Port Adelaide's China game strategy

[rocket18]

Brisbane to HK is 9 hours. HK to Shanghai is 3 hours.

Adelaide to HK is 9 hours. HK to Shanghai is 3 hours.

Plus getting to the airport, couple hours at the airport before international flight, hour or two at airport for connecting flight, another couple of hours to get bags, clear customs and get to your hotel - not far from 20 hours from home to destination hotel.

 

[Papa G]

Plus getting to the airport, couple hours at the airport before international flight, hour or two at airport for connecting flight, another couple of hours to get bags, clear customs and get to your hotel - not far from 20 hours from home to destination hotel.

You forgot that they have to take a s**t, wash their hair, put on their shoes, tie the laces, decide what they want for breakfast, remember to breathe, iron their socks, scratch themselves, put on a jumper if it's chilly, call their mothers to tell them they are alright, check their tinder accounts....and so on. Life....its just so damn tough.

 

[StrappingTape]

GC won't be invited back next year, I'd put money on GWS or Brisbane having to go considering the AFL funds them both to the hilt they don't have a choice much like GC. Also, AFL clubs tries something new, everyone from every other club that has nothing to do with it dumps on it, could put cash on that happening.

 

[ep2018]

Think it will flop hard like the NZ experiment did.

The problem is in NZ AFL is seen as 1. a pissy sport compared to rugby and 2. an Aussie sport, which puts a lot of Kiwis off. The whole thing felt more like fan service for Aussies living across the Tasman than it did as an actual attempt for international footy. I reckon China may actually get a small cult following in comparison.

 

[Registered User]

Someone said on SEN last year that the game was little more than a nugget of an idea, but when Prime Minister "Trumble" mouthed off at that press conference about a match, Gillan was put on the spot and felt obligated to back him up.
The game was announced without a ground, only one team, and I don't think a sponsor. When was the last time the AFL announced something that was only 1/3 baked?

It's all Trumble's fault

 

[Balance]

Kochie probably had some business friends from China from before.

The only way this will work is if China gets ALL the game on free to air, live, all the time.

 

[Lockhart Road]

TLR version lifted from reddit:

• Port needed to find corporate $, but AU market too tight
• Dennis Way (RSL vet, based in Hong Kong) reminded PAFC (in 2013) about a forgotten player who was killed in action.
• Via Dennis PAFC entered into partnership with HKFC with a strategy of building networks to lift PAFC profile and hopefully find some more corporate $.
• This expanded to sponsoring China's International Cup squad and SE China Leagues.
• PAFC continues providing AFL community support in SEA, while building SEA corporate relationships both in SEA and in AU. PAFC were happy simply supporting community programs while trying to find $$ to assist
• One night at AO, one (of ~9 IIRC) Shanghai based corporate execs (Gui Guojie) loved what he saw. He wanted to bring AFL specifically to Shanghai: in schools and have a game played there and threw in $1m a year for 3 years.
• PAFC then presented to the AFL the opportunity that existed. Not so much for the H&A game, but to grow the AFL brand locally in China, but importantly bring new money into the AFL.
• China's Govt recently announced a sports initiative to get their children active, throwing $ behind sports (mainly soccer), but more importantly (in their Govt system) giving consent to other sports to be played in schools. Only Govt sanctioned sports can be played. Other sporting codes are also lining up to play there after the Govt's change in direction.
• The strategy has now bought in $6m (soon to be $10m) of new money to the AFL and it is nowhere near the tip of the iceberg. Previously, PAFC was spending their own $ in SEA on the community programs, but now these extra funds are covering the community spend and the cost of the game. This means that the PAFC is now more profitable, and soon a contributor to the AFL equalisation scheme instead of being a receiver in the past.
• As the community development and exposure grows so will interest in the AFL by corporate China. Future games and teams will benefit by the exposure: either directly or indirectly via more $$ into the AFL.
• I believe PAFC does have a business model to help share the corporate $ around, but I'm unaware of the details. It might be something like a spotter/broker model, but I'm just guessing. Far too premature to look too far ahead.
• So far there is a 3 year commitment to play in China. The interest is currently strong and doing it for 5 years seems likely. Kochie and KT are optimistic of a 10 year commitment, but really who knows... a lot can happen in that time frame.

