Tom Clurey re-signs with Port Adelaide and warns his fellow defenders he’s chasing their spots

DEFENDER Tom Clurey, who played just one game in three seasons before replacing injured Jackson Trengove in the team against Melbourne last week, has turned his back on more dollars to re-sign with the Power.

TOM Clurey is up for the fight.

The Port Adelaide key defender who played just one game in three seasons before replacing injured Jackson Trengove in the team against Melbourne last week has turned his back on more dollars and greater opportunities at rival clubs to re-sign with the Power.

Clurey, who was due to fall out of contract at the end of the season, has inked a new two-year deal which will tie him to Port until the end of the 2017 season.

He has vowed to fight the four established key backmen ahead of him in the pecking order at Alberton — Trengove, Alipate Carlile, Jack Hombsch and Tom Jonas — for a spot in the Power’s best 22 rather than opt for a move to a key defender-starved club, such as Brisbane, which could have offered him the chance to be a regular starter.

“I’m happy in Adelaide and I want to give back to the club that drafted me and has been loyal to me,’’ said the Victorian 21-year-old Clurey in a rare show of loyalty in modern football.

“I still think I can fit into the team if I continue to put my best foot forward and continue to improve.

“Kenny (coach Ken Hinkley) has told me he’s obviously not going to just give me a spot and that I have to earn it.

“I realise that and I’m prepared to keep fighting hard for it and keep getting the job done, whether that’s in the SANFL or AFL.

Clurey working his skills at training. Photo: Tricia Watkinson.

“Hopefully I can play well again this week, keep putting my name up and cement a spot.’’

With Trengove remaining sidelined by a serious ankle injury, the 193cm Clurey has retained his position in the Port team for tonight’s Adelaide Oval clash against the Western Bulldogs. Keeping it when Trengove returns will be the toughest part.

“Those four players ahead of me are all good players and they have a lot more experience than me so it’s good competition but that’s what good teams need,’’ said Clurey, who is an elite endurance runner for his size.

“It’s extremely tough to get a spot but Kenny has been on to me about earning one and if that means squeezing one of the other boys out then that’s what I have to try to do.’’

In picking Clurey for just his second game and first for more than a year last week, Hinkley said he wasn’t sure whether he had come across a player who had been made to work so hard for a spot.

“Has there been a more worthy guy to get a game, I’m not sure there has been in my time,’’ the coach said of Clurey.

“He has been desperately unlucky to have been held out of the side by a solid group down there in the back half.

“But with Jackson out we’ve seen the opportunity where we’ve just got to make sure we give this boy an opportunity to play, give him some experience and see where he goes.’’

Clurey, drafted from Victorian TAC Cup side Murray Bushrangers with pick 29 at the 2012 national draft, debuted against Carlton in round one last year after blanketing St Kilda star Nick Riewoldt in a pre-season match at Alberton Oval. But he had played only one game before Trengove went out of the side through injury last week despite being a standout SANFL player for two-and-a-half seasons.

“I’ve definitely had to work hard for it,’’ he said.

“Obviously it was a long time between my first and second AFL games but I’ve used my time in the SANFL (with the Port Magpies) to continue to work on my game.

“That’s what I did last year, go back to the SANFL and work on things and try to put my name up (for AFL selection).

“It’s good that I’ve been able to do that, that it’s paid off and I’ve been able to get more games now.

“But I know I’ve still got plenty of things to work on. I wasn’t great with my skills on the weekend (against Melbourne) and I know I need to do the little things right all the time.’’

With Port having a plethora of key defenders, the club trialled Clurey as a big-bodied midfielder in the pre-season, including giving him run-with roles.

But while he said he would embrace any opportunities that came his way he preferred to be stationed down back where he learnt his trade.

“I think being a key backman is my position,’’ said Clurey, who lives with small second-year defender Jarman Impey.

“That’s where I learnt my footy and that’s where I feel most comfortable.’’

While he is trying to pinch their spots, Clurey praised the Power’s key defenders for going out of their way to help him develop.

“They’ve all been great to me,’’ Clurey said.

“I look at ‘Bobby’ Carlile’s game a fair bit because he’s so good with his bodywork and defensively,’’ Clurey said.

“Jacko, Hombschy and Tommy have also been good with their advice and they’ve all got attributes — defensively and offensively — that I can learn off.’’

Let the fight begin.

DEFENSIVE BATTLE

Tom Clurey is locked in a five-way fight for four key defensive positions at Port Adelaide along with Alipate Carlile, Jackson Trengove, Jack Hombsch and Tom Jonas. Like Hombsch and Jonas, Clurey can also play on smaller opponents. Carlile and Trengove are best suited to taking on power forwards.

TOM CLUREY

Age: 21.

Height: 193cm.

Weight: 89kg.

Debut: 2014.

Games: 2.

Goals: 0.

ALIPATE CARLILE

Age: 28.

Height: 192cm.

Weight: 98kg.

Debut: 2006.

Games: 161.

Goals: 5.

JACKSON TRENGOVE

Age: 24.

Height: 197cm.

Weight: 94kg.

Debut: 2010.

Games: 106.

Goals: 8.

JACK HOMBSCH

Age: 22.

Height: 193cm.

Weight: 89kg.

Debut: 2012.

Games: 48.

Goals: 0.

TOM JONAS

Age: 24.

Height: 188cm.

Weight: 89kg.

Debut: 2011.

Games: 65.

Goals: 1.