Showdown, new Port Adelaide captain Janelle Cuthbertson is expecting plenty of spirit in the women's edition, but maybe not quite as much spice.
Round one will mark the third AFLW Showdown between the two South Australian sides, with Adelaide winning the first by 60 points and the second by 30.
There were pre-game barbs, a big suspension, an all-in melee and plenty of post-game fallout a few weeks ago when the men's teams came face to face.
"Maybe not that spicy. There was a lot in that, as you'd expect with a Showdown, the fans get around it, both clubs get around it, and there was obviously a bit of banter between some of the players beforehand. Hopefully not that intense, but I'm sure there'll be some good spice in it," Cuthbertson told AFL.com.au.
"We've got a lot of belief amongst the group. For us, it's about sticking to that process and sticking to what we want to achieve with our contest work. We're really excited to be up against the Crows round one.
"It's a big test for us again, another great team, very successful, and a Showdown adds a little bit of extra heat and extra spice. Saturday night, it's at Alberton, and we're going to wear the 'prison bars' (guernsey), so we can't wait to get out there. It's going to be a great test for our young girls."
Cuthbertson isn't replacing just any old captain, but AFLW legend Erin Phillips, who skippered the Power in the final two seasons of her career. As is the club-wide tradition, as captain, she will change jumpers to don the number one.
"It's an honour and a privilege to captain the AFLW side. It's a club that's so rich in history, and to follow in Erin's footsteps, and continue the legacy and foundation she's laid in the past two seasons, is an absolute honour," Cuthbertson said.
"It's huge to wear the No.1 on your back, it's certainly something I'll never take it for granted. Every day I put the guernsey on, it's something I really cherish. Thinking about everyone who came before us at the club, our fans and our people and the legacy you want to leave moving forward is something you think about a lot.
"I'm not Erin, but I'll try to do my own thing and lead in my own way, but definitely try to continue to build what she's laid in those last couple of years. She's a phenomenal person and a phenomenal athlete, with great accolades against her name, and someone I really look up to, so it's really special to be able to follow in her footsteps."
Cuthbertson was a tennis player in the US college system before making the switch to football in 2019, picking up the game with WAFLW side Perth Angels, who played in the reserves division.
She played a whopping four games of football before she was drafted, and was named an All-Australian defender in her second year, 2021, while playing for Fremantle.
"When I started football in 2019, for me, it was about getting a game, and staying on a list for longer than a year, because I was pretty raw at the time. So leadership aspirations probably weren't on my radar at that point," she said.
"As I went through each year and started to notice my own leadership capabilities and what I could bring to the team and what I could offer, and I guess my learnings from a different professional sport as well, then I started to connect the dots and realised I had a bit to offer.
"For me, coming to Port Adelaide (in 2023), it was just about earning my stripes and really earning the respect of my teammates. Whatever came from that, would be an honour.
"It's happened very, very quickly. There's been a lot of learnings in that, a lot of growth, and there's one thing I tell the girls – football goes very quickly, and it can end soon, so stay present and enjoy the moment and just put your best foot forward every day."
Cuthbertson – through no fault of her own – has one of the lengthiest injury histories in the competition despite only making her debut in 2020, missing games for a variety of injuries including concussion, broken cheekbone, broken nose, ankle, knee and finger.
Unsurprisingly, she will once again carry a few broken fingers into the season, but will line up in round one.
"I'm good. The last five years have been filled with everything, from COVID to injuries, a lot of adversity. But it's made me the person I am now, I'm pretty resilient and it gives me the opportunity to lead the way I do," she said.
"I've got a couple of broken fingers, but I'll be right for round one. It's football, they (fingers) tend to get in the way. The body's feeling good and I've had a pretty good pre-season all round."
