Dear Members and Supporters,

I'm not going to dwell on the disappointment of 2015.

We have reluctantly digested not making the AFL finals, and taken some important learnings from our post season reviews.

Getting knocked out in the SANFL finals - the league team in the first semi and the Academy team in the preliminary final - added a little salt to the wound, but again, we take stock and learn from the unhappy experience.

As always, our thoughts very quickly move on to the next challenge, and I would like to thank Josh Carr and Tyson Edwards for their dedicated contribution to our program over the past four years. Both are outstanding young men who will excel in the next phase of their careers. That's just who they are, and we wish them both well.

With change, comes opportunity. For Chad Cornes it's the opportunity to return home to the club he loves, to coach his own side for the first time.
Chad understands the responsibility associated with being the custodian of the Magpies and he is itching to get started and embrace the challenge.

For Nathan Bassett, it's an opportunity of a different kind. I was fortunate enough to see the impact Nathan had on Norwood as a first-time coach between 2010 and 2012. It was nothing short of phenomenal. He has an outstanding eye for young talent, an ability to clearly articulate what he is looking for from each player and then teach it. Having spent a couple of years in the AFL system at Essendon, we look forward to welcoming Nathan to Port Adelaide in the next few weeks.

On the player trading front, it's hectic! Right now, there is a lot of huffing and puffing going on, but the real negotiations won't be concluded for some weeks. Don't be overly concerned by all the speculation, largely it's just that. We have a very clear plan, and we are working steadily towards that.

Spare a thought for the boys leaving Port Adelaide - Mitch Harvey, Johann Wagner, Jarrad Redden, Mason Shaw, Sam Russell, Daniel Flynn and of course the retirees Kane Cornes and Tom Logan. They have given their all in chasing their AFL dream at Port Adelaide and we applaud them for their efforts. They too, will move on to the next phase of their lives, hopefully with some experiences that will serve them well in the future.

I'd particularly like to acknowledge the career of Tom Logan. As a brutal, give-everything-you've-got competitor, Tommy provided a great example to all that have played with him or against him...he got everything humanly possible out of the talent he was born with. There is no greater achievement an athlete can be considered to have achieved. Well done Tommy and thank you for all of the blood, sweat and tears you have spilled for Port Adelaide.   

When Ken Hinkley first walked into the Port Adelaide Football Club in late 2012, it was obvious he understood the deep and emotional bond that exists between its members and supporters and the club they love. He also understood that to repair the hurt that the Port Adelaide community was feeling towards their club at the time, it would need to open its doors with the hope of establishing renewed confidence in its direction for the future.

I remember clearly the decision to allow FOX Footy's David King to sit in the coaches' box to observe and report on Ken's very first game as a coach - high risk stuff! Imagine if we had been smashed! Thankfully we defeated Melbourne that day and the public were able to enjoy a unique moment inside the front office of an AFL coaching group.

Fast forward to 2015. Tonight, the premiere of a documentary called INSIDE: The Story of Port Adelaide 2015 will go to air at 8:00pm (SA time) on FOX Footy. It is a raw and emotional look at a season which promised so much, but ultimately disappointed. Over 600 hours of footage was taken from inside every pre-game speech, post-game examination, leadership and selection meetings to provide a rarely seen perspective of the inner sanctum of an AFL club. It is compelling stuff, and I encourage you to watch it.

For those of you who don't have a FOXTEL subscription, the documentary will also be broadcast into Adelaide on Channel 7 starting this Sunday (see below for broadcast times). A massive thanks to Ch 7 Adelaide General Manager Tony Davison and his team led by Paul Jury for their professional assistance in the production and broadcast of this documentary. Channel 7 are a valued partner of our club and I thank them for their ongoing support.

Transparency is a principle we embrace, and that means being open and accessible - win, lose or draw. Being granted access to capture these insights was the breakthrough, how we release the information will be the ongoing creative challenge.

Tonight's documentary is the first instalment, we hope you enjoy it. 

Screening times
- Fox Footy: Wednesday 23 September at 8:00pm
- Channel 7: Sunday 27 September at 12.30pm
- Channel 7: Friday 2 October at 10.30pm

Please note an exclusive extended 60 minute version will be available at insideportadelaide.com.au from 1.30pm on Sunday 27 September.  

Enjoy the documentary, cast a fleeting eye on the finals series to get a sense of the standard we need to get to next year, and enjoy the off season!

Our next campaign is already taking shape.

Take care,

KT