Firstly, how good is it to go to the footy these days to watch the Power and the Magpies?
I’m just loving how both teams have embraced the idea of high risk, high reward football. It makes for exciting watching, and our game needs it now more than ever!
Well done boys, you deserve great credit for your progress thus far, long may it continue.
As I’m sure you are aware, it is an important time for the Club, and we’re adopting a similar approach off field as we are on the ground.
Decisions made over the next three months will shape our progress for the next decade, and we are determined to get them right.
1. Competitive Balance/Equalisation
The negotiations are all but done, and I think we will be pleased with the outcome. Port Adelaide will be a ‘recipient’ Club for the next two years, which means we will receive additional AFL funding to ensure that we are able to pay 100% of our Total Player Payment allowance and increase our non-player football spend. The evidence is overwhelming. Fans are demanding close, entertaining games, or they simply won’t go to the footy. We believe the Competitive Balance program is a step in the right direction to ensuring this occurs.
2. Adelaide Oval Review
Having spent the best part of four years negotiating the Adelaide Oval Financial model, it was agreed by all parties that a review was required in the first year of operation to check whether all of our assumptions were right. A lot has gone to plan, probably more than expected to be honest! But there is some tweaking to be done.
The good news is that Adelaide Oval is proving to be an excellent arena for AFL Football, and your support of the team at the ground has been phenomenal.
The review involves the AFL, SANFL, both AFL Clubs and commences July 1. After two months of operation, we now have a clear view of costs and revenue being generated. We expect this information to be shared freely amongst all stakeholders so that we can be sure that the model is delivering a fair and reasonable outcome for all parties. I will keep you posted.
3. Magpies
The Magpies are flying! Mid-season injuries are beginning to take their toll, but our start to the year has been superb. This early form has a couple of SANFL Clubs fearing that our new structure is too strong and perhaps unfair.
Our view is simple, Port Adelaide does not want an unfair advantage. But nor do we believe that the competition should be jumping too soon to change the format.
The effect of the loss of Port Adelaide’s juniors in 2015, as yet is unknown, but it will have a significant impact. So will additional injuries, as we are experiencing now.
Equally, the SANFL competition, as a result of the new format is arguably the most interesting it has been for years.
The Channel 7 presentation of the games is highly professional. Media coverage is up. The emergence of South Adelaide and Sturt as a force this year has been fantastic for the competition.
The showdown in Clare was a great event, as was ANZAC Day at Adelaide Oval with 10,000 people in attendance. I have been heartened by the cool heads at the SANFL, and the several Club Presidents I have spoken to who are keen to let the new format settle in before rushing to make changes. There is no doubt Port Adelaide has raised the bar this year, as Norwood have done in recent years and as Centrals did for a decade before them. But just as it did when Woodville and West Torrens merged to create a power Club in the 90’s, the competition will adjust and strengthen even further.
4. China
Whilst all this has been going on, we’ve been off putting our toe in the water in China. Not much to report yet, other than to say, our trip to Hong Kong was fruitful and we intend to invest some time and money into the South China region as part of our strategy to extend the reach of our Football Club. So far, we have been enthused by the reaction to our Hong Kong trip, and we are openly talking about our ambition to play a game over there in the not too distant future. Exciting stuff.
5. Darren Burgess/High Performance
I know you are as thrilled as we are that Darren and wife Kristy have decided to commit to Port Adelaide until at least the end of 2018. Their contribution to our Club has been well documented and Darren’s ability to continue to develop our young men physically and mentally is considered integral to our success over the next few years. Darren’s retention is just part of a larger commitment to keep our team together. We have assembled an outstanding group of people both on and off the field, all bonded by the values of hard work and respect for each other, the Club and the people it represents. Why wouldn’t we want to keep them together!
In my next letter I will also try to give you some more details around our partnership with UniSA. We are excited by the prospect of developing a cutting edge High Performance educational and research program utilising Darren’s expertise and the resources of UniSA. It is a unique concept with a lot of potential.
But first things first, we’ve got a Showdown to win and huge game against Sturt to contend with!
If you can’t get into Adelaide Oval this weekend, head down to The Port Club to have a meal and watch the game. We will be conducting our post match presentations there this week, and I guarantee you it will be loud!
And the Maggies will appreciate every bit of support we can give them at Unley Oval on Saturday. Good luck lads.
See you at the footy!
KT
