Official Club Stuff The Licence The Lunch

[Powerstufff]

Did Oakley mention anything about his confusing and contradictive (sic) view about who is Port Adelaide in the AFL?

He knows our story intimately but still calls us Port Power in the AFL. After listening to him talk I don't take the same annoyance from it as I do with Sandy Roberts, Bruce McAvaney etc. We called our (almost) AFL team Port Adelaide in 1990. We called it Port Power for 2 years after gaining entry. If Oakley interprets things differently from you and I it is not from disrespect.

 

[chiwigi]

As everyone tried to come up with ways to make footy in general profitable, and their own clubs in particular viable, it seems there were many 'Sliding Doors' moments. I can't recall the timing and exact circumstances of the proposal from Centrals, but I do remember other SANFL clubs were discussing alliances too. I don't remember who brought that up, probably Boulton or Cunningham. Or could have been Barry Curtin stirring, he does that.
The Collingwood proposal was made quite professionally and seriously after we more or less had the second SA licence. It would have fundamentally been Collingwood West. We weren't told the money/conditions offered unless anyone went up to people and questioned them later. Any ideas there RussellEbertHandball?

I believe the Centrals one was before the 1996 bids. They offered our colours and name but their location and board etc.

 

[chiwigi]

He knows our story intimately but still calls us Port Power in the AFL. After listening to him talk I don't take the same annoyance from it as I do with Sandy Roberts, Bruce McAvaney etc. We called our (almost) AFL team Port Adelaide in 1990. We called it Port Power for 2 years after gaining entry. If Oakley interprets things differently from you and I it is not from disrespect.

He doesn't see the issue that we see with the identity.

 

[Powerstufff]

I believe the Centrals one was before the 1996 bids. They offered our colours and name but their location and board etc.

Can you remember why, were we both financially stuffed? Really there could have been no other reason other than to have tried to get into the VFL but I'd have thought I'd have remembered that.

 

[I Dont Care]

Thanks for the insight Powerstufff. Some very interesting stufff

 

[Powerstufff]

The event was filmed so it may be available in some fashion for those who couldn't make it.

 

[I Dont Care]

He doesn't see the issue that we see with the identity.

A Port in Lizbeth...that'll work

 

[I Dont Care]

The event was filmed so it may be available in some fashion for those who couldn't make it.

Worth paying for

 

[I Dont Care]

A Port in Lizbeth...that'll work

Whoops...meant to quote your other post

 

[Changaneen]

As everyone tried to come up with ways to make footy in general profitable, and their own clubs in particular viable, it seems there were many 'Sliding Doors' moments. I can't recall the timing and exact circumstances of the proposal from Centrals, but I do remember other SANFL clubs were discussing alliances too. I don't remember who brought that up, probably Boulton or Cunningham. Or could have been Barry Curtin stirring, he does that.
The Collingwood proposal was made quite professionally and seriously after we more or less had the second SA licence. It would have fundamentally been Collingwood West. We weren't told the money/conditions offered unless anyone went up to people and questioned them later. Any ideas there RussellEbertHandball?

Its a blur to me as i was about 20 years old at the time. I loved Port Adelaide with a passion, but in a different way than i do now, and i didn't fully understand the politics and behind the scenes happenings.

I do remember feeling physically sick that my team couldn't make the VFL ( as i knew it ) and the Crows did, through some backdoor crap that happened that i still feel very resentful towards to this day.

It's guys like you Powerstufff and also REH that join the dots for me. In 1997 i finally had a team that represented my club, i could follow in the VFL / AFL, have some joy that the team i loved could still beat all the teams i hate on the big stage.

Cheers fellas for sharing all of this.

 

[chiwigi]

Can you remember why, were we both financially stuffed? Really there could have been no other reason other than to have tried to get into the VFL but I'd have thought I'd have remembered that.

No, they just wanted in and it was the fashion at the time for merge and joint bids according to Oakley.
They were immediately laughed off, which increased their animosity.

 

[I Dont Care]

Its a blur to me as i was about 20 years old at the time. I loved Port Adelaide with a passion, but in a different way than i do now, and i didn't fully understand the politics and behind the scenes happenings.

I do remember feeling physically sick that my team couldn't make the VFL ( as i knew it ) and the Crows did, through some backdoor crap that happened that i still feel very resentful towards to this day.

It's guys like you Powerstufff and also REH that join the dots for me. In 1997 i finally had a team that represented my club, i could follow in the VFL / AFL, have some joy that the team i loved could still beat all the teams i hate on the big stage.

Cheers fellas for sharing all of this.

Geez, I thought you were older than me Piston. I was 26. A world away in FNQ, but the papers still carried the story. The jealousy I realised as a youth against Port, made it a believable proposition that we were treated with contempt from that moment on

 

[Changaneen]

Geez, I thought you were older than me Piston. I was 26. A world away in FNQ, but the papers still carried the story. The jealousy I realised as a youth against Port, made it a believable proposition that we were treated with contempt from that moment on

I understood the hate as a young boy, and as i grew up. I was proud as a peacock to call myself a Port Adelaide man. Apart from being born on the very docks, i couldn't get any more black and white than what i am.

What i didn't understand as a twenty year old, was why the hell i couldn't follow my team, my beloved club on that national stage. I thought we deserved more than anyone. Instead i had to hear the sickening crowds at Footy Park, cheering for the arseholes. I took to following, not supporting, Essendon, purely because of Wangas, Greg Anderson and CO.

Everytime i go into the club and have a beer or a meal, i read the old framed paper clipping on the wall just across from the font bar, all the time. Reminds me that we are Port Adelaide.

