RECENTLY re-signed Port Adelaide key defender Tom Clurey says the inclusion of Matthew Broadbent has given the whole club a boost ahead of this weekend’s Showdown.

Port will be without a number of key players - including co-captains Tom Jonas and Ollie Wines - against Adelaide, but Clurey says Broadbent’s comeback is something special.

“The boys are really pumped,” Clurey said at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon.

“He’s been out for nearly a couple of years now, so it’s awesome to see.

“That will give the boys a little bit of lift as well. He’s a well-respected person around the club, so we are very excited for that.”

Clurey - who has played 67 games since being drafted with pick 29 in 2012 - signed a long-term deal to remain at Alberton until at least the end of 2023.

“Very excited to be here for another four years,” Clurey said.

“I’ve loved my time here so far - six-and-a-half years now.

“Talking to my manager and the club, I always wanted to stay here.

“I’m pretty happy living over here in South Australia, so once we worked out a bit of a deal, I was pretty happy.”

Clurey says the playing group Port are building, and the leadership possibility in a relatively young and inexperienced defensive group, made his decision to stay at the club even easier.

“They are a great bunch of blokes and I think going forward we have the right group to have some success in the near future,” he said.

“We’ve got a really good bunch - and still a pretty young group - down back.

“We are starting to gel more and more together as the weeks go on.

“In the last couple of years, we have shown plenty of improvement - a few new guys have come in but I think we’ve started to play a fair bit of footy together now.

“Being a pretty young group, I think Nathan Bassett over the last couple of years, was very good for us.

“We learnt a lot under him but I think we are in a position now where are more experienced and can get the job done.”

The Power will host the Crows on Saturday night at Adelaide Oval, with the final teams to be announced on Thursday evening.