ONCE renowned for his ponytail and bustling ruckwork, former Port Adelaide big man Darryl Poole is now making a name for himself with photography and community mindedness.
Poole played 110 games for the club including 24 in the AFL between 1991 and 2003.
As well as being part of the 1999 SANFL premiership team and winning the Jack Oatey Medal as best on ground, Poole captained the club at SANFL level from 2000 to 2003.
But away from the footy field, another passion was developing.
“I have always loved photography,” Poole told portadelaidefc.com.au.
“Even when we’d go on end of season footy trips, I always had a camera with me and as I got older, I realised there was an opportunity to tell stories and make a difference in the community – especially our community – with the power of images and video.
“It’s really something I’ve got a passion for and I hope I do make a difference with it.”
He began taking images around Port Adelaide and sharing them on his social media accounts a few years ago.
The hobby became more serious when someone suggested he hold an exhibition.
“My plan was to give 80 per-cent of all money raised from the event back to the community for local grassroots initiatives so they could do more in their space,” Poole explained.
“The night was packed out, I sold thousands of dollars of prints on the night and that money was donated to all these different organisations.
“I realised this was something I could do which could help so many people.”
With a big following on social media, Poole’s it’s Port Adelaide brand has become synonymous with the characters and places he photographs around the Port.
And now he has his first gallery, set up in the new Port Adelaide Plaza, where people can have a closer look.
As with all of his work, the community is both the hero and beneficiary.
“The Port Adelaide Plaza approached me to get involved and I though it was a great opportunity to keep pushing the brand ‘it’s Port Adelaide’ out to more people,” he said.
“The response from people online and those who I have seen when I’m in there has been fantastic.
“In time those photos will be gifted to people in the community and I’ll replace them with a whole heap of new images to keep the gallery space fresh and keep people coming back.
“I’m really grateful to the Plaza for the opportunity.”
The Gallery is part of the Plaza’s $50 million redevelopment and can be found next to the SportsPower store.
Poole still bleeds black, white and a bit of silver and teal, and he definitely has his heart in the Port.
“You don’t need to live within the Port Adelaide area to be a Port Adelaide person,” he explained.
“You can be anywhere in the world but if you’re Port Adelaide, you’re Port Adelaide.”
To check out the it’s Port Adelaide gallery, head along to Port Adelaide Plaza or visit the website, it’s Port Adelaide Facebook page, or Instagram.
