ONE-HUNDRED years ago, amidst an unbeaten sequence of 33 winning games in a row, Port Adelaide was slowly building into the unstoppable force of Australian football that it became known as across the nation, and it was at that time that Edna Schroeder was born.
Born in the city and growing up on a cattle farm in the country town of Laura, about 220 kilometres north of Adelaide, Edna would later return to the state’s capital where she joined Port Adelaide’s social committee.
There she worked hard over a 40-year period, eventually becoming a life member in 1984.
On Thursday she visited the club and spent the morning with former club captain Tim Ginever, chief executive Keith Thomas and current players Tom Jonas, Chad Wingard and Matt White.
Edna is the embodiment of true Port Adelaide passion, as one of the club’s oldest supporters, she’s still fighting fit and gets down to the Adelaide Oval to watch her club play.
“I came from the country, and came down here and joined the social management committee with Bob Seal,” Edna explains.
“He asked if I enjoyed being on the committee and I said ‘Yeah, I’d like to join.
“So I joined and from there I worked, and worked, and worked – for about 40 more years.”
The club’s social committee organised many events on the club calendar during its SANFL hey-day - dances, awards nights and presentations and day-to-day events like raffles, bingo and luncheons.
As Edna explains, it was a great time to be involved in the club.
“That was when we were premiers every year! After we’d go premiers we’d sing that song all night long, it was fun,” she laughed, recalling periods like the 1950s golden era when the club won six consecutive flags, right through to the early nineties when the club won seven in a decade.
The question of Edna’s favourite player is an easy one to answer.
“I like all of them, but I’ve only got one favourite – Wagnaneen – I admire him for the way he came back to help us. We needed that help. So that’s why I liked him,” she says.
“He doesn’t know I live, but if I see him, I’ll hit him with my stick to get his attention.”
A feisty woman, she was quick to ask Matt White – the Power’s first goal of the year winner last year – what he was going to achieve in 2015.
You can’t rest on your laurels as a Port Adelaide footballer, after all.
And for Chad Wingard, her response was equally spirited.
“That little one,” she remarked as Chad walked into the room.
“This little one gets into trouble all the time, once they see you they jump on you. It’s not fair.
“I’m not a young girl, so I can’t say I love him.”
(We think Chad jumps on ‘them’ as often as they jump on him).
Congratulations Edna, from everyone at your Port Adelaide family.
