THE Port Adelaide Football Club will lead a tribute to the life of John McCarthy at the club’s first home game of the 2013 AFL season on Saturday night.

Port Adelaide meets the Greater Western Sydney GIANTS from 7.10pm at AAMI Stadium, in a match nominated as a tribute to John.

“It is our first game at home since John’s passing at the end of last season and it is the appropriate occasion to give the entire Port Adelaide Football Club community an opportunity to pay their respects,” Port Adelaide CEO Keith Thomas said.

“We have worked with J-Mac’s family and loved ones together with his team-mates and others in our football department to create what we know will be a fitting tribute to John and importantly a celebration of his life.

“I especially acknowledge John’s family for the strength and support they have shown in helping us to prepare for this tribute.”

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Key events of the night are:

• A video on the AAMI Stadium screens, featuring tributes from John’s team-mates
• A specially-made banner to be unfurled over a section of the crowd
• Port Adelaide players to run through a banner acknowledging John, created by the Port Adelaide Football Club Cheer Squad
• GWS cheer squad banner to acknowledge John
• Port Adelaide and GWS players to wear black arm bands during the match
• Port Adelaide and GWS players and officials and the crowd to participate in a minute’s silence immediately before of the game

“We have already had several important opportunities to pay our respects to John, including his funeral in Victoria and the memorial service at Alberton Oval,” Mr Thomas said.

“But on Saturday night, we get to join together as an entire Port Adelaide Football Club in the company of John’s loved ones and others in the football community, to remember a great friend who made an enormous impact during his time with us.

“It will be an emotional evening, but it’s really about remembering all that we loved and admired about John both on and off the field.”

The Port Adelaide Football Club acknowledges the support it has from the Greater Western Sydney GIANTS players and staff through their role in the tribute match.

John died in September 2012 during an end of season trip to the United States with several team-mates.

The 22-year-old played 21 games with Port Adelaide in 2012, adding to the 18 he played with Collingwood Football Club before being recruited to Alberton at the end of 2011.

Saturday’s game is part of a program of tributes to John, also including:

• The number 35 guernsey worn by John retired for 2013
• The number 35 locker used by John retired for 2013
• The number 35 guernsey and locker will be assigned in 2014 to a player deemed by the club and its players to represent John’s values and attributes
• An award in John McCarthy’s name will be introduced at the 2013 Port Adelaide Best and Fairest presentation, in honour of a player’s off-field contribution
• John’s name to be linked to a cause and charity which will benefit from funds raised at Port Adelaide’s Round 14 (4.10pm Saturday 29 June at AAMI Stadium) clash against Collingwood, with whom he played for four seasons before joining the Power