HERITAGE MAKES A STRONGER GAME 1870-2020 2 C O N T E N T S WHAT OUR FANS ARE ASKING FOR SHOWDOWNS PROGRESS THE GAME HERITAGE MAKES A STRONGER GAME WHY NOW? THE WORLD HAS CHANGED STRONGER CLUBS A STRONGER GAME APPENDICES PORT ADELAIDE BACK STORY AFL ENTRY & THE GREAT DIVIDE PRISON BAR GUERNSEY WHAT WE ARE ASKING FOR - SHOWDOWNS 1870-2020 4 SHOWDOWNS PRISON BARS GuERNSEy IN SHOWDOWNS THE PRISON BARS GUERNSEY has elevated significance for Port Adelaide and the game. It is a guernsey of significant heritage in Australian football, being worn since 1902. The prison bars guernsey is the most significant icon of Port Adelaide Football Club. Research shows that when football people think of Port Adelaide, the first thing they see is the prison bars guernsey. It is a symbol of heritage and connection. Heritage makes our game stronger, connecting our fans and stakeholders uniquely to their clubs. 2020 has reinforced this like never before - this connection drives our game. Anything we can do to strengthen this bond can only build stronger clubs and a healthier game. The prison bars guernsey is the most important icon of Port Adelaide, our people’s guernsey It is a symbol of heritage and connection It has an elevated significance for Port Adelaide and for the game. A guernsey is about identity, meaning and purpose. It’s not just what we wear. It’s about who we are and where we have come from. AFL PURPOSE “...Progress the game so everyone can share in its heritage and possibilities...” 1870-2020 5 Has its origins long before 1997. A rivalry like no other. Born out of the prison bars in 1990. It is the heritage game of SA football. The Showdown is the centrepiece of SA football, bringing to the AFL rivalry more than a century of SANFL history. The traditional Port Adelaide “prison bars” guernsey connects the game’s heritage to current and future generations of fans. IN THE LATE 80s, AFTER DECADES of success, the writing was on the wall for the future of football in South Australia. Port Adelaide drove the agenda that led to the formation of the Adelaide Crows in 1991 and ultimately Port Adelaide’s entry into the AFL in 1997. It was a bitter feud, with court injunctions. The SANFL was against change. Port Adelaide wanted to crash through and drive progress. Port Adelaide didn’t win the battle in 1990 but the feud reinforced the ‘us against the rest’ cultural divide and ultimately the rules. Port Adelaide and the prison bars guernsey was the lightning rod for the greatest upheaval in the history of South Australian football. It continues to stir the emotions of football fans across the State to this day. The modern rivalry was born out of the prison bars in 1990. THE SHOWDOWN 150 yEARS IN THE MAKING SHOWDOWNS “If I was left to choose sides between Port Adelaide or the Soviet Union, I would join the communists from Russia every time.” — West Adelaide coach, captain and general manager Doug Thomas in the 1960s on how Port Adelaide stood apart from the rest of SA football. PROGRESS THE GAME - HERITAGE MATTERS 1870-2020 7 PROGRESS THE GAME IT’S GLOBAL - SPORTS FANS around the world have passion and a special connection with their team. SPORT HAS A SPECIAL POWER Sports leagues are only as strong as the collective passion the fans have for their teams. We have to continually nurture and grow this relationship. Anything we do to elevate the connection fans have with their club, can only strengthen the game. IT’S GENERATIONAL The powerful connection of past present and future drives generational growth. It goes well beyond team performance and becomes deeply personal for people, families and stakeholders. Fans, and the passion they have for their team, drive the sports industry. WHy HERITAGE MATTERS TO FANS EVERyWHERE Progress the game so everyone can share in its heritage and possibilities. Heritage makes our game stronger. Heritage adds meaning and connection It’s generational and powerful. Fans don’t support leagues, they support clubs. Anything we can do to strengthen fans’ connection to their clubs - we should do. WHy NOW? THE WORLD HAS CHANGED 1870-2020 9 2020 HAS REDEFINED WHAT IS most important for sports teams all around the world. OUR FANS Empty stadiums with no fans is threatening sports competitions all around the world. COVID – A TIMELY REMINDER Clubs and competitions are reminded they are nothing without the fans. The connection between fans and our game is through the clubs. More connected and engaged fans leads to stronger clubs, and ultimately a stronger competition. To grow and progress the game, we need to continually strengthen the connection between fans and their clubs. 