CHAIRMAN David Koch says a commemorative logo launched on Sunday is a symbol of “strength and unity” which will help elevate the Port Adelaide Football Club’s 150-year history on the national stage.

The club used a special free member event at Pirate Life Brewing in its Port Adelaide heartland to launch the new logo in front of about 3,000 fans.

Koch told the crowd the event marked the start of season 2020 and the club’s 150^th anniversary.

“What an incredible milestone for our great club formed way back in 1870,” he said.

“Port Adelaide has always been about looking forward. Our pursuit to play in the highest competition in the early 90s; driving football’s return to Adelaide Oval in 2014 and most recently, our exploration of international markets in China.

“In 2020, this forward vision that built a proud club in 1870 and was re-iterated in 1970 – continues.

“We will enter our 150^th season with one uniting logo for the Port Adelaide Football Club. For the first time since our entry into the AFL in 1997, Port Adelaide will have one logo that brings together our proud past and our bold future. It brings together our historic Magpies story in the SANFL and our Power journey in the AFL.”

The logo features a modified version of the PA logo which has featured on a range of street wear in recent years inside a crest.

At the bottom of the crest are the iconic black and white prison bars which have featured on the club’s guernsey for most of its existence.

The crest has a teal outline and V at the bottom as a nod to the club’s AFL guernsey.

The logo will be worn by both the Power in the AFL and the Magpies in the SANFL during 2020.

Koch told the crowd uniting the club’s two teams under one logo was critical in a year that carried so much significance.

“We could not authentically celebrate our 150 years in the AFL with the Power logo, and likewise we can’t do that by elevating the Magpies logo onto the national stage.

“Therefore, our 150^th anniversary presented an opportunity for a commemorative logo that elevates the story of Port Adelaide onto the national stage.

“We see this as a great opportunity to tell the real Port Adelaide story beyond South Australia. Think about 2014 and our return to Adelaide Oval. It was a spectacular opportunity to make the rest of Australia sit up and take notice of Port Adelaide.

“Our 150^th anniversary gives us another opportunity to tell our story more broadly. We are proud of our club and we want the world to know our story, our history and our legacy.

“That is the rationale behind this commemorative anniversary logo. It’s an image of strength and unity that is a statement of our club’s past, present and future.”

Re-iterating the significance of the anniversary, and pointing out some of the plans in the works to celebrate the milestone, Koch urged Port Adelaide’s people to share the experience.

“Our members and supporters are the foundation of this football club.,” the Chairman said.

“We share the pain of loss and celebrate the joy of victory together. Our people walk taller when we win; we walk taller when our people are proud. You have always driven us to succeed.

“At games, from Alberton to Adelaide Oval and even to Shanghai, the better we played, the louder you cheered.

“And the louder you cheered, the better we played. We have all felt it over many years.

“It’s without doubt a rich and proud history. But equally, we have a bold vision for the future and we will take each and every one of you on that journey with us.”