Norwood captain Jace Bode to miss SANFL finals series due to ankle injury
Norwood will be without its injured captain for the finals, while Port Adelaide — whose management is already talking grand finals — and Adelaide have both lost talents to suspension ahead of their qualifying showdown.
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NORWOOD captain Jace Bode is to weigh up his future at the end of the year after all but being ruled out of the finals campaign because of an ankle injury.
Bode missed the final-round win over West Adelaide on Friday night, which earned the Redlegs an elimination final battle against Sturt at Adelaide Oval on Saturday, and the running defender said it was unlikely he would get back on the field this season.
The three-times premiership player with the Redlegs said the club wanted him to stretch his career into 2020 and he would “sit down at the end of the year and work it out”.
Bode has had painkilling injections in his past few games and it had hampered his performances, as well as his recovery.
Midfielder Matt Panos will lead the Redlegs in the absence of Bode when they attempt a hat-trick of wins against the Double Blues.
The winner will face the loser of the qualifying final showdown between Port Adelaide and Adelaide.
Port chief executive Keith Thomas raised a few eyebrows at his press conference on Monday when he said the club had an SANFL grand final to play off in the next few weeks.
Port’s state league coach Matthew Lokan said the club was not going to hide from the fact his side was in good form with eight wins from the past nine games.
Asked if the other clubs in the finals would be looking over their shoulder given Port’s hot form, he responded: “Certainly”.
However, he also noted there were a couple of other form sides, while two of their losses had been to Glenelg.
“The boys are in some really good form, but it is a different kettle of fish once finals come around,” Lokan said. “We have a really big test this Saturday against Adelaide.
“We feel we are playing good enough footy to compete in the finals series, but we know we have got a few games to go before a grand final comes around. We have got work to do and there are four other good teams in the finals.”
Port will be without forward Aidyn Johnson after he accepted a one-match ban with an early guilty plea for engaging in rough conduct with Central District skipper Trent Goodrem.
The Crows won’t have the services of Ben Davis, suspended for two games for engaging in rough conduct with South Adelaide’s Ben Haren.
SANFL Finals Week 1
Elimination final
Sturt v Norwood
Adelaide Oval, Saturday, 3.20pm
Qualifying final
Port Adelaide v Adelaide
Adelaide Oval, Saturday, 7.05pm