Ah what a season we now have before us!
Congestion at the top of the table, and at least ten teams battling for a spot in the finals, sets up the perfect scenario for Port Adelaide.
Every game from here will have a material effect on our season.
For a team still learning to perform under extreme pressure week in, week out, these opportunities are pure gold.
I know our boys will embrace the challenge.
It was another incredible night last Saturday - a record Port v Essendon crowd of 46,786, and what about ‘Never Tear Us Apart’ before the first bounce?
This is us at our best: passionate and proud and, in my opinion, the best supporter moment in the AFL by a mile!
Which is why having to raise this next issue is so disappointing.
There was a disturbing incident of poor crowd behaviour on Saturday night.
Over the past few weeks, I have noticed that a small section of our crowd have been booing the opposition team, as they come off the ground.
I particularly noticed it against Hawthorn, in a game that we won. I remember thinking at the time that it was really poor sportsmanship to be abusing a side that had fought valiantly all night to narrowly lose an enthralling game. I didn’t mention it at the time, hoping it was a once-off.
On Saturday night, it was worse.
As the opposing team were leaving the ground, we had a very unsavoury incident where one or two of the Essendon players had a beer thrown at them as they were leaving.
In days gone by, we may have just shrugged our shoulders and ignored such poor behaviour, indeed the great Fitzroy/Collingwood full back Gary Pert once said, ‘if they are not booing you as you come off the ground, you haven’t done your job!’
Well, those days are gone.
AFL football is in the entertainment business.
We aim to present a game day experience that is fun for the whole family, no matter where you are from or who you support. Part of that experience is being able to barrack hard for your team, and Port Adelaide fans do that better than anyone else!
We never want to lose that.
But it doesn’t mean aggression, hostility, swearing, throwing beer at players and booing our opposition as they leave the ground.
I know the vast majority of you will be bitterly disappointed that we are having to address this issue.
Indeed, the Adelaide Oval Stadium Authority tell me that the Port Adelaide crowd have been thoroughly outstanding this year.
The problem lies with a very small minority of supporters, and it must stop.
So here is what we are going to do:
1. We have identified the person who threw the beer last week. She was not a member, but she will be refused entry to all remaining Port Adelaide games in 2014.
2. We will increase security in the area identified for future games, and we will act quickly and decisively to remove anyone behaving inappropriately. If the offender happens to be a member, their membership will be cancelled immediately.
3. We would ask that if you are not familiar with our code of conduct, that you look it up on our official website, our membership website or read it here. This code was developed and ratified by our Official Supporter Groups and is a set of values we all hold at the heart of our supporter culture.
4. We ask that if you see or hear anyone behaving poorly at the game, act quickly and inform Stadium staff on the hotline 0400 TELL US (1400 835 587).
I don’t want our reputation damaged by an undisciplined few.
Think of it this way, would you be happy for your 10 year old son, daughter, niece or nephew to be exposed to the behaviour you are experiencing…if the answer is no, then you are absolutely within your right to do something about it. Call the security staff.
We are all about putting the fun back into footy, everyone is welcome at our games.
More people than ever are travelling from interstate to come to our games. This is great for our Club, great for South Australia and great for the game.
So barrack hard, but do it the right way.
Let’s make Adelaide Oval the hardest place in the world for opposing teams to win. We want the noise and the atmosphere to be electric and our opponents to feel like its 22 against fifty thousand. That’s our competitive edge.
But as my Dad always said to me, when the game is over… win, lose or draw, we shake hands and say well played.
We don’t need that other rubbish, that’s not what we’re about.
Let’s work together to stamp it out.
Richmond at Etihad Stadium is the next challenge and then we look forward to seeing you back at Adelaide Oval for a Sunday afternoon clash against Melbourne.
And make sure you bring those ‘Never Tear Us Apart’ scarves, ready to sing it out loud and proud!
Cheers everyone,
KT
