Opinion - Where did Port Adelaide go wrong?

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Opinion - Where did Port Adelaide go wrong?

Authored by: Brett Northey
on Sunday, June 05 2011 @ 10:02 pm ACST

Ah, but that's exactly it! Because Port has the traditional dislike from all the other clubs in SA they are generally disliked more than Victorian clubs, even Collingwood. I think that is slowly changing, but it shows why it's hard for them to find new supporters.

I know people who used to watch Port on TV as fervently at Adelaide, just hoping to see them lose. When Port won their AFL flag we were all told that we should support SA first, regardless of club - I don't think that idea got much traction. Similarly whenever Adelaide lose a final it's the Port people who flood forums with cheers and caling for the coach to be sacked.

I guess in WA both teams were new so there isn't the traditional rivalry other than what has built up since, although from all reports it's pretty fierce now.

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Brett Northey - Co-founder and Chief Editor of WFN

Opinion - Where did Port Adelaide go wrong?

Authored by: Cam Homes
on Monday, June 06 2011 @ 05:40 pm ACST

Tinka and Brett you have now got down to the nitty gritty in this debate. It is not where have Port Adelaide gone wrong, it is where the AFL and SANFL got it wrong in the first place. There was a consortium of clubs (that included North Adelaide and Central District(can't recall who else)) as well as Port Adelaide vieing to be the 2nd SA team, and the AFL and SANFL got persuaded by the loudest AND most rabid and aggressive, in their face(AFL's face that is) maniacal supporter base on the planet(other than Collingwood maybe) to go with Port. The pro Port lobby screamed about their huge supporter base over 30000 at the time they claimed and how anti the Crows they were.

I recall going to a few Crows Games (pre Port Power) and seeing hunderds of those maniacal Port Adelaide supporters barracking for any other team, VIctorian ones included, with as much venom as if they were barracking for Port Adelaide and against the Crows with as much venom and hatred they would usually reserve for Norwood or Glenelg so long as it wasn't the Crows. The hatred against the Crows ran and still runs very deep.

By not choosing the consortium the situation that now faces Port Power and the AFL has come about as you correctly point out in your piece Brett regarding the Core and Bandwagon( many of these had been on the band wagon for a long time tho)( they are the sort of supporters that would have barracked for the USA when they invaded Grenada back whenever that happened:-) )supporters.

There were many South Aussies who did not become Crows supporters initially(didn't like the Glenelg connection, barracked for although not rabid for Victorian teams as well as SANFL teams and for other reasons I guess). I would probably have barracked for the consortium and I believe many of the supporters of the consortiom teams would have switched from the Crows if it had got up. Few if any have switched from the Crows to Port Power for all the reasons you mentioned Brett.

I believe that eventually those Port supporters(Crows hatred too powerful) would have come across to the Consortium as well.

2014 and a move to Adelaide Oval is not going to bring in any more new supporters for Port Adelaide. They will only win NEW supporters when hundreds of thousands of my and your era, Brett, football followers are long dead and pushing up the daisies.

They might get some new supporters if they were to rename themselves Adelaide Plains( or somesuch monica that severes any connection to Port Adelaide) and truly became a team for all South Australians like the Crows and like Fremantle is for all Sandgropers as is West Coast.

I actually predicted this situation would arise when Port first got the licence, it just took a little longer than I thought, Port manged to win that premiership( against a decaying Brisbane) delayed the inevitable.

---
Brett Northey - Co-founder and Chief Editor of WFN

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