We’re getting used to the new rhythm at Port Adelaide.
It’s mid-November, our first AFLW season has just finished, and the AFL and SANFL program for 2023 is about to start.
The Alberton Oval re-development is well underway with works progressing quickly on the eastern side of the oval and preparation for the lighting upgrade also underway.
AFLW
We all rode a wave of energy and excitement across our first AFLW season.
I thought the way the whole club embraced our AFLW group was amazing. We have put together a fantastic group of people who have fully embraced everything Port Adelaide, and you can see that in the way our community has embraced them.
Whilst disappointed with the win loss (we could have easily won three more games in West Coast, Carlton & St Kilda), with some more time and better preparation for our talented young group, it’s not hard to see what’s in front of us in AFLW.
The coaches and players will have a very well-deserved break soon, and then get re-started early in the New Year.
AFL
Pre-season training for the AFL program starts formally next week as our 1st to 4th year players return from a busy off-season away from Alberton.
Our list management team have again done an excellent job in the recent trade period and so far we welcome Jason Horne-Francis, Junior Rioli and Francis Evans to the club. The next focus is the 2022 AFL Draft on November 28 and 29 at Marvel Stadium where we’ll have at least two selections.
Some suggest we are “all in” for 2023. Well of course we are!
We were disappointed with 2022, and know we have the ability to bounce back significantly in 2023 and that is absolutely our expectation.
However, we are just as “all in” on our future and have invested heavily in the draft over the last four years.
With Jason Horne-Francis joining us this year, he takes the number of first round selections in the last four years to eight. Only two clubs have selected more (Gold Coast and GWS), so we are well and truly “all-in” on our future also.
The Best & Fairest
Being our inaugural AFLW season, we decided to combine our AFL, SANFL and AFLW awards night for the 2022 season, and will be holding the event on Monday, December 5 at the Adelaide Convention Centre.
With the inclusion of all players, coaches and staff, plus sponsors and key club stakeholders, we are at capacity and therefore unable to sell additional tickets to the event.
We will hold a members’ event at The Precinct and the event will be live streamed. If you’re interested in attending this, please book your table here.
There will be a lot to get through on the night, so we’ll see how this goes before considering our approach in future years.
Alberton Oval Precinct Redevelopment
The new facilities in the Fos Williams Family Stand will be home for the football program during pre-season as the re-development of the new training facilities on the eastern side progresses.
Construction works are in full swing, with the northern half of ASHQ demolished and the eastern side earthworks well progressed.
Opening up the space on the outer side including the croquet club, reserve and former car parks has revealed a large area which will be important for our training requirements, while also providing great flexibility and something unique for AFLW and SANFL match days, and importantly delivering an improved functional space that the community will enjoy around our training requirements.
The project is progressing on schedule and the team at Sarah Construction and their partners are doing a wonderful job.
‘Geez Its Been Worth It’ – Russell Ebert
This is an auto-biography like no other. A combination of his grandson Albert’s interviews with the great man, and excerpts from his personal journal entries over the years.
It’s an incredible passion project and Russell would be incredibly proud of Albert and Benjamin. In keeping with Russell’s approach, it’s published independently with proceeds going back to the community projects Russell was so passionate about.
Please get your copy from the Port Store, or online, and support this wonderful project.
AFL ‘Mega-Round’
The 2023 AFL season will take on a new look for the first time, now comprising 23 minor round games.
This comes off the back of the announcement last week that the ‘Mega-Round’ (my tag name only, given ‘Magic Round’ is someone else’s name apparently) will be held in Adelaide, in what will be Round 5 from Thursday, April 13 to Sunday, April 16, 2023.
This is great news for South Australia, and even better for Port Adelaide game-access members who’ll have ‘free’ entry to this extra game.
The AFL fixture should be announced late November, and as soon as we have more details on the ticketing arrangements for members, we’ll share these via our membership team.
I’d anticipate this will be a blockbuster fixture for us, on either the Friday or Saturday night against a big Melbourne club to optimise attendances across the round.
Ensuring we provide members great value and improved service has been a priority for 2023. Freezing membership prices so they remain the same as our 2022 offering, as well as the extra game bonus through the ‘Mega-Round’ are two key value features.
Thanks to everyone who has renewed their membership already. Membership is tracking up on the same time last year by a good margin. Reserved seat memberships continue to be in strong demand, with the renewal deadline fast approaching on Monday, December 5. If you’re considering an upgrade, please contact our membership team and ensure you are registered on the waitlist.
Power Community Limited
The Power Community Limited team have been busy in recent weeks and it’s impossible to cover it all, but here are some highlights.
In October, the team guided 120 future female leaders through a series of interactive workshops focussed on unpacking the important barriers to gender equality, and challenging stereotypes as part of the Empowering Women event held at Adelaide Oval.
Four-time Olympian and two-time Olympic Champion Anna Meares, Port Adelaide AFLW captain Erin Phillips, AFLW players Gemma Houghton, Hannah Dunn, Elizabeth McGrath, Indy Tahau, Tess Doumanis, and Port Adelaide Magistrate Jye Pandya all shared their diverse, emotional, and empowering stories of resilience and growth to an audience of Year 10 and 11 students from a range of schools.
In the same month, the team also held the Power SAASTA Connect Carnival at Park 25. After delivering a series of workshops in schools in the lead-up, the carnival was facilitated for First Nation students around South Australia in grades 7, 8 and 9 as a pathway program into the Santos Aboriginal Power Cup.
Last week AFLW star Hannah Ewings returned to her hometown of Whyalla with our community team delivering programs to six schools in two days – including her old school.
And last week they launched Power Up: Online – a series of eLearning modules which will use sport as a hook to connect with secondary school students in metropolitan, regional and remote communities, empowering students, and young people to stay safe online.
One thing I know for sure about this ‘new rhythm’ is that it’s definitely not slowing down. There is so much to do and look forward to.
The Port Adelaide business continues to build and strengthen producing another very strong year financially, with our members and commercial partners again underpinning significant growth.
The Alberton Oval re-development is progressing quickly, and by August next year the $30m transformation will be complete, providing elite playing and training facilities for our players as well as the best social club venue in the AFL for our members.
We’re even starting to think what’s next as we develop Alberton Oval into a world-class sports and community precinct for the Port Adelaide Football Club, just as Mr Formby imagined back in 1880 when he donated the land for the express use of the Port Adelaide Football Club in the future.
Thank you again for your support across the year, and hopefully we’ll see you at ‘The Precinct at Alberton’ soon as Alberton Oval continues to transform.
Cheers,
Richo