2020 GLOBAL PANDEMIC THE GAME IS NOTHING WITHOuT FANS T H E W O R L D H A S C H A N G E D 2020 has threatened our game. AFL fans and members are deeply connected to their clubs. Stronger clubs is a stronger game. To progress the game, we need to build on fans’ unique connection to our clubs. COVID has given us permission to try new things and to determine what will strengthen the game moving forward. STRONGER CLuBS - A STRONGER GAME 1870-2020 ‘49ERS LAKERS 11 LEADING SPORTS TEAMS continually invest in who they are, where they have come from and where they are going. NO HISTORY NO FUTURE Authentic history and heritage is a significant brand strength that should be utilised. Teams with authentic heritage have a powerful advantage – the connection with their fans and stakeholders goes beyond the team and its on-field performance and becomes deeply personal. It drives connection and meaning. Heritage builds passion and connection between fans and their clubs. THE STRONGEST TEAMS INVEST IN THEIR HERITAGE Leading sports teams continually invest in their heritage. This connection drives generational growth. When you have authentic history and heritage, it can be a significant advantage. It is deeply personal. It’s about passion and connection. JuVENTuS MAN u LIVERPOOL yANKEES PROGRESS THE GAME 1870-2020 12 THE STRONGER THE connection that fans have with their clubs, the stronger our game will be. This isn’t about Port Adelaide or our guernsey. It’s about the passion and connection that all fans have with their club. The competitive and unique advantage that sporting clubs STRONGER CLuBS A STRONGER GAME Aim for their hearts , not their heads. This isn’t about Port Adelaide or a guernsey - it is about the passion and connection all fans have for their club. The power of this drives our game. For Port Adelaide, this is the prison bars guernsey. A S T R O N G E R G A M E have is the emotional connection with our people. We aim for their hearts, not their heads. The power of this relationship is the very thing that drives our game. For Port Adelaide, this is the prison bars guernsey. 1870-2020 13 THE GuERNSEy IDENTITy, MEANING AND PuRPOSE A S T R O N G E R G A M E A guernsey is not just what you wear. It defines who you are and where you’ve come from. The guernsey, the shirt, the uniform, the strip - is the symbol that connects fans to their team. Essendon - the red sash Richmond - yellow and black Carlton - the crest Collingwood - black and white stripes Port Adelaide - prison bars “Who would have thought grown men would care about what other men are wearing? But that passion is to be ignored at our peril.” Gillon McLachlan, CEO, AFL September 2014, Port Adelaide vs Richmond, Elimination Final 1870-2020 14 Wearing the traditional black and white prison bars guernsey regularly in the AFL makes our game better. The Showdown is the ‘heritage round’ of South Australian football – this adds to that rivalry and tradition. We need to do whatever we can to strengthen the bond our fans have with their clubs. There are significant cultural and commercial reasons this is good for the game. Don’t look back ... look forward at how we can strengthen our game. A S T R O N G E R G A M E APPENDIX 1870-2020 16 A P P E N D I C E S PORT ADELAIDE BACK STORY AFL ENTRY & THE GREAT DIVIDE PRISON BARS GUERNSEY 1870-2020 1870-2020 17 PORT ADELAIDE ONE OF AuSTRALIA’S GREAT FOOTBALL CLuBS P O R T A D E L A I D E B A C K S T O R Y Many current AFL clubs incorporated before European and North American super clubs. Port Adelaide, established in 1870, is the fifth-oldest club in the AFL It is older than Collingwood, Essendon