SANFL PORT ADELAIDE To concentrate on the next phase of his career, captain Cam Sutcliffe has announced his retirement from league football.
Sutcliffe, who is now 31 years old, had his 2023 season cut short by injury to just seven games, but he continued to be a solid leader for a youthful and somewhat inexperienced Port Adelaide lineup.
The Kadina native has spent the majority of his time playing in the middle of the field, but in recent years, including this season, he has played in the backline, demonstrating his versatility and team-first mentality.
Sutcliffe will continue to be very involved in the on-field and off-field activities at Alberton as he currently divides his time between working as an assistant coach with Port Adelaide’s AFLW team and in the club’s not-for-profit charity arm, Power Community Limited, running the Power to End Violence Against Women and Empowered programs.
“I have really enjoyed my time with the Magpies since 2019 and the friendships I have developed with the players, coaches, staff, and volunteers that make up this great club,” Sutcliffe stated.
“But the time has come for me to begin the transition away from the SANFL football responsibilities and to concentrate on improving professionally in other areas.
“I’ll still be working for the club in a variety of capacities, keeping a close eye on how our SANFL team is doing, and I will always be appreciative for the chance I was given to represent Port Adelaide,” the player said.
Sutcliffe joined the team in 2019 as its SANFL leadership player before being promoted to the AFL rookie list through the mid-year rookie draft. In his first season as coach, Sutcliffe led the team to the SANFL Grand Final.
In addition to the 104 games he played for Fremantle between 2011 and 2018, he also participated in nine AFL games.
“Cam is a very likeable guy who was a great leader during his time at our club and helped with the development of many of our younger players in recent years,” said Paul Stewart, the manager of the Port Adelaide SANFL.
“We are very grateful for the time and effort he has invested in our SANFL program, as well as our AFLW, Community, and AFL programs.
Although we will miss him on the field, we are happy that he is still with the team and respect his choice to focus more on the next phase of his post-playing career.
Sutcliffe completes his career with the club with 50 SANFL appearances and 35 goals.
