Midfielder Steven Summerton signs three-year deal with Port Adelaide Magpies
PORT Adelaide heart-and-soul midfielder Steven Summerton will remain with the Magpies after signing an unprecedented three-year deal.
PORT Adelaide heart-and-soul midfielder Steven Summerton will remain with the Magpies after signing an unprecedented three-year deal.
Summerton was the only Magpies player with a contract extending into 2014 when the club was approved to field a Power reserves team in the competition for next season.
The Magpies asked the SANFL if they could list Summerton, 25, as their "leadership" player but were rejected because he did not meet the 28-year age requirement which was set by the league directors and agreed to by Port Adelaide.
MORE: SUMMERTON CAN'T STAY AS MAGPIES 'LEADERSHIP' PLAYER
Instead, Summerton will be paid the $400-per-game maximum allowed for the Magpies' top-up players for the next two years, then effectively receive what should have been his 2014 salary when he turns 28 by 2016.
Port Adelaide's leadership player next year will be former Essendon midfielder Henry Slattery who played with the Magpies in the SANFL this season.
Port Adelaide chief executive Keith Thomas said Summerton was a crucially important player for the football club to retain.
"He's born and bred and he's a product of everything we love about our junior programs," Thomas said.
"He had another year on his contract (for 2014) and we felt compelled to honour it.
"So subsequently we have offered him a three-year deal.
"Having Steven in the squad and him being enthusiastic about it which he is, shows people that it is going to be okay, it is still the Magpies and it's a great place to play footy."
Thomas also hailed Slattery's signing as a major boost for the Magpies and said the response from supporters so far this pre-season had been positive.
"Supporters are united behind the club and it was achieved on the back of this decision and the performance of our AFL side (this season)," he said.
"People are very interested in how it's (Magpies side) going to go and we are hellbent on creating a competitive Magpies side."
The Magpies have so far revealed eight of their 15 top-up players for next season including Summerton, Slattery, Jake Johansen, Louis Sharrad, Ben Haren, Ben Sawford and Aseri Raikiwasa from the current list and Anthony Biemans from South Barwon.
Sam Gray had signed as a top-up player but was rookie listed by the Power.
Thomas expects the club to name another two players before Christmas and finalise the list when pre-season training under new coach Garry Hocking resumes in January.