Port Adelaide will field a SANFL reserves side in 2018 but four contracted players leave in search of more opportunities

PORT Adelaide will continue to field a SANFL reserves side next year – but has begun losing top-up players to rival clubs in search of more league opportunities.

Port Adelaide’s Louis Sharrad (pictured with the ball) has joined Woodville-West Torrens. Picture: Tom Huntley

PORT Adelaide will continue to field a SANFL reserves side next year – but has begun losing top-up players to rival clubs in search of more league opportunities.

Woodville-West Torrens last night announced it had signed Magpies trio Louis Sharrad, Tom Gray and Nathan Rudloff, while Luke Reynolds joined Glenelg earlier this month.

All four were forced to play most of this year in Port’s reserves because of a SANFL rule stipulating that available Power players have to be selected ahead of contracted Magpies.

Magpies captain Steven Summerton and speedster Robbie Young, who both also spent a chunk of the past season in the reserves, have yet to decide on their playing futures.

The departures come after Port dismissed speculation its reserves would cease to exist next season, saying the club would continue to have two SANFL teams.

Young, who was a Port junior before their underage sides were dissolved in 2014, said he would not make a decision until he met with Magpies coach Chad Cornes.

“I am just going to have a chat with the coaching staff and the guys at Port Adelaide and go from there,” Young, 22, said.

Last week Summerton, who captained the Magpies in this year’s losing grand final yet also played five reserves games, was unsure where he would line up next year.

He said this year had been tough but his loyalty to the club was stopping him from signing with another SANFL team.

Sharrad, 24, joins the Eagles after 54 league games at Port and winning this year’s reserves Magarey Medal.

Gray – the 21-year-old brother of Power player Sam Gray – played 30 games with the Magpies and Rudloff, 23, featured in 18.

Reynolds, 22, played three league and 14 reserves games this past season after kicking 43 goals last year – the fourth-best in the competition.

“Louis, Tom and Luke worked their way up from our juniors to play SANFL football with the Magpies,” Port SANFL manager Shane Grimm said.

“Nathan joined us more recently but they’ve all made significant contributions on and off the field and will always be welcome here at Port Adelaide.”

Grimm said the club would announce further changes to the Magpies’ contracted player list “when appropriate”.