Dear Members and Supporters,
It is with mixed emotions that I write to you this week.
On the one hand, and I am sure that this feeling is shared by all Port Adelaide supporters, our on field performances continue to frustrate.
Our patchy, inconsistent form throughout most games this year has been very disappointing and the team remains focussed on finding solutions.
Our performance as a Club, off field, is a different matter completely.
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The Port Adelaide community has rallied behind the team all year, with record high membership and corporate support. Home game support has also been outstanding with our average attendances this year on target to smash all previous records. But it is not only the number of people who attend each Port Adelaide game that is so impressive, but also the atmosphere created. It is electric.
Never has this been more evident, than it has been over the past two games against Collingwood and Adelaide.
Against Collingwood, I believe we found exactly the right tone. Despite an epic on field battle our supporters were able to quickly return to the respectful overture of the evening where our key priority was to honour the life of Phil Walsh. That moment, where as one, we stood and quietly shone a light on his life will be forever etched in my mind as one of our finest.
Then again on Sunday, in the face of our most fierce rivalry, the Port Adelaide community again embraced the moment absolutely appropriately. As awkward and unnatural as it surely was, our supporter group welcomed Crows supporters to March with us as one. Our teams shared a banner for the first time. We honoured Phil and his time at both Clubs in a special rendition of Never Tear Us Apart.
Our captain shared his Guernsey with his counterpart, as our Chairmen stood together to support the bravest person in the stadium that day. And then when the moment came to celebrate Phil’s life and contribution to the game with a minute’s applause, the Port Adelaide community stood shoulder to shoulder with the rest of the football world to give Phil a rousing final salute. These moments are important and they endure. Our Club can feel very proud of the way we have represented ourselves over the past two weeks.
It is with these two momentous events in mind, that I reflect on some of the commentary that has surrounded the issue of Club rivalry and supporter behaviour at last week’s game.
Importantly, the Adelaide Football Club have been exceptionally complimentary of our Club's support of them, as we have openly applauded their handling of these very difficult circumstances.
But it was a former Adelaide media personality's decision to identify a single, non- consequential moment in the emotional post match period to label a section of the Port Adelaide crowd as a disgrace that was, in my opinion, exactly what is wrong with our general overall approach to these issues.
With so many overwhelmingly positive opportunities to highlight everything that is good about our game and our supporters, why spend time rubbishing them? I know that commentary was upsetting to the Port Adelaide faithful. It was unjust, not representative of the sentiment of the night and simply playing in to the hands of those who wish to categorise our Club in a stereotypical and derogatory manner.
It is this type of reporting that flames the animosity that Rob Chapman and David Koch spoke so passionately about leaving behind, because it invariably sparks an equally distasteful response from those who are that way inclined. As a result, everyone gets drawn in as the insults fly.
We all know that all Clubs have supporters who let themselves down at times. All Clubs.
But name calling won’t fix that. Rewarding and highlighting the outstanding behaviour of the vast majority is far more powerful and likely to succeed.
So Port Adelaide, stand proud…in front of the entire AFL community we showed great respect to a friend and enhanced our reputation as a football Club of compassion and substance.
Thank you and well done.
KT
