PORT ADELAIDE was staring down the prospect of playing SANFL finals without its captain, but Cam Sutcliffe qualified to play by featuring in his side’s big win over Central District last Saturday and he’s thrilled to get a chance at silverware.
Under the SANFL rules any AFL-listed player must have played more SANFL than AFL games and have played at least three games after June 30 to qualify to play finals.
While Sutcliffe was initially contracted to be the club’s SANFL leadership player, his drafting in the mid-season AFL draft and subsequent appearances in Power colours had him in doubt.
After five consecutive AFL games between Rounds 17-21 he returned to feature for the Magpies in their final two SANFL games, seeing him qualify for the finals.
“I was lucky to qualify in the end,” he admitted at the SANFL Finals launch on Tuesday, explaining there was a silver lining to being dropped on form.
“Playing on the weekend guaranteed that and I’m really grateful.
“I started the year playing SANFL with the Port Maggies and captaining them as well so I would have been disappointed if I couldn’t.
“To get the opportunity to play in the SANFL finals is great. The seven o’clock game here on Saturday night will hopefully draw a crowd as well so we’re looking forward to that.”
The Magpies will play a qualifying final against Adelaide on Saturday night, a side which will be missing some key late-season players who aren’t eligible for finals.
But Sutcliffe knows whoever takes the field for the Crows, it will be a fierce battle.
“It’s a big rivalry,” he said.
“We’ve played each other twice this year – they’ve won one, we’ve won one – so we are hoping to get on top early like we did in Port Pirie and come away with the win.
“You take the game on its merits. They’ve still got some great players like Chayce Jones, Patty Wilson running through the middle, maybe Sam Jacobs at this point so we definitely won’t be taking them lightly.”
With Port Adelaide looking to break a 20-year SANFL premiership drought, the youthful Magpies have been leaning on senior players and coaches Matthew Lokan and Chad Cornes for advice about the increased intensity of finals.
“We have a really young group coming through and some pretty exciting talent so they’re really good mentors for those guys and the older guys we have in the group – Jack Trengove, Sam Mayes, Trent McKenzie, who have played a fair bit of AFL footy as well – are driving those younger guys to be better,” Sutcliffe said, while also addressing his own future.
“I’ve put that to the side just now. We just need to get through the next month and see what happens.
“List management will take care of itself in time and I’m hoping to get another contract but if not, Port Adelaide’s going to be there so I’ll still play for the Magpies.”
Adelaide SANFL skipper Matthew Wright is expecting a big crowd on Saturday night, especially with the game being part of a double-header at Adelaide Oval.
Sturt will host Norwood in the elimination final from 3:20pm before the Magpies and Crows do battle.
“It’s going to be good fun. We’re pumped and I’m sure they’re pumped as well,” Wright said.
“If you’ve got nothing to do, why wouldn’t you get along. You get two great games of footy and hopefully there’s a big crowd because it’ll be important.
“(Port Adelaide’s) brand of footy is a pretty exciting brand so we’ve got to look to counter that and play a nice brand as well. It’s going to be who can execute better.
“There’s always a little bit in it but whoever we play we want to play a good brand of footy and it just happens that it’s the cross-town rivals this week.”
Port Adelaide will be missing forward Aidyn Johnson who has accepted a one-match ban for engaging in rough conduct in last week’s 90-point win over Central, while Adelaide’s Ben Davis has accepted a two-match ban for a similar offence.
