Sharks to keep group

THERE will be no player clean-out at the Southport Sharks this year with the club already in talks to sign a host of their current NEAFL group.

Southport overhauled their list at the end of 2017 following an abysmal season that included just four wins.

The Sharks brought in 25 new players and have since flourished, standing on top of the ladder after 12 games.

Southport football manager Jarrod Field said the club wanted to keep most of the current list together and revealed they were already in talks to lock them in beyond this season.

“We are going through that process at the moment,” Field said.

“We are talking to our current group and we want to have some stability this summer and not have to go out and recruit so many players.

“We don’t want to change too much, we are sitting on top of the ladder.

“We don’t need to have a clean-out. We want to keep our coaches and we want to keep our existing playing group going forward.

“I don’t foresee a mass change at the end of the year.”

Field said many players would be on multi-year deals while others would sign for the 2019 season alone.