Fickle fans negate inroads
MICHELANGELO RUCCI
March 26, 2007 02:15am
PORT Adelaide signed up Australia's biggest corporate giant, BHP Billiton, last week. At the same time, the Power was not so successful in selling season tickets.
Corporate power is taking over at Alberton. And the Power has no choice but to accept it.
The club that came out of the SANFL in 1997 vowing to offer a people-powered alternative to the supposedly corporate monolith at West Lakes, the Adelaide Football Club, is now the darling of the white-collar set itself.
Port last year found an extra $1million from the corporate world. Another $1m is on the way this season. At the same time, the Power lost in each season almost $1m from the small man.
Bottom line: Zero change at a time when AFL clubs such as Port need more and more money to catch up with premiership club West Coast's $40m annual turnover.
Since Port's ground-breaking premiership in 2004, the Power's membership numbers have fallen from 36,340 in 2004 to probably 32,000 this year.
Home attendances are expected to drop from an average of 30,000 in 2004 to perhaps 26,000 this year (the minimum the club promised to deliver in its AFL licence tender in 1995).
Port chief executive John James will regularly leave his office at Alberton with the glow of having signed a company such as BHP Billiton to the club's corporate roster - and then spend all night awake in bed wondering where he can sell another season ticket.
"We've made as much as $7million a year from people going to the football - and now that number is falling," says James. "We're finding $5.5million from the corporate world where it is getting tougher and tougher to compete for the sponsorship dollar."
But not as tough, it would seem, to get a dollar from the football fan, even at a time when AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou says Australian football has never been stronger, healthier and more appealing to the public.
When the AFL launched its premiership season on Thursday night along the lake at Albert Park of inner Melbourne - and surprised its guests with no dinner - Power president Greg Boulton gathered James, coach Mark Williams and his staff for supper in the city.
Williams was demanding - and searching for answers on why Port is not growing and ideas for how it can: such as selling home games to New Zealand where the Power, says Williams, would wear an all-black jumper.
"It's a frustration we all share," says James. "On the footy side of it, we can't have asked Mark to do any more - he's improved what this club can deliver on the field with a regenerated team that will make an exciting new push for the premiership.
"Our question - and we're not the only club asking it - is how do we get more people to watch us as season-ticket holders?"
The issues confronting Port are these:
AAMI STADIUM. As the AFL admits, the arena is tired. The SANFL's refusal to allow beer to be taken to seats has turned away many of Port's core supporters.
LIVE TELEVISION. Of Port's 11 home games, as many as 10 will be shown live against the gate - eight on Pay-TV network Fox Sports. Foxtel executives told the AFL in Melbourne last week that subscriptions in Adelaide are "going through the roof".
PICK-AND-CHOOSE FANS. Rather than buy a season ticket for all 11 home games, fans decide on match day if they will go.
With 51,515 seats at AAMI Stadium and Port averaging home crowds of 30,000, there is little risk of being shut out of the West Lakes arena.
Port's marketing campaign has offered season tickets at $185 - in essence 11 games for the price of six.
"That's value," says James. "And from season tickets the club gets every dollar. We don't with tickets sold at the gate."
Port is not alone in facing this issue. Brisbane expects to drop $800,000 in lost season-ticket sales this year.
When Brisbane chief executive Michael Bowers sought out James last week at the AFL launch to compare notes he commented: "You guys couldn't have tried any harder to sell tickets." James this week will shake more corporate suits in search of money.
He would rather meet new Port members.
"The corporate side of football is part of doing business in the AFL," says James. "But we still want the biggest voice at our club to be members."
That voice is being quickly lost amid the empty seats at AAMI Stadium.
Mmmmmmm who has joined the .................................what have all the power trolls who come on here called us?
Just cann't remember.........................

Looks like going by the time he submitted this article he now goes in under the cover of darkness and with his new Graham Cornes haircut, we wont be able to recognise him in the street.
