We've just passed the halfway mark of the 2024 SANFL season, with premiership contenders and struggling sides emerging from their opening 10 games of the campaign so far.
Here we look at each club's state of play, their run home to finals and leading best and fairest contenders ahead of the final stretch.
Port Adelaide
Position: 10th
Wins: 1
Losses: 9
Percentage: 36.99%
Biggest win: 20 points v West Adelaide, Round 10
Biggest loss: 84 points v North Adelaide, Round 6
With rumours swirling around Port Adelaide's future in the SANFL, the Magpies are on the verge of claiming their first wooden spoon for 124 years as they endure a historically bad season.
Winless in their first eight games until a 20-point win against an injury-depleted West Adelaide, Port are currently ranked last in points for and against, painting a bleak picture of a season that has gone off the rails.
If Port's miserly percentage of 37 holds until the end of the season, it will be the lowest percentage recorded by any team since West Adelaide in 2016.
They have kicked under 50 points in five of their 10 games and only twice scored over 80 points.ย
At the other end, they have conceded triple figures five times and leaked the highest score of any team this season - 150 points against Glenelg in Round 1.
Of the eight teams they have played, five of them count Port Adelaide as their biggest winning margin of the season so far.
Their three nearest rivals on the ladder - Adelaide, South Adelaide and North Adelaide - have beaten them by 41, 73 and 84 points respectively.ย
As can happen with the AFL reserves teams, injuries at the top level have had a devastating impact on the quality of talent the Magpies can field
In most games they have had less than 10 AFL-listed players to choose from, forcing them to rely heavily on inexperienced top-up players.
AFL-listed players Jackson Mead, Hugh Jackson, Josh Sinn, Jase Burgoyne, Ollie Lord, Trent McKenzie and Quinton Narkle have all played less than four SANFL games this year.
Rookie recruit Logan Evans and captain Nick Moore have both missed blocks of football, while Lachie Pascoe is yet to debut for the Magpies after crossing from Norwood.
This is on top of Riley Bonner and Trent Dumont, who both departed over the off-season after finishing in the top 10 in last year's best and fairest.
The absence of these players has presented opportunities for younger talent to shine at the senior level, with a host of players showing plenty of promise.
Dylan Williams, Kyle Marshall and Xavier Walsh have stood up superbly in a defence often under siege, working overtime to repel opposition attacks.
Aiden Turner and Cody Szust have relished added midfield duties and shown no fear in going up against more seasoned bodies.
Will Lorenz has burst onto the scene and is on the verge of AFL selection, while Logan Evans' early form earned him an AFL list spot through the Mid-Season Draft.
Tom Anastasopoulos and Lachlan Charleson continue to compete valiantly in a forward line that has largely been starved of opportunity, often working hard up the ground to get involved in the play.
Tom Scully has been an important presence in the forward line, offering a crucial marking target and also showing he can play first ruck if needed.
Best & Fairest contenders:
In a lean year at Alberton, the best and fairest race is wide open, with several players in contention.
While captain Nick Moore has missed four games with injury, he was Port's best player before going down in Round 5 and will be hard to beat if he can stay fit.
His tenacity and toughness at the contest have proved invaluable for Port Adelaide, averaging seven clearances and 10 tackles per game before the injury.
Tom Clurey remains a rock in defence for Port Adelaide, often taking the opposition's most dangerous key forward and providing crucial leadership in defence.
Ruckman Dante Visentini sits eight in the competition for hit-outs despite missing three games with AFL duties and also gets involved at ground level, averaging five tackles per game.
Francis Evans has been a consistent contributor for the Magpies, averaging 17 disposals and one goal per game as he spends more time around the ball.
Logan Evans missed three games with injury but could not have been more impressive at half-back, showing composure and poise beyond his years in averaging three rebound 50s and 15 disposals.
Injury report:
Mercifully, Port's injury list is about as short as it has been for some time, gaining several key inclusions in the past few weeks.
Nick Moore and Lachie Charleson sustained injuries in the loss to Norwood, with timelines on their returns not yet known, while Kyle Marshall will miss the next two weeks in the AFL's concussion protocols.ย
Aiden Turner also remains in the concussion protocols and faces another two weeks on the sidelines, as do Lachie Pascoe and Josh Sinn
Josh Byrne's season is over as he recovers from a long-term knee injury.
The run home:
Sitting at the foot of the ladder, every week seems tough for Port Adelaide and there are plenty of challenges remaining on the run home.
The Magpies face trips to Unley and Elizabeth and also play Glenelg and North Adelaide at Prospect - two teams they have already suffered heavy defeats against this season.
In a small positive, Port will host South Adelaide at Alberton in what could be a winnable game.
They also host Adelaide at Adelaide Oval in Round 18, and depending on what shape the Crows are in at that stage, this could also be winnable.