This is a pretty good summary ... except that I have a sneaky suspicion that the 'Dennis' you mention only has one 'n'.

I've also been told that in October 2013, right after this one-n Dennis brokered the partnership with the Hong Kong Football Club, Leon Cameron came to HK, started a conversation with the GM of the HKFC who took him down the tunnel under the Happy Valley Race Course, along the winding corridor around the Main Pitch to the Sportsmans Bar and showed him the framed team-signed Power shirt on the wall, and read out the caption announcing the partnership. Quoth Leon: "Oh f$%£." Oh so I'm told.
It seems GWS had been to HK three times already over the previous couple of years looking for a commercial angle on China. Sheedy was probably involved. Nothing is ever original.

 

[wagstaff]

The AFL industry always seems insecure about the game only functioning in one country and drool over anything that portrays the game as being international.

Look how long those pointless post-season matches in England (and elsewhere) lasted. This just seems a big ego trip for those in the AFL.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

If only you applied the same rigour to analysing your own accounts, Kane.

I have run businesses with more rigour & financial transparency than Port!

Ps. If you are referring to the Crows, I did when we made a loss & posted by comments which showed Trigg was lying about the reasons for when we made a record loss.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Not necessarily. Some of the cost may be 'establishment cost' or 'one-off costs' providing the initial investment for a return later in the timeline.
Furthermore, I doubt the stated $2M+ will ever improve our bottom line. As a community club, funds will continue to be invested in the community programs the club has initiated and or supports.

Would be good to be given a straight forward answer on how China will impact the bottom line.

 

[ScottKaysee]

This is a pretty good summary ... except that I have a sneaky suspicion that the 'Dennis' you mention only has one 'n'.
...

Apologies mate, that Reddit post was mine and I was going purely from (a fuzzy) memory.

Hope you've been well. A warm thank you for all of your contributions: be they directly with PAFC, directly to BF members and for all the non-communicated thoughts and energies you've invested into this strategy. It is appreciated. Enjoy the week, savour the game and outcomes that follow.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

You forgot that they have to take a s**t, wash their hair, put on their shoes, tie the laces, decide what they want for breakfast, remember to breathe, iron their socks, scratch themselves, put on a jumper if it's chilly, call their mothers to tell them they are alright, check their tinder accounts....and so on. Life....its just so damn tough.

The bottom line is it will take roughly a day for the Gold Coast players from when they leave to when they arrive. Eade mentioned on Subday this was not ideal, particularly given they are flying economy class.

 

[Cmarsh]

I don't know why they dont try to take a h&a match to Los Angeles or somewhere on the West Coast of the USA. Reckon it would be a bit of a hit.

 

[Jones2ByrneJones]

Dude, Carn mate.

Thought you'd sworn of bf

 

[Ramify]

Curious Port brethren,

Do you think there is way more pressure on the Port players to win this game compared to any other round?

Do you see any possible negatives stemming from a loss that wouldnt be an issue should the game be played here?

Do you think Kochie will tare strips of all and sundry if the players cant get the points?

Do you think this game is a positive in regard to the Powers push for a finals birth this year?

 

[bomberclifford]

I did when we made a loss & posted by comments which showed Trigg was lying about the reasons for when we made a record loss.

How about the last financial smoke'n'mirrors act?

 

[Papa G]

Curious Port brethren,

Do you think there is way more pressure on the Port players to win this game compared to any other round?

Do you see any possible negatives stemming from a loss that wouldnt be an issue should the game be played here?

Do you think Kochie will tare strips of all and sundry if the players cant get the points?

Do you think this game is a positive in regard to the Powers push for a finals birth this year?

It would be a bad look to lose, considering the work the club has done to get the whole thing off the ground and from a marketing the club to China point of view. This game holds much more significance at home to and there will be plenty who will stick the boots in hard if we do. You get the sense, for whatever reason, much of the football public and media wants this to fail.

From a pure football sense, the game has been moved from Gold Coasts home ground. Surely that is an advantage to Port? If we can't get the job done in China, would we have got it Done at Metricon?

In the scheme of the season, we win and we a 5 and 3. Lose 4 and 4. Simple as that.

