Dear Members and Supporters
Two CEO updates in a week!!
That must be some sort of record!
Some really positive news.
Today we announced that St Kilda will be our new opponent for Shanghai 2019.
This is significant for a number of reasons.
Firstly, it means we are returning to Shanghai for the third straight year. An achievement in itself.
St Kilda’s commitment, and that of the Victorian Government, for three
That will mean that AFL will be played in mainland China for a minimum of 5 years, a feat not replicated by any other major sporting code outside of China.
St Kilda is an old established Melbourne Club, with a membership base of over 45,000 people who have historically proven that they are prepared to travel far and wide to support their team. I suspect we’ll be sharing the Shanghai experience with quite a few Saints fans next year, and we welcome that!
The date is also important.
June 2 places the game in and around the designated bye round, two weeks later in the season than the 2017 and 2018 games. I’m not convinced that fatigue at the end of the season has been a factor in previous years, but this removes the possibility altogether.
All in all, a fantastic result and one that we are very proud of.
At big moments like this, I think it’s worth reflecting on why we have decided to pursue this China dream.
It’s all about growth. Meaningful growth.
Growth that comes from really embracing a new community, with all its cultural differences, as they do the same to us.
It takes time, but the rewards can be enormous.
Mr Gui and Shanghai Cred’s five-year extension of our partnership earlier this year was living proof that this philosophy works, and we continue to enjoy a wonderful relationship with him and his team.
Any Club with aspirations to be in the finals and shooting for premierships every year, simply must have the resources to compete at the highest level.
Port Adelaide, despite its ongoing financial recovery, remains frugal by comparison to
Our football program remains firmly placed as the Club’s No 1 priority and is well supported, but the Club needs to expand further.
It needs to continue to innovate and create better opportunities for our members to enjoy the game and engage with the Club.
David and I have said this before…Port Adelaide is not a near enough is good enough sort of Club.
We seek to be successful and respected, here in Australia and beyond.
Success in China will provide us with these opportunities.
This is a good day for our Club.
If you’re interested in joining the team in Shanghai, click here for details.
KT
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