There’s been a fair bit of talk about Port Adelaide’s off-field plight this week following the news the SANFL has no more credit to underwrite them, meaning they require an AFL handout to keep them viable until they move to Adelaide Oval in 2014. It’s a situation which at some stage must make the AFL ask what value do Port Adelaide offer?
The reality is the past few seasons there’s regularly been talk of Port needing financial handouts, be it from the AFL, the SANFL or its own fans.
Yet, there’s no relief as the Power stand to lose a further $9m before they head to Adelaide Oval in 2014.
And if you’re thinking Port’s move to Adelaide Oval will be the panacea for all of the Power’s troubles, think again.
While the projected stadium revenue from the move should land Port an extra $3.5m per season, Power football operations chief Peter Rohde admitted: “Adelaide Oval allows us to claw back a bit, but not get to where we want to be.”
It’d provide some relief, but the club would still be well behind the rest.
Nevertheless, the AFL have made it clear they won’t revoke the club’s licence. The AFL wants 18 clubs for the new broadcast rights deal and they want two clubs in Adelaide. That makes sense.
So if they’re going to back Port Adelaide, then they’ve got to find a way to make them viable. This is the reason for speculation about backroom changes at Port this week.
There is a strong argument the club’s administration needs change.
If the AFL is steadfast on keeping the club, this is there only option. It’s believed this will be one of the AFL’s tough conditions as part of its handout package, be it personnel changes or operational changes.
But there’s also the view this is a club beyond repair. The club’s identity was ill-conceived in its founding days, with their appeal to traditional Port Magpies fans effectively disenchanting most South Australians not affiliated with the successful SANFL club, who others loved to hate.
The effect appears to have lasted ever since, culminating in the club having the worst average home attendances in the AFL for the past three seasons.
Of course, during that time the team has struggled on the field but this is a club who are supposed to have 300,000 fans in South Australia, yet manage only 16,000 fans on Saturday afternoon against the Fremantle Dockers. Perhaps the argument the Port Magpies supporters are used to success has some substance.
Whatever the case, it’s obvious there’s some major questions which need to be asked about Port Adelaide as an AFL club.
If it can’t make a profit to keep up with the rest, is it viable?
If the fans don’t turn up, is it relevant? Or is this a side simply making up the numbers?