It might be on the other side of the world, but the language and culture of Australian Football has shone through in Shanghai.

Port Adelaide received this 'open letter' from a Shanghai-based family whose children participated in the Power's recent promotional tour. 

The historic first AFL game for premiership points between Port and Gold Coast will be played on May 14 next year.

We really appreciated it!

An open letter from Shanghai

Dear Mr. Thomas and the team at Port Adelaide,

I wanted to say a big thank you for the wonderful treatment that Port Adelaide gave my family when you came to Shanghai and trained at Century Park. The wonderful feeling of family, friendship and fun has made little two-year-old Tintin and the rest of us Port fans for life. I hope you will permit me to extend my wishes to your team.

To Andrew Hunter and Promise, thank you for bringing us into the Power clan. I can imagine how crazy busy you were during those days in Shanghai – yet you consistently checked in on us to make sure Tintin could see the big video screen, or had a bite to eat or had a football in his hand.

To Coach Hinkley who gave Tintin a big bear hug and a playful shoulder jab, your leadership is evident not only with big Port boys but also little Port toddlers.  Tintin was very excited by “the big old man” and has learned your shoulder jab move (much to the concern of his kindergarten teacher). “Old” is of course relative – he is two after all.

To Daniel in charge of media, thank you for the twitter feature, the photo-ops and making Tintin feel like a star. Anytime you need him to pose for Sarah Reed from The Advertiser or need a little guy to cheer for the camera, let us know and we’ll be there.

To Number 16 “Kick High High” Ollie Wines. Thank you for taking the time to give Tintin some one-on-one kicking practice. Seeing you launch torpedoes into the clouds had Tintin running circles in joy. He has been trying to replicate your kicks and has succeeded multiple times in drilling himself in the face. Baby steps.

To Gavin Wanganeen and Peter – Gavin I have loved watching you play from back in the Essendon days and cheered loud for your 1993 Brownlow. Getting to meet you in person made me wet my pants a little.
Thank you for sharing conversation with a long-time fan. And to Peter, thank you for being so friendly to myself and little Tintin. He calls you “Bearder Guy” because your beard is bigger than daddy’s beard.
I’ll work on mine and we can have a beard-off next time we meet.

One of the most touching moments was when Ollie, Travis Boak, Brad Ebert, Robbie Gray, Paddy Ryder and Chad Wingard were walking off the field with Tintin watching and waving his little Port flag. Each one of you shouted out Tintin’s name and gave him a head ruffle, or phantom hand-ball, or mighty cheer. He might only be two, but he knows his name. Titans from Mt. Olympus had come to Earth to personally greet him. He beamed with so much pride and happiness and didn’t want to leave the field. It was perhaps a simple gesture on your part, but it made a huge part to our day.

A special thank you to Shane, the club’s finance guru. At one point, a lady from the football ground demanded Tintin get off the grass and go into the tent because “we were not authorised players”.


The lady was very agitated and started shouting at us, which achieved her goal since Tintin started crying and we had to leave. Shane rushed over to speak with the lady and apologise to us for what happened (he had zero to apologise for). We still had to take Tintin away, but the event became

We still had to take Tintin away, but the event became a positive.  We were Port fans for life before, we are Port fans till beyond the grave now. 

The day after Port left, Tintin insisted on putting on his Power clothes, picking up his Power ball and going back to Century Park.

When he saw the tent had been taken down and Port had gone, the crestfallen look on his face was hard to take. He started bawling, “no people, no people, no Power, no football”.

We explained that Power will be back soon. Next year, we will go to a stadium with lots of people. At the stadium, there will be Uncle Keith,  Tall Uncle Andrew and sweet Aunty Promise,  Old Man Hinkley, Kick High High Ollie, Daniel and Shane.  And we will thump the Gold Coast Suns by 14 goals (calling it now).

Port is a professional football team and on-field performance is important. Port is a business and the financials are important. But to us, the most important thing is that Port has become a family of wonderful people – men and women, young and younger – who treat each other with warmth, friendship and respect.

Thank you so much – GO PORT!

Andrew, Vivian, Adelaide and Tintin

P.S. We’re going to be in Shanghai when you come in May next year. If there’s anything we can do to help in advance of the team and the millions of fans coming, let us know!