 

[radiojake]

one thing is for certain, it's puts an end to the 'We Exist To Win Premierships' bullshit, because no professional sporting club with their eyes 100% focused on winning a flag would fly their squad 7,500 km in the middle of the season to a city with such notoriously bad air pollution that Gold Coast have said they aren't taking any players who suffer asthma. Port Adelaide exist to further Kochie's ego -

 

[Lockhart Road]

Apologies mate, that Reddit post was mine and I was going purely from (a fuzzy) memory.

Hope you've been well. A warm thank you for all of your contributions: be they directly with PAFC, directly to BF members and for all the non-communicated thoughts and energies you've invested into this strategy. It is appreciated. Enjoy the week, savour the game and outcomes that follow.

No worries mate. I will never forget Round 5 2013 and your kind hospitality. It was the night it all started, the night I gave Kochie a tie with three feathers on it at half time and we came from 41 points down in the 3rd to win by 5. What an omen. As you know, I flew back to HK inspired, asking myself how can I help my Club to survive. Now we have S. Kidman & Co. holding their board meeting in Shanghai this Friday so that Gina can come to the match and sit among new friends at Jiangwan Stadium. Life can get interesting when the negativities are treated like tall poppies, cut down and trampled on.

 

[JoondalupJ]

On the back of this article I have to ask what is the benefit from this game?

Have they even secured a tv deal for it in China yet? Last week they hadn't.

If you want sponsors, pay for their flight here.

http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/gol...s/news-story/9bec2b77b06421a6ea6f8aee393cd8c5

WHY THE GAME IN CHINA??????


TV MONEY!!!!!!

Is it possible to send the game in china.....no !!!

Both Port and GC will suffer for this travelling. And although the media of football will rave and rant about how magnificent it is.

IT ISN'T

 

[Lockhart Road]

one thing is for certain, it's puts an end to the 'We Exist To Win Premierships' bullshit, because no professional sporting club with their eyes 100% focused on winning a flag would fly their squad 7,500 km in the middle of the season to a city with such notoriously bad air pollution that Gold Coast have said they aren't taking any players who suffer asthma. Port Adelaide exist to further Kochie's ego -

And you, dead bird, know sweaty fatty arbuckle.

 

[Ramify]

It would be a bad look to lose, considering the work the club has done to get the whole thing off the ground and from a marketing the club to China point of view. This game holds much more significance at home to and there will be plenty who will stick the boots in hard if we do. You get the sense, for whatever reason, much of the football public and media wants this to fail.

From a pure football sense, the game has been moved from Gold Coasts home ground. Surely that is an advantage to Port? If we can't get the job done in China, would we have got it Done at Metricon?

In the scheme of the season, we win and we a 5 and 3. Lose 4 and 4. Simple as that.

Thanks for the reponse.

Seeing how the weight of expectation can effect teams over the weekend, I just wonder if your club will be pumped and come out firing with a finals like mentality or will it go the other way.

GC are starting to play ok footy and I dont think they will be under anywhere near as much pressure..
Ordinarily Id have you down as a sure thing at home or at Metricon. This game Im not sure.

Will the result have any baring on the future of the venture? Would it be seen as such a positive if you miss a home final or finals all together by dropping this one game which you should comfortably win under ordinary circumstances?

 

[radiojake]

And you, dead bird, know sweaty fatty arbuckle.

Ah yes, I missed the part where a mid-season flight to the pollution filled city of Shanghai was the next big thing in getting footy teams in peak condition for a premiership tilt after pre-season trips to Dubai went out of vogue

 

[bomberclifford]

Do you think there is way more pressure on the Port players to win this game compared to any other round?

Yes, but no more than a Showdown, a Derby, or say Collingwood playing Carlton on their 125th birthday. Some games have more riding on them than others. Nothing new or uncommon.

Do you see any possible negatives stemming from a loss that wouldnt be an issue should the game be played here?

Yes. See answer above.

Do you think Kochie will tare strips of all and sundry if the players cant get the points?

1. *tear
2. Will our president be angry if we lose? Of course. Refer to answer above.

Do you think this game is a positive in regard to the Powers push for a finals birth this year?

If we win it, yes.
If we lose it, no.
Same as any other game really.

 

[drazah]

I have run businesses with more rigour & financial transparency than Port!

Ps. If you are referring to the Crows, I did when we made a loss & posted by comments which showed Trigg was lying about the reasons for when we made a record loss.

Selling weed out of your van doesn't count as a "business", KMG.