Port Adelaide

[wild side]

Watching from afar, the current situation at the Power makes me happy we didn't just bring in East Freo or South Freo in to the AFL. Keeping both clubs individual has helped the Dockers, and even though we await our Premiership, at least we are strong off the field.
If it was one of the WAFL clubs in the AFL, I'm not so sure they'd be as popular with the masses.
This is another reason why I am against a reserves team for Freo & Wet Toast in the WAFL. I have my WAFL team, and my AFL team and I like them seperate.
It'll kill the strugglers if the AFL teams get their way.

 

[Kickett Punches Read]

I agree whole heartedly with the fremantle, rather than east freo or south freo. port adelaide may not have been the best club out of the sanfl clubs either, given that they are universally disliked by every other sanfl supporter. however i disagree on the reserves, would love a freo reserves team, i could honestly see myself getting engrossed in a freo reserves game, and while i am a staunch south freo member, i often find myself watching the opposition team as much as the bullies mainly because they usually have a freo squad member in it. i guess now, my heart and attention is pretty much solely on freo, and while i love the bullies, i could see myself being more intersted in the freo ressies

 

[wild side]

Therein lies my point.

 

[Clay Davis]

Also, Port Adelaide is followed by ******** losers who wish their club was Collingwood.

 

[Peel Supporter]

Without wishing to start a slanging match, if the Fremantle WAFL side came into being, where would they play? Freo Oval with Freo, the ressies and South Freo all wanting to train there, it would get crowded. A game every week in Freo would be good though. What pressure, if any, would be put on the Bulldogs to "relocate"? That would rip the guts out of their faithful I would think.

 

[leungtl]

On the topic of a reserves side, I've always wondered how would we get the numbers to field a side if half our list is injured?

 

[sabre_ac]

Also, Port Adelaide is followed by ******** losers who wish their club was Collingwood.

Without doubt my two most hated clubs.

I think the majority of Freo supporters had little to do with south or east Fremantle, the supporters came to the club probably due to a number of reasons including and not exclusive to a appreciation for some of our "cult heros", attraction to the game style, strong marketing (Working class etc), dislike of the eagles or even unable to get an eagle membership.

Calling the club South Fremantle for example doesn't make sense from a marketability sense of view, I don't think it would have scared off long time supporters of other WAFL clubs.

 

[tofushark]

Without wishing to start a slanging match, if the Fremantle WAFL side came into being, where would they play? Freo Oval with Freo, the ressies and South Freo all wanting to train there, it would get crowded. A game every week in Freo would be good though. What pressure, if any, would be put on the Bulldogs to "relocate"? That would rip the guts out of their faithful I would think.

I read somewhere that all games were going to be played as away games.

 

[paul8241]

Why don't they just make it so the afl teams supply the 2 lowest teams on the ladder each year (one each) and provide an assistant coach to support. Could also be good for evening up the comp.

 

[Nickos66]

How about the AFL goes with the relegation idea ala. champions league.

Out: Port
In: Claremont

 

[Kickett Punches Read]

Without wishing to start a slanging match, if the Fremantle WAFL side came into being, where would they play? Freo Oval with Freo, the ressies and South Freo all wanting to train there, it would get crowded. A game every week in Freo would be good though. What pressure, if any, would be put on the Bulldogs to "relocate"? That would rip the guts out of their faithful I would think.

I would suggest that the ressies side would train with the main group

 

[Peel Supporter]

I would suggest that the ressies side would train with the main group

The listed players, yes. But with a whole side it wouldn't happen, no more than Box Hills' entire squad training with Hawthorn.

 

[PapaJ]

I agree whole heartedly with the fremantle, rather than east freo or south freo. port adelaide may not have been the best club out of the sanfl clubs either, given that they are universally disliked by every other sanfl supporter. however i disagree on the reserves, would love a freo reserves team, i could honestly see myself getting engrossed in a freo reserves game, and while i am a staunch south freo member, i often find myself watching the opposition team as much as the bullies mainly because they usually have a freo squad member in it. i guess now, my heart and attention is pretty much solely on freo, and while i love the bullies, i could see myself being more intersted in the freo ressies

Ditto this exactly. Except that the supporter base in Adelaide for Port was and always has been very large. I was there in the mid '90s when PA launched their AFL bid and really there was no other SANFL club that could have done it. They are hated by half of Adelaide but loved by the rest and even if there were stronger options financially and otherwise, the shear charm (by Adelaide standards ) of Port made them a very good option at the time. There was probably no other 'lower league' club going into the AFL that could have pulled what they have done off (including many finals, a championship etc.) - and that includes any WAFL club option (such as one of the existing Fremantles).

 

[Jose Cruzeiro]

I have to say that I'm pretty disappointed with the lack of respect that some people have for Port Adelaide at the moment.

