PORT ADELAIDE will keep pushing for a Friday night Showdown in future but is happy to host the blockbuster game on a Saturday night in 2019, according to Executive General Manager Matthew Richardson.
The Power’s 2019 fixture was released on Thursday with six Saturday night games on offer including four at Adelaide Oval.
After having just one Saturday night game in 2018, it’s a big fixture change-up for the Power.
Saturday night is the preferred timeslot of Port Adelaide members and Richardson said he had no issue with a Showdown being among them.
“Both Showdowns are on a Saturday night (one is a twilight), last year they both had crowds of 50,000, they were a great showcase game,” he said during a press conference.
“Absolutely the game deserves to be on the national stage but we understand the complexities of trying to put the draw together.
“Whether it’s a Friday night, or a Saturday night, it’s that stand-alone on the national stage.
“There’s no doubt it deserves to be on the national stage and that’s something we’ll keep pushing but we understand the complexities of putting the fixture together and we appreciate the way the AFL has engaged us in this process.”
Port Adelaide will also play three Friday night games in a row including against West Coast in Perth on the night of Good Friday, North Melbourne at Adelaide Oval in Round 6 as part of the ANZAC Round and then beaten Grand Finalist Collingwood at Marvel Stadium in Round 7.
Later in the season, the Power will play four games in a row at Adelaide Oval, starting with a Round 14 clash with Geelong.
In Round 15 it will host the Western Bulldogs, before meeting Adelaide in an away Showdown in Round 16, and finishing the month stint at home with a clash against the Lions in Round 17.
The club will have five twilight games with three at home including one on a Sunday but Richardson said two were early in the season when they wouldn’t interfere with community sport and the other was a Sunday in the school holidays which worked for families and people who have to travel long distances to games.
Port Adelaide hosted Geelong in ANZAC round in 2018 |
All in all, Richardson said the club was pleased that the club achieved its key requests.
“Our number one fixture request is ANZAC round,” he said.
“We’ve hosted an ANZAC Round fixture for 16 years in a row. It’s really important from a partnership perspective in terms of the RSL and also the defence community so a Friday night ANZAC Round game against North Melbourne is fantastic, it was our number one priority.
“The games on the Saturday nights for our members and supporters, which is their number one timeslot, the AFL has been able to achieve for us and of course the game in Shanghai in June again is terrific so all in all we’re really appreciative of the fixture we’ve got.”
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