Port Adelaide - Can They Hack It In The Big Time League?

[The Warlord]

Time for an honest discussion about Port Adelaide as an AFL club.

Port Adelaide chairman David Koch said the coronavirus-impacted 2020 season had been a severe setback and revealed a $12 million debt despite the Power having reduced their cost base by more than $17 million.

In a brutal assessment of how his club had been upended financially even though it had fallen just short of a grand final, Koch said the Power had required added borrowings of $4.3 million, leaving their debt at a “significant” level although interest rates are low.

Power left with $12 million debt as virus fallout takes toll

Port Adelaide Power have revealed a “significant” increase in debt but chairman David Koch says the playing squad is again ready to challenge for a premiership.

www.theage.com.au

Port have needed bailouts before. Is another justified?

Why can small Melbourne clubs like the Dogs and North get their debt down to zero but Port's balloons again?

Is Port Adelaide a great SANFL club that frankly belongs in the SANFL?

Is South Australia naturally a one team state?

Is the game better off acknowledging that small states like South Australia and Tasmania can only support one team and moving the pieces on the board to reflect this by taking Port's licence and giving it to Tassie?

 

[aussierulesrules]

 

[powerrrrrrrrrrrr]

Time for an honest discussion about Port Adelaide as an AFL club.

Power left with $12 million debt as virus fallout takes toll

Port Adelaide Power have revealed a “significant” increase in debt but chairman David Koch says the playing squad is again ready to challenge for a premiership.

www.theage.com.au

Port have needed bailouts before. Is another justified?

Why can small Melbourne clubs like the Dogs and North get their debt down to zero but Port's balloons again?

Is Port Adelaide a great SANFL club that frankly belongs in the SANFL?

Is South Australia naturally a one team state?

Is the game better off acknowledging that small states like South Australia and Tasmania can only support one team and moving the pieces on the board to reflect this by taking Port's licence and giving it to Tassie?

And here we find the true motive to the discussion. Deflection from the idea of North moving down to Tassie and let’s shift the discussion to a different team.

 

[C4[2]Yo`DooR]

Port will be fine. The "board" is just a puppet board.

They have benefactors behind the scenes who could significantly bring this debt down overnight if they wanted to. Their position is that if the AFL want to house a dictatorship at board level which holds sway, controls every cent that runs through the club while at the same time making it virtually impossible for any form of change - they can pay the bills.

 

[The Warlord]

And here we find the true motive to the discussion. Deflection from the idea of North moving down to Tassie and let’s shift the discussion to a different team.

No, it is about Port and its sky-rocketing debt.

 

[The Warlord]

Port will be fine. The "board" is just a puppet board.

They have benefactors behind the scenes who could significantly bring this debt down overnight if they wanted to. Their position is that if the AFL want to house a dictatorship at board level which holds sway and controls every cent that runs through the club - they can pay the bills.

Interesting. The point remains that they're clearly not up to the big league if they need benefactors to bail them out all the time.

 

[juss]

Why is Adelaide so financially strong but Port not so?
I'm not trolling, genuinely curious without knowing the SA market.

 

[BF Tiger]

Is anyone surprised by who the OP is?

 

[Rich01]

Bring crowds back to the game and they will be fine.

It’s the smaller clubs that have fared relatively better financially in this last COVID hit year. Their challenge is competing financially long term.

 

[The 747]

A bit of a surprising result given that they had crowds at home and were top of the ladder for most of the year. Can any knowledgeable Port posters fill us in?

As for benefactors, every club has them including North Melbourne.

 

[The Warlord]

Why is Adelaide so financially strong but Port not so?
I'm not trolling, genuinely curious without knowing the SA market.

This is my point.

Is the reality that a SANFL club simply can't make the leap up?

 

[north_lad]

If we get shunted off to Tassie I'm blaming this thread

 

[The Warlord]

Bring crowds back to the game and they will be fine.

It’s the smaller clubs that have fared relatively better financially in this last COVID hit year. Their challenge is competing financially long term.

But Port had massive debt and required a bailout years back when COVID wasn't a thing.

Issue is clearly structural.

 

[The Warlord]

A bit of a surprising result given that they had crowds at home and were top of the ladder for most of the year. Can any knowledgeable Port posters fill us in?

Exactly this.

 

[juss]

This is my point.

Is the reality that a SANFL club simply can't make the leap up?

I dont know enough to comment on this, but I am curious if someone can shed some light on my earlier question. It has always been something I haven't understood.

 

[Dirty Bird]

I like the direction they're going.

Keep up the good work Koch and co.

 

[The Warlord]

I dont know enough to comment on this, but I am curious if someone can shed some light on my earlier question. It has always been something I haven't understood.

Port are the only team in the comp that's not a VFL side or a "start up".

The Port Adelaide football club is one of the giants of our code.

It's place in the game is not in question.

What is in question is whether a team that doesn't have the solid foundation of decades in the VFL, or has been set up purely for the AFL, can work.

And more pertinently, can South Australia support two teams.

Looks to me like it can't.

 

[The_Reaper]

Do people actually want Adelaide to be the only destination for homesick South Australians?

The second SA and second WA teams exist, in part, to "equalise" Adelaide and West Coast.

 

[Tim Evans Beard]

Time for an honest discussion about Port Adelaide as an AFL club.



Port have needed bailouts before. Is another justified?

If required, yes it is justified.

Why can small Melbourne clubs like the Dogs and North get their debt down to zero but Port's balloons again?

The Dogs and North are not prioritizing on-field success. They are fighting for survival in a saturated market where no one outside of their respective clubs wants or needs them. The Dogs get credits for a recent flag and attempts to garner a new base.

Is Port Adelaide a great SANFL club that frankly belongs in the SANFL?

Yes. It also belongs in the AFL.

Is South Australia naturally a one team state?

No.

Is the game better off acknowledging that small states like South Australia and Tasmania can only support one team and moving the pieces on the board to reflect this by taking Port's licence and giving it to Tassie?

No. The assumption is false that smaller states can only support 1 team.


How are you going to justify being the ‘Northern Devils’ in the most southern state?

 

[Grave Danger]

Apple Isle Showdown thread. Or the Bay.

 

[Rich01]

But Port had massive debt and required a bailout years back when COVID wasn't a thing.

Issue is clearly structural.

Nah. Last year was an anomaly with cuts in revenue to all clubs. Can’t say their issues from years ago are linked.

Making hasty calls on clubs futures by assessing them in a COVID year is incredibly short sighted.

 

[Schulzenfest]

Imagine being a North supporter and posting this thread. We have more members than you, more revenue than you, a better list than you, a better football department than you, and are just an all round better football club than you. I look forward to our ten goal win over your rabble in Round 1.

 

[chiwigi]

Interesting. The point remains that they're clearly not up to the big league if they need benefactors to bail them out all the time.

Yeah, 40k crowds, minor premierships, a premiership this century etc. really holds us back.

Kangaroos meanwhile....

 

[chiwigi]

This is my point.

Is the reality that a SANFL club simply can't make the leap up?

Apart from that time we won the flag etc. clown .

 

[The Warlord]

Apple Isle Showdown thread. Or the Bay.

No. Main board.

Port's debt is sky-rocketing.

Port have required AFL bailouts before.

Question has to be asked as to whether South Australia can support two teams.

Increasingly looks like it can't.