MICHELANGELO RUCCI
March 26, 2007 02:15am
PORT Adelaide signed up Australia's biggest corporate giant, BHP Billiton, last week. At the same time, the Power was not so successful in selling season tickets.
Corporate power is taking over at Alberton. And the Power has no choice but to accept it.
The club that came out of the SANFL in 1997 vowing to offer a people-powered alternative to the supposedly corporate monolith at West Lakes, the Adelaide Football Club, is now the darling of the white-collar set itself.
Port last year found an extra $1million from the corporate world. Another $1m is on the way this season. At the same time, the Power lost in each season almost $1m from the small man.
Bottom line: Zero change at a time when AFL clubs such as Port need more and more money to catch up with premiership club West Coast's $40m annual turnover.
Since Port's ground-breaking premiership in 2004, the Power's membership numbers have fallen from 36,340 in 2004 to probably 32,000 this year.
Home attendances are expected to drop from an average of 30,000 in 2004 to perhaps 26,000 this year (the minimum the club promised to deliver in its AFL licence tender in 1995).
Port chief executive John James will regularly leave his office at Alberton with the glow of having signed a company such as BHP Billiton to the club's corporate roster - and then spend all night awake in bed wondering where he can sell another season ticket.
"We've made as much as $7million a year from people going to the football - and now that number is falling," says James. "We're finding $5.5million from the corporate world where it is getting tougher and tougher to compete for the sponsorship dollar."
But not as tough, it would seem, to get a dollar from the football fan, even at a time when AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou says Australian football has never been stronger, healthier and more appealing to the public.
When the AFL launched its premiership season on Thursday night along the lake at Albert Park of inner Melbourne - and surprised its guests with no dinner - Power president Greg Boulton gathered James, coach Mark Williams and his staff for supper in the city.
Williams was demanding - and searching for answers on why Port is not growing and ideas for how it can: such as selling home games to New Zealand where the Power, says Williams, would wear an all-black jumper.
"It's a frustration we all share," says James. "On the footy side of it, we can't have asked Mark to do any more - he's improved what this club can deliver on the field with a regenerated team that will make an exciting new push for the premiership.
"Our question - and we're not the only club asking it - is how do we get more people to watch us as season-ticket holders?"
The issues confronting Port are these:
AAMI STADIUM. As the AFL admits, the arena is tired. The SANFL's refusal to allow beer to be taken to seats has turned away many of Port's core supporters.
LIVE TELEVISION. Of Port's 11 home games, as many as 10 will be shown live against the gate - eight on Pay-TV network Fox Sports. Foxtel executives told the AFL in Melbourne last week that subscriptions in Adelaide are "going through the roof".
PICK-AND-CHOOSE FANS. Rather than buy a season ticket for all 11 home games, fans decide on match day if they will go.
With 51,515 seats at AAMI Stadium and Port averaging home crowds of 30,000, there is little risk of being shut out of the West Lakes arena.
Port's marketing campaign has offered season tickets at $185 - in essence 11 games for the price of six.
"That's value," says James. "And from season tickets the club gets every dollar. We don't with tickets sold at the gate."
Port is not alone in facing this issue. Brisbane expects to drop $800,000 in lost season-ticket sales this year.
When Brisbane chief executive Michael Bowers sought out James last week at the AFL launch to compare notes he commented: "You guys couldn't have tried any harder to sell tickets." James this week will shake more corporate suits in search of money.
He would rather meet new Port members.
"The corporate side of football is part of doing business in the AFL," says James. "But we still want the biggest voice at our club to be members."
That voice is being quickly lost amid the empty seats at AAMI Stadium.
Mmmmmmm who has joined the .................................what have all the power trolls who come on here called us?
Just cann't remember.........................
Looks like going by the time he submitted this article he now goes in under the cover of darkness and with his new Graham Cornes haircut, we wont be able to recognise him in the street.

