Port Adelaide’s media manager Daniel Norton takes over as Goodwood Saints’ footy director
An Adelaide Footy League division one team has a new senior footy director and it’s the media and communications general manager at one of SA’s AFL clubs.
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Goodwood Saints could have some Port Adelaide flavour among its playing ranks in the future with the Power’s media and communications general manager taking over as senior football director.
The Adelaide Footy League club named Daniel Norton, the Power’s media department leader and former FiveAA sports show panellist, as its new footy boss last week.
Although he will be in charge of recruiting players to the Saints, he says there’s no way he’ll be able to lure Robbie Gray or Travis Boak out of the AFL anytime soon.
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“It would be handy to have Robbie Gray in the forward pocket in three or four years if he’s got a spare Saturday afternoon, or some other former Port Adelaide players,” Norton says with a laugh.
“Recruiting is part of what I’ll need to do but most of the recruits (for 2020) are already set up, now, but moving forward there’s conversations that might take place.
“But no, I can’t see in the short term Travis Boak or Robbie Gray pulling on the Goodwood Saints jumper.”
Norton, who is studying an MBA in sports management, will split his time between the paid role at the Power and the volunteer job at Goodwood.
“Football administration is something I’ve always been interested in,” he says.
“It (the role) ticks a couple of boxes for me in developing those footy admin skills, albeit at an amateur league club, and it’s something I’m really looking forward to.
“I’ve got to know them over the last three or four years with my son, Harrison, playing in the juniors.
“It’s about great history and success and it’s about winning the right away and about having family and community values that run beyond just a football field.
“The thing that attracted me to Goodwood was that they are more than just a football club.
“They have programs in place … to give back to the community.
“I love the way the club (Goodwood) is built on family. It’s built on youth, they love developing younger players.”
Norton, a father of three, admits this year will be busy.
But he’s confident he can juggle both roles and do them well.
“My wife might even be celebrating because the less she sees me in winter, the better – she’s a Crows fan and I’m a Port fan,” Norton jokes.
“I’ll be really busy on the weekends and it will be footy, footy, footy, but I am really confident I can combine the two.”