News Paul Vandenbergh to leave Port at years end

Remove this Banner Ad

Spadge

Spadge

#bringbackthebars
Veteran 10k Posts Bring Back the Bars
Oct 7, 2004
11,666
15,164
Adelaide, South Australia
AFL Club
Port Adelaide
Sad news...will be terribly missed

www.portadelaidefc.com.au

Aboriginal Programs Director Paul Vandenbergh to finish at year’s end

Mr Vandenbergh, who started at Alberton in 2010, has overseen the club’s industry-leading Indigenous programs for more than ten years.
www.portadelaidefc.com.au www.portadelaidefc.com.au

Port Adelaide Aboriginal Programs Director Paul Vandenbergh will finish at the club at the end of the year.

Mr Vandenbergh, who started at Alberton in 2010, has overseen the club’s industry-leading Indigenous programs for more than ten years creating life-changing experiences for Aboriginal youth across South Australia and the Northern Territory.
 

Log in to remove this ad.

He's making me do it.

T H E B U T T O N

Seriously though I thought he had already left. In any case this is actually not necessarily bad news. More influence at AFL house is big for us. No mention in that article about him going to the AFL, but he is. I bet it's because he's replacing Tanya Hosch.
 
Paul has been a fantastic part of our club for so long. It is hard to believe he is moving onto new pastures. He leaves a huge and lasting legacy and massive shoes to fill.

All the best in your new role Paul. You'll always be welcomed back to Alberton.
 
Paul has been a massive part of why our club has such good buy in from players.

Huge influence and a great guy. Will be missed.
 
Doctor Feel said:
He's making me do it.

T H E B U T T O N

Seriously though I thought he had already left. In any case this is actually not necessarily bad news. More influence at AFL house is big for us. No mention in that article about him going to the AFL, but he is. I bet it's because he's replacing Tanya Hosch.
Click to expand...
He has started up that new program with Podsiably and AFL Max so maybe that is where his attention will be spent
 
I guess it’s inevitable that someone that good at what they do, and so passionate about it, is going to be head-hunted, but he will be badly missed. Big shoes to fill for whoever takes his spot.
 
DaTBird187 said:
I hope his successor comes from the list of ex-players who have worked closely with him over the journey and are still around the club today.
Click to expand...
Chad Wingard?
 
OneGreatClub said:
Chad Wingard?
Click to expand...

tumblr_mxrlg4QGnz1soz6g1o1_500.png
 
Mate of mine who does a lot of consulting work for indigenous land councils and indigenous commercial enterprises and knows Pauly well, told me at a BBQ watching the Geelong v Collingwood SF, that Pauly rang him the day before and told him he gave KT his resignation letter, and that Port and him would discuss how long he would stick around for.

Thought something might have come out earlier after Caro said the AFL are chasing him to take away some of Hosch's responsibility and be the head of indigenous player development so that indigenous kids weren't giving up after a year or two of being drafted.

He has a few options according to my mate, some outside the football industry. Pauly was a bit frustrated that the PAACE stalled and that it didn't look like going ahead.

Has been a great servant of the club. Has impacted the club, supporters and our players over his decade tenure. Our players don't see the community stuff as a chore and many really look forward to doing their tour of duty in the outback communities. That is due to Pauly's great work and leadership.

He's impacted indigenous players at other clubs and if they've been in the system a couple of years or more they all get to know Pauly and his programs.
 
Last edited:

(Log in to remove this ad.)

Sad and a massive loss to the PAFC.

Nonetheless all the best to you PV.

Organise a few more indigenous players to get to the Club and bend a few rules for us when you're working at AFL House 😏😎👍
 
DaTBird187 said:
I hope his successor comes from the list of ex-players who have worked closely with him over the journey and are still around the club today.
Click to expand...

Is Wade Thompson still at the club? He was always working pretty closely with Pauly.
 
bomberclifford said:
Is Wade Thompson still at the club? He was always working pretty closely with Pauly.
Click to expand...
Think Wade and Marlon Motlop were Pauly's key off-siders...
I had the pleasure of doing a cultural awareness training run by PAFC (Paul). Was a fascinating experience. If only the people that really needed the training could have access to it.
 
bringbackbucky said:
Think Wade and Marlon Motlop were Pauly's key off-siders...
I had the pleasure of doing a cultural awareness training run by PAFC (Paul). Was a fascinating experience. If only the people that really needed the training could have access to it.
Click to expand...

