As crazy as this may sound, Port Adelaide have had the best fortnight of any AFL club this year. After a horrendous year, many believed that the predicted mass exodus of players to other clubs, built up heavily by the Victorian media, would prove true.
However, every single one of the players tipped to leave Alberton has put ink to paper in a massive boost for the struggling club.
I was admittedly one of the people to think a couple may walk. I mean, who could blame them?
After consecutive record losses of 138 and 165 points to Collingwood and Hawthorn respectively, the club was seen as the laughing stock of the competition, and the proud and successful history of the Port Adelaide Football Club was being tarnished every time the players took to the field.
Now, as a South Australian, you either love Port or you hate them. But I find myself wanting the club to survive this period of bottom-of-the-ladder season and their dire economic and financial situation.
You see, the AFL needs Port Adelaide. It needs two teams in the traditional heartland of South Australia. And simply because they’re going through a tough period, many people believe that Port Adelaide should be cut from the AFL competition.
Really? Is Port Adelaide the only club who has ever faced such a situation?
Before a massive demolition of debt, the Melbourne Football Club was roughly $6 million in the red. Other clubs in a similar situation were Richmond and the Western Bulldogs.
As for the win-loss column, let’s not forget Port Adelaide had a four-year dominance of the competition. Although finals weren’t their forte, they won at least 16 matches in each of the seasons from 2001 to 2004, including their breakthrough premiership in the last of those years.
During that period, Victorian football was suffering in a huge way. For three straight years, no Victorian team played in the grand final and for six straight seasons they were without a flag. For ten teams to be completely dominated by a six-team interstate presence is a true credit to those expansion clubs.
Were there any serious talks of those poor performing clubs in serious amounts of debt to be kicked out of the competition? No way in hell.
People constantly make fun of Power supporters for not going to home games. But the crowd of 29,340 at the Adelaide Oval showed that there are plenty of supporters out there; especially since the Royal Adelaide Show and Fathers’ Day were held on the same day.
We all need to understand- particularly the Victorians- that Port aren’t going anywhere.
Come 2014, the club will see average home attendances in the vicinity of 30-35,000 people. Their annual match day revenue will skyrocket due to a better percentage of revenue at the Adelaide Oval. And their tens of thousands of members and supporters will flock to see the likes of Travis Boak, Hamish Hartlett and Jackson Trengove propel the club back to the top half of the ladder.
Port Adelaide’s 37 premierships (36 SANFL, 1 AFL) in a long 141-year history, is proof that one of Australia’s biggest and proudest clubs deserves its place in the national competition.
Port fans, never fear. Your club is safe and it always will be.
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