 

[El_Scorcho]

Thanks for the report Powerstufff

Really interesting reading, thanks!

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

As everyone tried to come up with ways to make footy in general profitable, and their own clubs in particular viable, it seems there were many 'Sliding Doors' moments. I can't recall the timing and exact circumstances of the proposal from Centrals, but I do remember other SANFL clubs were discussing alliances too. I don't remember who brought that up, probably Boulton or Cunningham. Or could have been Barry Curtin stirring, he does that.
The Collingwood proposal was made quite professionally and seriously after we more or less had the second SA licence. It would have fundamentally been Collingwood West. We weren't told the money/conditions offered unless anyone went up to people and questioned them later. Any ideas there RussellEbertHandball?

From memory Boulton talked about the meeting with Centrals being in 1995. He said it lasted 20 minutes. Collingwood then President Kevin Rose wanted to patner up with Port to make a Magpies Australia wide group. Port politely listened but told Rose they weren't interested.

 

[Powerstufff]

Bucky Cunningham seemed to be using the day as therapy, laughed at KT a few times for the 7 day a week pressure he was now under as Port's CEO. One story he told was when we had the licence and a promotional launch was to take place at the Entertainment Centre in front of 8,000 people. Part of the programme was the 1996 PAFC team was to step out in the Power guernseys. But for 3 days before the event the interstate company that had made them kept stuffing Bucky around and on the day of the launch they hadn't arrived. That's when the company that made them admitted they'd lost them somewhere in transit. Long story short they arrived 1.5 hours beforehand. Bucky told KT that's why he'd leave the job grey-haired.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Bucky Cunningham seemed to be using the day as therapy, laughed at KT a few times for the 7 day a week pressure he was now under as Port's CEO. One story he told was when we had the licence and a promotional launch was to take place at the Entertainment Centre in front of 8,000 people. Part of the programme was the 1996 PAFC team was to step out in the Power guernseys. But for 3 days before the event the interstate company that had made them kept stuffing Bucky around and on the day of the launch they hadn't arrived. That's when the company that made them admitted they'd lost them somewhere in transit. Long story short they arrived 1.5 hours beforehand. Bucky told KT that's why he'd leave the job grey-haired.

That was Nike.

 

[HaroldOliver]

Great stufff powerstufff

 

[Powerstufff]

OK now for the Matty Primus story. Which is of itself part of a larger story. And how it answered one question** but raised another*.

Bucky, with Boulton riding shotgun, told of beginning a programme of recruitment in 1994 where unspecified Port reps travelled the country trying to sign up champion players. Certainly Bucky and/or Boulton did this but there may have been others. Some of this is known but younger posters may not have heard it. Late in the piece we just lost Buckley, we signed but then lost Chris Grant, and we got Wanganeen. Slightly earlier we paid 5 players (Tredrea, Lade, Dew, P Burgoyne, ?) to stay out of the draft until our concessions cut in - which was later found out and incurred a $50,000 fine. But what was revealed for the first time was how we got Matthew Primus**. We'd tried to recruit him when he was playing with Norwood but no deal was made. However when he was recruited to Fitzroy it seems we got the deal done, we just needed a mechanism to get him released to us. When Fitzroy collapsed and were merged into the Brisbane Lions the Lions had their choice of the Fitzroy list (and did very well out of it). But suddenly Allan Scott was briefly and lucratively a Lions sponsor and by coincidence Primus was not picked up there and was left free for us to pick up.

* How were we doing this 2 years before we had our licence? That is the question that was raised. Even very well connected people at the lunch were surprised but Bucky and Boulton didn't tell. I will say though that Oakley didn't seem surprised.
** The question I'd always wondered about. Why Brisbane had not taken Primus

 

[AdamMarrett]

Thanks for the review fellas.Really great read and nice to learn a few things about those days also

 

[RossFC]

Am I reading this correctly?
Port Adelaide Magpies based at Elizabeth?
Chris Grant could have played for Port? (Tredders, Grant and Lade up fwd would have looked awesome)

How would have the partnership with Collingwood worked?

Port Adelaide Magpies based in SA and Collingwood Magpies based in Vic under 1 brand with 2 teams in the same league?

 

[Zakk Wylde]

Am I reading this correctly?
Port Adelaide Magpies based at Elizabeth?
Chris Grant could have played for Port? (Tredders, Grant and Lade up fwd would have looked awesome)

How would have the partnership with Collingwood worked?

Port Adelaide Magpies based in SA and Collingwood Magpies based in Vic under 1 brand with 2 teams in the same league?

Kid would be at least 18 now... We can knock him the * out !

 

[Powerstufff]

Am I reading this correctly? ....

To some extent yes. I know REH used the phrase 'partner up with Port' for the Collingwood thing but based on what I heard we were only to be their SA branch office. I must say asking those of us who were there for more info on this is futile. Unless anyone went over to Bucky and Boulton afterwards and got more information you now know what we know.

 

[I Dont Care]

I'm sure I remember being told the Allan Scott/Primus bit before, years ago...probably in confidence...memory of a collander

 

[Zakk Wylde]

Am I reading this correctly?
Port Adelaide Magpies based at Elizabeth?
Chris Grant could have played for Port? (Tredders, Grant and Lade up fwd would have looked awesome)

How would have the partnership with Collingwood worked?

Port Adelaide Magpies based in SA and Collingwood Magpies based in Vic under 1 brand with 2 teams in the same league?

To answer the Chris Grant one for you, he was all but signed and was going to be our skipper.

Some punk kid sent him 50 cents with a note saying "please dont leave Footscray"... Grant couldn't leave after that.

I swear if I ever see that kid.