IT'S been almost five years since Port Adelaide’s AFL and SANFL arms were brought back together, so how do the club’s supporters view the SANFL competition?
We went inside the brains of the true believers in the BIG PORT SURVEY quizzing them on a range of topics, including the AFL and SANFL.
So, what do Port fans think about the Maggies, and the local comp?
Interest in the SANFL
Port Adelaide fans reported a 40% increase in their interest in the local competition since the start of 2014 when the club aligned its AFL and SANFL football programs.
However, half of fans – the majority – say there’s been no change in their interest in the competition.
Importantly, 84% of respondents said they followed Port Adelaide in the SANFL.
Of the remaining respondents, 10% of fans said they don’t follow the state league, while the remaining six percent were split among the other nine SANFL clubs.
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The clash effect
The single biggest deterrent for Port supporters getting to the SANFL occurs when there is a clash with the Power playing.
What the survey didn't enter into is whether that deterrent applies when there's a direct clash with games, such as matches being played on the same day, or whether it applies broadly to Power match weekends in Adelaide.
Port Adelaide played a sequence of four home games at the beginning of the 2015 SANFL season, which clashed with three match weekends at the Adelaide Oval.
Included within that was a double-up of a Friday ANZAC ‘eve’ fixture at the Oval against the Redlegs, followed by a night blockbuster against Hawthorn at the same venue 24 hours later.
Other deterrents included match days and times, and transport and distance to suburban venues.
Most supporters prefer Saturday afternoon, but are open to Friday night and late-start Saturday twilight games.
93% of fans want to see Port Adelaide remain in the SANFL long term.
