The joy has returned for Power fans

Great article mate. I was there at the 2007 preliminary final against the Kangas and I remember all the nerves I had in the lead up as we faced our bogey team. Interesting to hear your experience over the years as a Port supporter. The future certainly looks bright indeed!

While all you knowlegable crow eaters are discussing Ports finances I seem to remember they paid one million a year to the AFL for 5 year when they entered the competition but the license ended up with the SANFL so was the 9 million a repayment with interest or was it a way of propping up the SANFL after Port bought the license for a second time recently How much did they pay SAFNL and was it actually for a license as I have called it a Sub-licence

Definitely not. I was there. Look it up. 2012 we are talking remember.

There's always people that want to troll and knock, bitter folk with nothing better to do, I just tell myself that it's born out of the frustration they feel when they see Port doing well, Sucks to be them I guess.

You can't actually think you're the only Johnno here. Surely.

Port need to be careful of an early peak this season. Young players with not a huge amount of preseasons behind them could be a disaster. Reminds me of essandon a few years back. All for sa teams killing it tho.

Let's not forget that sum was in ADDITION to whatever port normally received.

While Port did receive a large sum of support, not all $9million came from the AFL (some came from the SANFL). Lest we forget, there are many clubs that receive in the range of a million $ a year in equalisation (the Crows included) for not getting the big blockbuster games like Collingwood and Carlton. The $9 million also pales in comparison to the millions of dollars clubs like St Kilda, Western Bulldogs and Melbourne have been getting for a decade or so. So while it sounds bad, when you put it comparatively its not that bad at all. Lets not get started on the SANFL screwing Port and the Crows argument...

That comment above is not the original Johnno, I am the original one.

The Truth - That game was in Canberra! And as for bandwagon supporters - I'm a swan - but as of last year I jumped on the Port train. I couldn't care less what anyone thinks either! The spirit they have shown turning everything round in the last 2 years is what makes footy a great thing to watch, even when your team isn't playing!

Port Adelaide had to receive the $9 million handout/welfare cheque because they were bust and would be unable to pay their player's and staff. Not a great look for an AFL club and the league guarentees it's partners a show so they always bail out the strugglers be that the Lions, Bulldogs, Demons or Power. There was something to do with a kick back to the SANFL which was a large millstone around the two Adelaide AFL clubs necks which was causing the leakage of cash combined with the SANFL's rental deal for the two AFL teams at West Lakes. So in effect the SANFL was getting it's snaws on AFL earned cash. But this is all part of the deal that allowed AFL to set up shop in Adelaide in the first place. The AFL agreed to this or the S.A. clubs would have continued to hold out, but Port broke ranks to try to get into the AFL, which forced the SANFL to set up the composite side in the Crows. Not sure if they should have setup another composite side or allowed in the biggest S.A club. 18 months ago, the Port decision was looking like a major mistake. Port Adelaide is technically 'one club' for the sake of it's supporters, but it is more complex than that when it comes to recruitment of players, senior players dropping back to SANFL grade, club colours, training location etc.. As I understand it, the SANFL concern is being embraced more now than under the previous regime largely due to President Koch being an old supporter and son of a former Port player so he wants to embrace that history. As far as fielding a team in AFL, it is separate concern.

Most of the struggling teams receive money from the AFL and I believe our money was more like a loan and even though we are filling AO and have record membership we probably still wont turn a profit the next few years. Port (Magpies) first applied for the AFL licence and when it was granted the first Power team was basically the Magpie team from the year before as well as everyone who works behind the scenes, fans, training ground etc, but because the AFL licence was owned by the SANFL they basically wanted us to be a separate entity from the Magpies so even though some like Graham Cornes call us 2 separate clubs that is only an SANFL enforced technicality, but this year we have gained control of our own licence (for a price) and have now officially combined the two teams as one club (spiritually it was never separated) and the Magpies have become the Power reserves and even though you could say the Magpies have lost some identity by becoming a reserves team for the AFL the traditionalists know it is for the best because the most successful individual club in the country should be in the top league in the land.

Matt might be the raw stadium deal done with the SANFL when Port first entered with Whicker/ Basher and his merry men destined to destroy Port. One which kept the ol SANFL going for many years and most forget that facet..As for rent, Cows never paid it for Footy Park but Port had to so why was that ? Now the big issue here is why are SMA doing it to both clubs so make ya wonder again with ol Whicker and Olsen running the show. Good article finally from Rucci on this issue As for for ficke LOL ( Hal ya ol troll) , ya got to be kidding as most Cows fans never played the game with most just jumping on the band wagon when the cows first entered. Port fans hated footy park once it became the Cows home ground and now at the good old Adelaide Oval, the fans are coming back in droves with ol Kochie leading the charge. The ol Cows will always be the fruit tingles with the ol Chardy Tag with the knitting needle brigade leading the charge. Gee ol Hal would be the main man and Chorus leader with his 19th Man scarf LOL. Even ol KG hates that and wonder how the state jumpers are going in smarts garage these days ;) As for fruition on recruiting ol Hal, just shows how much the recruited young guns wanted to stay as saw the talent and believed that they will bear the fruit for the next 4- 5 years when things will turn around. Hell even Geelong couldn't snare Boaky and what a gun he is becoming with belief in the guys. One has to wonder if ol Dangermouse will be there next year for the cows which is the main one for the cows to sort as no finals, no mouse ? Mouse will be gone to carlton for gibbs my tip at seasons end. Also can't wait for the Power and GWS friendly game in Macau,China next year, great initiative again Port and a whole new market. Looking brighter each day and 53,000 members and still climbing ;) As for the article, which is from an old port fan who has been on hells road, the journey home has just begun. Adelaide Oval is the maggies home from the old days and now leading to the new which is why the Portress tag sits so well.

"Work took me to Sydney at the end of 2007....In 2013 I returned home to Adelaide where I could actually attend Port games live" Hang on a minute. GWS played Port at Skoda in 2012. Didnt you go to that famous match? Sounds like you didn't, you bandwagon wagoner person! You could have been the 19th Man and helped them win that game.

Lets hope the havent peaked to early this season

Great to hear some South Australian related content again. I was always a Swans fan in Adelaide but supported the Woodville West Torrens Eagles and it didn't take long to understand the disdain/bitterness towards Port Adelaide. This still flows to the AFL and while I respect the tradition, I absolutely love it if the Swans beat Port. I've got two questions for you though. In 2011 Port effectively received $9 million from the AFL over 3 years. Do you think that's fair when plenty of other struggling teams could use money the size of that? Secondly, is Port Adelaide one club and if so why? Great read, keep up the good work.

Power are the feel good team of the year. If they are not playing you ,you want them to win. If your team falls, you want to see them win the premiership this season. I know many others share my own feeling in this matter. In round 13, I hope the Power goes off...

Just a couple of points our average non showdown attendances was always mid to high 20's at AAMI so a 35% drop off is to be expected and last year when Adelaide were doing poorly they were getting between 25 and 35 thousand when they normally got mid 40's there (same drop off) and Pies v Carlton attracted just under 50000 to the MCG in 2005 when both teams weren't travelling that well, bias much?

Nail on the head Mark. Port Magpies had it all their own way in that little league over in Adelaide, then they joined the big dogs and continued to pee like puppies.