PORT ADELAIDE chairman David Koch today announced the club will be presenting at its Annual General Meeting on February 2 a net operating surplus of $999,464 before amortisation and depreciation for the financial year ending 31 October 2017.

In a landmark year for Port Adelaide, in which it delivered on its vision to be the first AFL Club and Western professional sports club in the world to play a game in mainland China for competition points, the 2017 financial result represents a 6% year on year improvement.

With total revenue growing approximately 10% in 2017 from $52.8m to $57.9m Mr Koch said the club was very optimistic looking forward.

“I reflect back on 2017 with a great deal of pride in everything we achieved right across the club and I’m absolutely excited by what the future holds for Port Adelaide,” said Mr Koch.

“Whilst some areas of our core business were flat on the back of initial uncertainty around on-field performance, the significant uplift in revenue was driven by our ambitious China strategy, which saw the successful execution of the game against Gold Coast at Jiangwan Stadium on May 14.

“This growth in revenue allowed the club to ensure it had a fully resourced football program which delivered a return to finals football for the first time since 2014 and was invested into initiatives that will continue to grow the size and scope of our international operations for many years to come.”

As part of the club’s 2017 result, Port Adelaide will record a statutory profit of $28,611, the club’s third consecutive statutory profit.

Mr Koch paid tribute to the entire Port Adelaide community for the way it continues to adopt and embrace the challenges taken on by the club.

“Once again our members stayed supremely loyal to the club ensuring we were once again able to sign up in excess of 60,000 true believers, who not only continue to support us with great passion at Adelaide Oval, but also followed us to Shanghai by the plane load and ensured we sold out the stadium in China,” said Mr Koch.

“Our existing corporate partners, in particular joint Major Partner OAK embraced our vision for growth and we welcomed some new and exciting companies to Port Adelaide such as Ausgold Mining, Cathay Pacific and Haneco Lighting, who have all joined on the back of our China expansion.

“But no matter where we take the game or our club, we will always remain Port Adelaide, the club for our community. Our commitment to local issues has remained as strong as ever. In 2017, for example, we continued to grow the scope and reach of our market leading Aboriginal programs engaging 30% of the State’s Year 12 Aboriginal graduates.

“Our commitment to our heartland and our community will remain as strong as ever and we approach 2018 with absolute confidence that the on-field and off-field teams will deliver ongoing success to our members and supporters.”

Port Adelaide Football Club members can obtain access to the club’s 2017 accounts at the Annual General Meeting on Friday February 2 at 6.00pm at Alberton.