I'm not talking about respect for the current playing group. Most of them are spineless spuds that haven't earn't anything that vaguely resembles respect. But the club has achieved some great things since joining the AFL, including the 04 Premiership, 02/03/04 Minor Premierships, 01/02 Pre-season Cups and 7 finals appearances in 14 seasons. That's not a bad list of accomplishments for any modern team but it seems to have been quickly forgotten and disregarded (especially by certain flogs in the media).

I'm not trying to say that everyone should like Port Adelaide, but to suggest that we're not even worthy of a spot in the competition is nothing short of disgraceful IMO.

Yes we've got some issues at the moment. We are playing some of the worst football that I've ever seen from a Port Adelaide team. But we have also shown in the past that we've got what it takes to be successful at this level and eventually we will turn it around despite the current on-field circus. Thankfully this has already started to happen off-field where we are finally making some progress. Membership is over 35,000 for the first time in a while despite not making the finals since 2007 and we've recently raised over $1 million in our debt relief campaign. Hopefully the Adelaide Oval redevelopment gets approved today as well so that we can move away from the arctic wasteland that is AAMI Stadium.

Every club has its dark days and you guys should know that better than most.....unfortunately for us your 2001 is fast becoming our 2011. But it doesn't last forever as you've shown over the past two seasons, and it certainly doesn't mean that you're 'not worthy'.

Anyway rant over. Good luck for the rest of the year. I hope you do well when September comes around and I'll be secretly rooting for you guys to break the current Victorian premiership streak!

P.S. BTW I don't wish my club was Collingwood.....we're way more successful than those guys!

 

[Dr Awkward]

^^^ Good post. It was only a couple of years ago that Port copped a lot of praise.

 

[greatgatsby]

I have to say that I'm pretty disappointed with the lack of respect that some people have for Port Adelaide at the moment.

I'm not talking about respect for the current playing group. Most of them are spineless spuds that haven't earn't anything that vaguely resembles respect. But the club has achieved some great things since joining the AFL, including the 04 Premiership, 02/03/04 Minor Premierships, 01/02 Pre-season Cups and 7 finals appearances in 14 seasons. That's not a bad list of accomplishments for any modern team but it seems to have been quickly forgotten and disregarded (especially by certain flogs in the media).

I'm not trying to say that everyone should like Port Adelaide, but to suggest that we're not even worthy of a spot in the competition is nothing short of disgraceful IMO.

Yes we've got some issues at the moment. We are playing some of the worst football that I've ever seen from a Port Adelaide team. But we have also shown in the past that we've got what it takes to be successful at this level and eventually we will turn it around despite the current on-field circus. Thankfully this has already started to happen off-field where we are finally making some progress. Membership is over 35,000 for the first time in a while despite not making the finals since 2007 and we've recently raised over $1 million in our debt relief campaign. Hopefully the Adelaide Oval redevelopment gets approved today as well so that we can move away from the arctic wasteland that is AAMI Stadium.

Every club has its dark days and you guys should know that better than most.....unfortunately for us your 2001 is fast becoming our 2011. But it doesn't last forever as you've shown over the past two seasons, and it certainly doesn't mean that you're 'not worthy'.

Anyway rant over. Good luck for the rest of the year. I hope you do well when September comes around and I'll be secretly rooting for you guys to break the current Victorian premiership streak!

P.S. BTW I don't wish my club was Collingwood.....we're way more successful than those guys!

Yeah, good post. Enough said.

 

[leeloo]

Jose, I think that you will find most posters on this thread are discussing the merits/disadvantages of having a reserves team in the WAFL. There are only a couple of numpties slagging off at Port.

Personally I think the more non Victorian teams the better!

Hope your season improves.

 

[paul8241]

I think they should have gone with a different name, or at the least changed the sanfl team name. makes it harder for locals to support them if the followed any of the other state league teams.

 

[Kickett Punches Read]

I have to say that I'm pretty disappointed with the lack of respect that some people have for Port Adelaide at the moment.

I'm not talking about respect for the current playing group. Most of them are spineless spuds that haven't earn't anything that vaguely resembles respect. But the club has achieved some great things since joining the AFL, including the 04 Premiership, 02/03/04 Minor Premierships, 01/02 Pre-season Cups and 7 finals appearances in 14 seasons. That's not a bad list of accomplishments for any modern team but it seems to have been quickly forgotten and disregarded (especially by certain flogs in the media).

I'm not trying to say that everyone should like Port Adelaide, but to suggest that we're not even worthy of a spot in the competition is nothing short of disgraceful IMO.

Yes we've got some issues at the moment. We are playing some of the worst football that I've ever seen from a Port Adelaide team. But we have also shown in the past that we've got what it takes to be successful at this level and eventually we will turn it around despite the current on-field circus. Thankfully this has already started to happen off-field where we are finally making some progress. Membership is over 35,000 for the first time in a while despite not making the finals since 2007 and we've recently raised over $1 million in our debt relief campaign. Hopefully the Adelaide Oval redevelopment gets approved today as well so that we can move away from the arctic wasteland that is AAMI Stadium.

