Dear members and supporters,

It’s been a busy month since the Showdown in Round 23 to close our AFL season and farewell club champion Robbie Gray, in what was a wonderful tribute to Robbie and his family. To have 50,000 at the game and so many of you stay well after to thank Robbie topped off a wonderful night.

Not the ‘busy’ at this time of year we were expecting at AFL level. Clearly, we under-performed in 2022 and no-one hides from that. We’ve got significant work to do and we’re getting on with that this off-season across every aspect of our club.

Achieving at the level we are chasing is challenging. ‘Greatness’ sets the bar high and in 2020 and 2021 we weren’t able to capitalise on the opportunities we earned for ourselves in Preliminary Finals, and in 2022, we didn’t get close. Success in the AFL is a whole of club challenge, and it demands we build on our program and our people year on year. We have to deliver at an incredibly high level each and every week and this year, we weren’t able to do that. We won’t be stepping back from the expectation we have of ourselves, and you have of your football club. That mentality will drive our players, coaches, and staff in preparation for 2023.

I’d also like to thank our members, because success requires everyone to be on the journey and when it doesn’t go to plan, it’s disappointing. Membership is both a financial and an emotional commitment we all have, but it’s when we are challenged that we need your support even more and you absolutely did that. Record membership again in 2022 is testament to the continued loyalty and support of our long-term members, together with new members who are building the next generation of Port Adelaide. Your passion is what drives us, thank you!

The next month is an important period, with our football and list management teams hard at work ensuring we maximise the opportunities for our club to improve. There will be changes and plenty of speculation, but our members should be assured we’re in all the conversations we need to be right now and will communicate directly with you when there is news.

In good news, congratulations to Connor Rozee for his selection in the AFL All-Australian team for the first time. Connor had an outstanding season, emerging as one of the most dynamic and exciting mid-fielders in the competition

AFLW

For those who were able to join us at Alberton Oval two weeks ago for the historic first AFLW home game, it was a special day. Result aside, Alberton Oval was sold out, the magnificent new facilities were a feature which the players loved, the kids zone was buzzing and Never Tear us Apart at Alberton for the first time was something else.

This weekend, we play the Sydney Swans at Alberton and look forward to another big crowd cheering on the team as we chase our first win after a nail-biting draw on Sunday v Carlton. Secure your tickets here.

Our recently released documentary ‘The Inaugurals’  takes viewers on a raw and emotional journey from the moment Juliet Haslam was announced as the club’s first AFLW appointment, through to the teams’ final build up ahead of the upcoming season.

It provides a behind-the-scenes look into the appointment of our wonderful senior coach Lauren Arnell, the announcement of star recruit Erin Phillips, inner-sanctum access to the club’s first AFLW draft night and the emotional moment the Cockatoo-Motlap twins were told of their place on the first AFLW list by their uncle, Che Cockatoo-Collins.

You can still watch the documentary on-demand via 7Plus, and I encourage you to do so – it provides amazing insight into the incredible people involved in our AFLW program.

Congratulations also to our two NAB AFLW Rising Star winners Abbey Dowrick (Round 1) and Hannah Ewings (Round 3), an exciting glimpse into the future of our club.

THE PRECINCT AT ALBERTON

‘The Precinct at Alberton’ was packed all day during our first AFLW home game, with our members and supporters enjoying their new facilities, particularly the expansive deck.

We’ve been open for a couple of months now and learning to operate at its best, but it’s certainly living up to our expectations, as we welcome more of our people back to their club.

In just the first six weeks, we exceeded total trade in the bar and kitchen that we did over a whole 12 months in the old facilities pre-COVID! 

ALBERTON OVAL RE-DEVELOPMENT

The new facilities within the Fos Williams Family Stand were fully operational for our first AFLW game. The heritage listed grandstand, originally built in 1903, has been carefully renovated in consultation with the City of Port Adelaide Enfield Council and its heritage advisor to ensure the unique heritage aspects are retained whilst providing elite player, coaching and media facilities.

It’s been an incredible transformation and something we are very proud of, turning Alberton into one of the premier AFLW match day venues in the country. The feedback from the AFL and the Western Bulldogs following Round 2 certainly enhanced this view.

We haven’t had a chance to open the new facilities to our members, but we will be planning some guided tours over the next month when training nights allow. You can register your interest here.

With the western side of the oval now complete, our focus shifts to the east and the re-development of the Allan Scott HQ and MG High Performance Centre, including the expanded training field.

Demolition and construction will commence in October, with Sarah Construction awarded this project through a competitive tender process. The team at Sarah Construction have done a wonderful job with the Williams Stand and we look forward to working with them on this exciting next stage.

Importantly, we are working to an 11–12-month construction timeline, so the disruption to football is limited to only one season. Importantly, the new facilities in the Williams Stand will be football’s home from November as we all vacate the ASHQ building.

We’re hoping the admin and new coaching and football facilities will be complete by April 2023. By the time the next AFLW season starts, this stage of the re-development should be complete, and we will finally see our exciting vision for the Alberton Oval precinct brought to life.

COMMUNITY TEAM IN THE APY LANDS

Last week, our incredible Power Community team, together with AFL players Jeremy Finlayson, Sam Powell-Pepper, Hugh Jackson and Jed McEntee, were invited to the APY Lands.

Over the course of a week, the team delivered the Santos Aboriginal Power Cup program to eight schools and attended both the Ernabella Dance Festival and APY Lands SANFL Grand Final.

We’re extremely proud of our Power Community team and the important work they do across the state delivering our programs, which have a positive and meaningful impact on our community. Our players have been ‘COVID-removed’ from the programs and have only been able to deliver sessions online for the last three years, so it was wonderful to see them back in the community last week, especially one that has been challenged significantly through COVID.

I’ve loved looking across Alberton on Monday afternoons this winter and seeing well over 100 kids involved in the NAB AFL Auskick centre, run in partnership with the SANFL. The involvement of our AFL and AFLW players is a highlight for these kids and their families, as we play our role in fostering the next AFL and AFLW stars.

AFLW SHOWDOWN

Round 6 of the AFLW season, we play the Adelaide Crows at Adelaide Oval on Friday, 30 September, under lights from 7:30pm.

The Showdown rivalry is the best in the AFL, and we can’t wait to bring that to the AFLW competition. This game will be about something much bigger than football.

We are excited to be working in partnership with the Adelaide Football Club, the Office for Recreation & Sport, and the State Government in building this event into a celebration of women’s sport in South Australia.

Stay tuned for some exciting announcements from next week, and make sure you secure your tickets now. It’s great value for the family and will be an amazing night, another ‘HERstory in the making’ event in a season of firsts for our AFLW team that you won’t want to miss!

Get your tickets here!

It’s a busy and exciting agenda around the club, with AFLW and our re-development projects leading the charge into October.

Thanks again for your support across the year so far. Hopefully, we see you at Alberton Oval soon for an AFLW game, a meal at The Precinct, a guided tour of our fantastic new facilities or to wander through the Port Adelaide Football Club Museum admiring the original wharf pylons and of course, the biggest trophy cabinet in the southern hemisphere!

Cheers,

Richo