and Richmond. PAFC 1870 LIVERPOOL 1892 JUVENTUS 1897 YANKEES 1901 BARCELONA 1900 REAL MADRID 1904 GEELONG 1859 ESSENDON 1872 RICHMOND 1885 CARLTON 1864 PACKERS 1926 1870-2020 18 SINCE 1870 THE MOST SuCCESSFuL LEAGuE FOOTBALL CLuB IN THE COuNTRy P O R T A D E L A I D E B A C K S T O R Y Oakley told The Advertiser that the tainting of Port Adelaide in 1990 – the club was labelled as treacherous – worked to the AFL agenda of having a second AFL team in Adelaide in stark contrast to the Adelaide Crows. “In the end we knew the SANFL could not do without Port Adelaide after 1990”, Oakley said. “And when there are issues such as these someone always gets tainted. But it gave us a supporter base for a second AFL team in Adelaide without damaging the Crows.” Ross Oakley, Former CEO, AFL PORT ADELAIDE IS THE ONLY authentic community football club to enter the AFL from outside of Victoria, in its own right. Built on an authentic football community - one that AFL boss Ross Oakley in 1994 saw as ready- made for the national league. But the version of Port Adelaide that eventually joined the AFL in 1997 was vastly different to the club that the AFL was compelled to elevate to the national competition in 1994. Established 1870. Most successful league football club in the country. 4 Champions of Australia. 36 SANFL premierships. 1 AFL Premiership. 79 Grand Finals in 150 years. 1870-2020 19 AFL ENTRy AND THE GREAT DIVIDE A F L E N T R Y & T H E G R E AT D I V I D E The version of Port Adelaide that eventually joined the AFL in 1997 was vastly different to the club that the AFL was compelled to elevate to the national competition in 1994: • SANFL condition was to split Port Adelaide • As completely separate AFL and SANFL clubs Immediately, the biggest supporter base in South Australia was split and a club was divided. Early AFL success, and the SANFL club continuing to win premierships masked the divide and the inevitable commercial decline of the AFL club. THE SANFL OWNED THE AFL Licenses in South Australia. After the great war of 1990 which led to the establishment of the Adelaide Crows, the bid process for the second AFL licence in SA was a heated battle. The SANFL’s initial recommendation to the AFL was for a second composite team – the AFL rejected the SANFL proposal, indicating the only solution was Port Adelaide. Port Adelaide’s bid model was to leave the SANFL altogether and move to the AFL. The SANFL knew its competition could not do with losing a foundation club, in particular the most successful club. In awarding the second AFL licence, the SANFL added the condition that Port Adelaide retain its presence in the State league. BUT - as completely separate clubs who could have no connection to each other. 1870-2020 2010 ONE CLUB 04 FLAG LADDER MEMBERS 1997 2020 20 SuCCESS IN 2004 DIDN’T HELP uS GROW A uNIFIED CLuB DID A F L E N T R Y & T H E G R E AT D I V I D E Early on-field success masked the inevitable commercial decline. 2002 to 2007 – top 4 AFL team. Membership went backwards – 39k to 29k. Driven by erratic brand and drive to broaden appeal. 2010 – One club, reunite Port Adelaide. 1997-2009 IN PORT ADELAIDE’S SIxTH YEAR in the AFL they played finals. From 2002 to 2007 Port Adelaide were a top 4 team in the AFL, playing in two grand finals, and winning one premiership (2004). BUT During this period, membership went backwards. The commercial decline of Port Adelaide set in through this period, driven by its erratic brand behaviour (name, brand, guernseys) and an obsession to broaden its appeal to drive growth. The club turned away from the very things that had propelled it into the AFL to begin with – heartland and heritage. By 2009 the club’s membership had dropped to 29K. In 1997 when the club entered the AFL, membership was 39K. 2010 - ONE CLUB MERGER After a decade of confusion on which Port Adelaide - AFL or SANFL? - was custodians of the club’s heritage since 1870, the only solution was to put the Port Adelaide Football Club – and its community – back together. Only in 2010 could we truly say “We are Port Adelaide Football Club”, without people asking “which one?”