Every club has its dark days and you guys should know that better than most.....unfortunately for us your 2001 is fast becoming our 2011. But it doesn't last forever as you've shown over the past two seasons, and it certainly doesn't mean that you're 'not worthy'.

Anyway rant over. Good luck for the rest of the year. I hope you do well when September comes around and I'll be secretly rooting for you guys to break the current Victorian premiership streak!

P.S. BTW I don't wish my club was Collingwood.....we're way more successful than those guys!

thats fair enough. im not suggesting port should not be in the league

 

[FishingRick04]

I think they should have gone with a different name, or at the least changed the sanfl team name. makes it harder for locals to support them if the followed any of the other state league teams.

The studies showed Port had support of around 40% late 80's and 90's. Due to our success. We deserved a licence especially after being "used" by the AFL to get an Adelaide team into the system.

What I don't understand, we rank mid table for supporters, North, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne attract lower crowds than us. But we are in peril compared to those clubs, it doesn't make sense.

I would suggest neutral supporters with an interest look at our stadium details as this is what is killing both clubs, the SANFL look at our clubs as cash cows and are running us into the ground!

For the record I liked Freeo, disappointing to read some comments here.

good day.

 

[paul8241]

The studies showed Port had support of around 40% late 80's and 90's. Due to our success. We deserved a licence especially after being "used" by the AFL to get an Adelaide team into the system.

What I don't understand, we rank mid table for supporters, North, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne attract lower crowds than us. But we are in peril compared to those clubs, it doesn't make sense.

I would suggest neutral supporters with an interest look at our stadium details as this is what is killing both clubs, the SANFL look at our clubs as cash cows and are running us into the ground!

For the record I liked Freeo, disappointing to read some comments here.

good day.

I think they struggle now mostly because they were so successful. Clubs that survive well in the droughts tend to prosper in the successful times. Port could be excused for thinking that high memberships were the norm. Freo had more difficulty gaining support at it's inception because wce were successful, however our fan base could be considered more loyal due to the continued support during our failings on the field.

No disrespect to Port, I think it was more a marketing error, cashing in on the local successes on a membership that was mostly loyal, but accepting of nothing less than success. The only problem was they were at maximum number. 40% was the highest they could go when successful, a limitation most likely bought about by their name and local alliances.

 

[ImperialPurple]

I don't like Port but that's just the feeling I have about them (like Richmond and the weags) it has nothing to do with anything else, but their success over the brief time they have been in the AFL is to be admired. It baffles me that they can be such a rabble now, and be in such crisis. The identity thing is an interesting one - was it better to be a complete separate identity to the Port Magpies, or better to be one and the same... or should the original PAFC stayed in the SANFL, and a new "hybrid" Port been created to enter the AFL?? I think if the AFL had their time again they would manage Port's entry (and ours too for that matter) quite differently. But considering their almost immediate success, and that this is their 15th(??) season now, how far back can you go to suggest that a "different" team would have had a better strike rate? I mean, they won A LOT of games in the early noughties AND won a flag - they would have picked up a lot of support from people who weren't necessarily Port people before. Weird, the situation they are in right now.

 

[paul8241]

It would be interesting to see a cross-section of the port power supporter base to their preferred local team the stats would be alarming. Essentially you have one supporter base supporting the same 2 teams. They had market saturation at their inception, port were the powerhouse of the sanfl, it was hardto see where the extra support would come. With success brings contempt, and most other fans in the sanfl didn't like them, so certainly weren't going to support an afl model of the same name.

 

[go_the_dockers]

You say have 35,000 members, but how many of those are actual ticket holders. You are only getting 20,000 people attending most games.


In my opinion port have a number of issues, one being there current stadium deal and the other being the number of supporters attending games.

In SA, any person who followed SANFL either love or hate port, and 70% of them hate port.

Unfortanately i cant see there supporters or finances improving greatly over the next 4-5 years and I think free agency will really hurt clubs like Port.

Your current recruiting hasnt been as good as it could be, and you need to look at changing your recruitment staff.

Good luck rebuilding your side, i personally found watching the freo side rebuild over three years was so rewarding and hopefully port can do the samething.

Something must be done about your stadium deal, so that the crows and you have the money to survive.

 

[Memories]

It's a shame the port adelaide situation. One of my girlfriends is from that region and having her family around there means I know a bit about them. In the early 00s they were very dominant and a nice team to watch.

It's hard to know what can be done with them, but it is a blight on the game with their dwindling support and low crowds. People in SA complain about AAMI stadium but they obviously haven't been to Subiaco, so I don't care much about those complaints. I'm fit as and still get back aches on those bench seats which belong in the 50s.

Perhaps they need a rebranding.