Dear members and supporters,
It's been a tough week, for all of us!
As supporters we cop it from our work mates and opposition supporters, where all those confident barbs delivered in better weeks come back to hurt us!
But when all is said and done, they're just words with a bit of pride at risk!
It's not quite the same for the players, coaches and club leaders; brutal internal and external examination always follows such a poor performance.
It's not pleasant, but we are up for it.
The next opportunity to put a bad week right, can't come soon enough!
So to Saturday night.
We host Geelong under lights in a nationally-televised game for Anzac Day Round.
It doesn’t get much bigger, or significant, for our club.
We’ve had over 120 of our players and officials serve in conflict abroad; we know 13 never returned.
Some of those players were decorated for their service – Military Medallists like Bob Quinn and Roy Drummond.
But Anzac Day Round isn’t about just our club. Geelong have their own list of servicemen, and plenty of footballers from across Australia have served our country – many paid the supreme sacrifice.
We will recognise Major Peter Badcoe VC – South Australia’s most recent Victoria Cross recipient – who paid the supreme sacrifice after three acts of incredible valour in the Vietnam War.
It’s in his honour that we present a medal to the player who best displays the Anzac Spirit on Saturday night – qualities of skill, courage in adversity, self-sacrifice, teamwork and fair play.
We often liken football and sport to war. We openly call our opponents our enemies and the field on which we play the ‘battleground.’
These are throwaway lines in comparison to the reality of war, and its magnitude – many of us have no idea what the theatre of battle must be like.
Instead, it’s through hearing the stories retold around Anzac Day that we remember not to celebrate war, but to solemnly remember the service and sacrifice on all sides – men and women like Major Badcoe VC.
On Saturday, Port Adelaide and Geelong supporters will stand together in a minute’s silence to remember our nation’s fallen, our two clubs will then play a game of football that will no doubt be spectacular, and played in that fair, courageous, skilful, selfless and courageous spirit in tribute to those who served.
Port Adelaide takes great pride in the opportunity to host games in Anzac Day Round, and this year will be no different.
I look forward to seeing you at the footy, and standing with all our people in the stands when we come together to remember our servicemen and women and watch a great game of footy.
KT
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