PORT ADELAIDE captain Janelle Cuthbertson will continue on into 2025 after recommitting to the club for another season.

The contract extension comes as Cuthbertson takes another step towards returning to the field following a season-ending knee injury, suffered in the week two win over the Western Bulldogs.

The 34-year-old has been building towards running after working hard in her rehabilitation in the gym in recent weeks.

“I'm absolutely stoked to have another year here at Alberton and just incredibly grateful to the club for backing me in for another year,” Cuthbertson said.

“Obviously I’m going through a bit of along-term rehab, which has been pretty challenging in itself, but to know that the club supports me through that and has faith in me to come back next year and play my role is really exciting.

“While it was incredibly challenging to be sitting on the sidelines, looking back on the season, I have an incredible amount of pride in what that group was able to achieve and it’s just so exciting for the future.”

Having been a late convert to football after playing elite tennis, Cuthbertson now has 32 AFLW games to her name and was named an All-Australian in 2021.

A co-vice-captain in her first season at Alberton last year after crossing to the club following 24 games with Fremantle, the 34-year-old was voted by her Power teammates to be their captain heading into 2024.

“Janelle is a strong leader who we regard highly not just for her intercept marking but for the values and maturity she brings to our group,” said List Manager, Naomi Maidment.

“Clearly it has been a challenging year for her personally given her injury, but she has remained a positive influence on her teammates. Alot of our on-field success in 2024 can be attributed to the leadership Janelle established in the pre-season and she remains an important piece of our future success.

“We know Janelle will be diligent in her rehab and look forward to having her back on the park next year.”