A new Showdown Shield has been launched to celebrate the rivalry between Port Adelaide and the Crows and the partnership between both clubs and Variety - the children’s charity.
Variety has further strengthened its commitment to supporting children in need in the South Australian community by re-signing partnership agreements with the Port Adelaide and Adelaide Football Clubs for another three years.
This innovative community-driven partnership was originally announced in 2018 as the very first charity-driven partnership between the clubs, centring around the bi-annual Showdown matches and with naming rights to the ‘Variety Showdown Shield’.
The partnership allows Port Adelaide’s Community Youth Program to visit a host of additional schools to share messages around healthy lifestyles and encouraging children and young people to get excited about and pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
To celebrate the new partnership, a new shield was designed and unveiled at a press conference with the captains of both clubs Tom Jonas and Rory Sloane.
“The Showdown Shield shows Variety’s values to the community of joy, action, equality and community,” explained the chair of Variety SA, Brenton Ramsey on Tuesday afternoon.
“It shows the iconic image of the Bond brothers – Shane and Troy – which even in the heat of battle epitomises our values.
“It’s a new contemporary design which represents the new partnership between Variety and the two football clubs.”
Mr Ramsey was particularly proud of how Variety’s latest $300,000 investment was a true community partnership that would have a lasting and profound impact on children in need across South Australia.
“In these years of COVID disruption, this is something everyone in South Australia should be proud of,” he said.
“This is a message that is bigger than football and we are proud of the two football clubs for committing to this initiative.”
Port Adelaide skipper Tom Jonas was hopeful of being the first to lift the trophy after Saturday night’s Showdown XLIX.
He said he loved the new, contemporary design.
“I think it has a great sense of community and talks to what the game is about,” Jonas said. “It’s more than just beating each other up.
“At the end of the day, it’s about connection and mateship and bringing everyone together.”
It was a sentiment echoed by Sloane, who was also fond of the new look trophy.
“Variety’s support has been incredible for both teams and for the South Australian community and kids for so long,” he said.
“What an incredible job they’ve done with the shield but an even more incredible job they’ve done to continue to support us.”
