Reynolds latest member of elite Magpie club
There is an impressive roll-call of significant names who have played both SANFL league football for Port Adelaide and A grade district cricket for the Magpies – Craig Bradley, Eric Freeman, Neil Hawke and Max Kretschmer are among them.
Luke Reynolds in action for the Magpies. Photo: Peter Argent
There is an impressive roll-call of significant names who have played both SANFL league football for Port Adelaide and A grade district cricket for the Magpies – Craig Bradley, Eric Freeman, Neil Hawke and Max Kretschmer are among them.
With his senior debut in what is now called first grade cricket for the Magpies at Salisbury Oval last Saturday, you can now add 20-year-old Luke Reynolds to that list.
“I am a typical lad who grew up on the peninsula, at Taperoo,” Reynolds said.
He played his first cricket with Grange and his first football club was the North Haven Magpies, before he went through development squads in football and cricket at Port.
His junior football career was impressive: he played in both the national under 16s title in 2011 under Darel Hart and the inaugural under 18s crown two years later.
Among his peers in those championships were AFL listed talents Luke Dunstan, James Aish, Matt Scharenberg and Trent Dumont.
“Actually I never played in a losing game in the state jumper,” Reynolds said.
His first SANFL league game was against Central District at Alberton during his last year in the under 18s program.
He was rookie-listed by Carlton at the end of 2013 and played all 18 games with the VFL affiliate the North Blues.
Reynolds says he returned to cricket after being delisted by the Blues, but football is a priority.
He played five SANFL games with the Magpies this year and the 189cm, 84kg strong marking forward with a raking left foot, still dreams about having a second crack at the big time.
“Football is still a priority, but when it comes to my cricket, I just want to play as high as I can and enjoy it,” he said.
When he was asked about joining players who had donned the black and white at this level in cricket and football, Reynolds said he was humbled to be mentioned alongside such icons of SA sport.
“It’s special,” Reynolds said.
“I knew a bit about the history at Port – than ‘Fritz’ (Freeman) and ‘Braddles’ (Bradley) had done it previously.”
Reynolds’ father Lewis played 18 SANFL league games with the Bloods between 1978-80.
