Port Adelaide re-signs emerging key defender Tom Clurey for two years

PORT Adelaide has secured an important part of its future, re-signing key defender Tom Clurey for the next two seasons.

Port Adelaide’s Tom Clurey has re-signed with the Power for the next two seasons.

PORT Adelaide has secured an important part of its future, re-signing emerging key defender Tom Clurey for two more years.

Clurey, 23, has committed to the club until the end of the 2019 season.

He was one of nearly half of the Power’s list that was due to fall out of contract at the end of the season.

Clurey joins Brad Ebert, Jack Hombsch, AFL Rising Star contender Sam Powell-Pepper and Billy Frampton in inking new deals in the past two weeks.

Clurey — drafted at pick 29 at the 2012 national draft — played just 18 games in his previous four years at the club before consolidating his position at full back and playing all 14 games this year.

He has often been matched on the opposition’s best key forward, including Richmond’s Jack Riewoldt who he kept to one goal in the 13-point loss at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night.

“Tom has made himself an important pillar of the club’s defence over the past year,” Port football general manager Chris Davies said.

Clurey says the Power remains confident and upbeat despite being criticised for not having beaten a top-eight side this year.

He pointed out that the Power is still placed fifth and improving.

Coach Ken Hinkley said commentary describing the Power as pretenders had been expected – if not warranted – after it lost another close match to Richmond at the weekend.

It has left Port with matches that have slipped away against West Coast, Greater Western Sydney and Richmond this season.

But Clurey said the players would use the close loss to the Eagles in round seven at Adelaide

Port’s Tom Clurey tackles Richmond’s Jack Riewoldt last week. Picture: GETTY IMAGES

Oval this year as fuel as they head across to Western Australia this weekend and said there was still a positive mood around Alberton.

“At the end of the day we’re still sitting fifth on the ladder, and with plenty of games left in the year,” Clurey said.

“If we can keep getting wins along the way I’m sure that (beating a top-eight team) will sort itself out.

“You want to win every game and obviously we do want to knock off those top teams.

“We’ll just keep working at that.

“A lot of the games that we have lost we have been in the game up until the third or the fourth quarter.

“It’s not all doom and gloom like some people probably think from the outside. We’re still really positive.”

The greatest talking point out of the Richmond loss – and central in the club’s review – was its scattergun kicking for goal.

Clurey said it was an area that had needed attention for a while and would continue to be worked on.

“We just need to finish our work, that’s a main one,” he said. “We’ve been getting the opportunity – getting the ball inside 50 and just letting ourselves down by not finishing off through goals and also our efficiency going inside 50.

“It’s about putting a four-quarter performance together.”

Meanwhile, Clurey credited a more physical presence for his breakout season and not being intimidated by the big names.

Clurey, who yesterday signed a two-year contract extension to remain at Alberton until at least the end of 2019, has stood players such as Sydney’s Lance “Buddy” Franklin this year and may take Eagle Josh Kennedy or Jack Darling at the weekend.

“It’s obviously a good challenge because there are plenty of really good forwards, ” Clurey said.

Former rookie Dan Houston is also understood to have signed a two-year contract extension.