I did one of those when I was in government, was one of those mandatory things. They had him, ryder, amon and krakouer there. It was interesting stuff. Paul came across very driven and passionate, but at times he felt quite combative about the issues. He definitely isn't the type to let anything slide.
 
Doctor Feel said:
I did one of those when I was in government, was one of those mandatory things. They had him, ryder, amon and krakouer there. It was interesting stuff. Paul came across very driven and passionate, but at times he felt quite combative about the issues. He definitely isn't the type to let anything slide.
Click to expand...
Agreed - it was quite confrontational.
 
DaTBird187 said:
I hope his successor comes from the list of ex-players who have worked closely with him over the journey and are still around the club today.
Click to expand...
I think one of reason why Pauly was so successful was because he actually worked away from the sports industry. Played basketball as a pro/semi pro but he worked in indigenous housing, one of the bedrock areas of improving the lot of indigenous Australians. His Dutch father had a background in building houses and community facilities.

He sold his vision to KT to use sports to help breakdown barriers between the races but also wanted to do stuff around housing - hence the PAACE accommodation idea.

Whoever takes over whilst having a different vision, probably has to have experience of working for a government indigenous agency or for an indigenous body who has had to run and develop programs that had social capital outcomes, rather than someone who just delivered education programs.
 
“I am so grateful to Port Adelaide for giving me the opportunity to do what I love – bringing Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people together as one,” Mr Vandenbergh said.

The above quote should be what it is all about. Quite frankly who ever takes over needs to hold to that vision.

Pauly’s great strength is that he can inspire and connect people at every level. He has always maintained that Aboriginal culture and history belongs to all Australians. His message is always about connection, unity and reconciliation - we all are together as “One people”. Well said Matthew Richardson

Well done Paul.
 
Last edited:
Spadge said:
Sad news...will be terribly missed

www.portadelaidefc.com.au

Aboriginal Programs Director Paul Vandenbergh to finish at year’s end

Mr Vandenbergh, who started at Alberton in 2010, has overseen the club’s industry-leading Indigenous programs for more than ten years.
www.portadelaidefc.com.au www.portadelaidefc.com.au

Port Adelaide Aboriginal Programs Director Paul Vandenbergh will finish at the club at the end of the year.

Mr Vandenbergh, who started at Alberton in 2010, has overseen the club’s industry-leading Indigenous programs for more than ten years creating life-changing experiences for Aboriginal youth across South Australia and the Northern Territory.
Click to expand...
He says he wants to keep helping the club. Hopefully, we will be able to let him “leave” without him actually leaving.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Enviable Tradition
Opinion The Port Adelaide CouldaBeens
2 3 4 5
Replies
105
Views
3K
tribey
tribey
Manhattan Bronx
  • Locked
Game Day Round 3 - Port vs Melbourne
52 53 54 55 56
Replies
1K
Views
21K
Duckimus Prime
Duckimus Prime
Manhattan Bronx
  • Locked
Game Day Port vs Richmond - Boak's 350th
53 54 55 56 57
Replies
1K
Views
19K
PJ Power
PJ Power
RossFC
Player Watch Welcome to Port Adelaide Pick #48 (2023) - Tom Anastasopoulos
4 5 6 7 8
Replies
186
Views
13K
Peninsula Boy
Peninsula Boy
Ford Fairlane
Player Watch Lcoemwe to Port Adelaide Ivan Soldo
18 19 20 21 22
Replies
543
Views
32K
Chewy316
Chewy316
Buget
Preview Preview and Changes: Round 6 - Port v Collingwood
16 17 18 19 20
Replies
483
Views
14K
RossFC
RossFC
RossFC
Player Watch Welcome to Port Adelaide Pick #57 (2023) - Will Lorenz
2 3 4
Replies
92
Views
8K
WillemDaDrew
WillemDaDrew

Remove this Banner Ad

Back
Top