Port Adelaide’s first Chinese recruit seriously injured but Power will keep him at Alberton to keep building international bridge

PORT ADELAIDE’S audacious “China Strategy” has hit its first hurdle — with the club’s first Chinese-born academy recruit Chen Shaoliang suffering serious injury.

EMBARGOED UNTIL MIDNIGHT - Port Adelaide signs a Chinese player for his China strategy. Shaoliang Chen (will be known as Chen) from Chaozhou. Photo Sarah Reed.

PORT ADELAIDE’S audacious “China Strategy” has hit its first hurdle — with the club’s first Chinese-born academy recruit Chen Shaoliang suffering serious injury.

The 23-year-old Team China captain damaged the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee while being tackled at just his second training session with the Magpies this week.

Chen Shaoliang will remain in Adelaide — with traditional reconstructive surgery more likely than the quick-fix LARS — to keep building the Power’s lines to China, where club president David Koch in the next month expects to make significant announcements.

But the Power is ruling out finding a replacement Chinese player to fill the role of pushing for selection in SANFL teams and offering on-field highlights for promotional missions in China.

Rather, Chen Shaoliang will stay in Adelaide to complete the other off-field objectives planned with his two-year stay at Alberton.

“While injury will sideline Chen for up to 12 months,” said Port Adelaide chief executive Keith Thomas, “Chen will be immersed in our club for the next two years.

“He will be living with a host family, rehabilitating and training with the Magpies academy squad, studying at UniSA and helping us to promote our game to the large Chinese community here in Adelaide and around Australia.”

Those duties include having a role in the Magpies’ SANFL season-opener against Norwood at The Parade on Thursday night.

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