SA Footy

There has been some rumours around the grounds that there may be moves afoot to dissolve the Port Adelaide Magpies Football Club. My mail is that the AFL parent believes the Magpies cannot continue in their own right, that they are draining both clubs of vital resources and that it may be better to wind them up, remove them from the SANFL and absorb them 100%, heritage and all into the AFL parent.

My immediate response to this was, NO WAY THE SANFL WOULD ALLOW THAT, but I'm being told that the league is re-thinking what it used to think was unthinkable. Maybe the league should move to a new stadium in the city, maybe the league should be 8 teams, maybe the Magpies can go and everything can be overhauled. But is this really the case? Has anyone else got any news on this type of thinking?

I'd be disappointed to see the Magpies leave. They've been an also-ran premiership-wise for nigh on 10 years now and even though they've made the finals half the time this decade, it does seem as the Magpies are now just one of the boys rather than the leading power. That said, its still a highlight for me each year to see Sturt play Port.

... and better yet, we win nowadays!

Anyway, I open the floor, what do people know?

What do people feel?

IMO it would be highly unlikely that the SANFL make such a move, in fact, it would be ridiculous to do so when :

South is a rabble on and off field and could easily merge with the Bays...

I could go on but am wasting my time. It wont happen.

I hope Port Magpies continue to go on wasting your time. They are one of the few teams the Redlegs can beat these days heh heh.

regards,

REB

how about we merge the eagles with the magpies

South and the Bays. You're all big pussy cats in the long run...

eagles and port - you're basically both playing like seagulls and scrounging for wins!!!!!

Na, na, na...

Somehow you got it wrong,

csbowes,

You overheard,

disolve these Berocca in a glass of water and it will help to get rid of your hangover,

Timmy...

mighty_tiger_79 wrote:eagles and port - you're basically both playing like seagulls and scrounging for wins!!!!!

Spelly will help me here:

Eagles flags since Bays last--

Eagles flags since Souths last--

Port flags since Bays last--

Port flags since Souths last--

Should make for compelling reading...

My gut reaction should be no way never ever ever.

3 years ago this would have been my reaction

To be honest now I get there and go yep it is the perfect way to get back to 8 teams.

Geographically it would be good to move the eagles to alberton so that West adelaide can have a bigger suburban home but that wont happen.

Maybe I feel this way because I am sick of seeing good juniors go throught Ports system only to not be developed into senior players and as a result I see the future being very bleak even though the juniors are doing well.

I still suspect this thread is a fishing expedition but it didn't get the bite it expected.

Maybe because I am finding a greater affiliation with South Adelaide these days and want to see that take off even though I technically live in the Glenelg zone.

I hope not. I still get the most enjoyment when the Tigers beat the Port compared to any other team even though they are no longer a power side of the competition ....... well at the moment

Yet another silly post from Booney, "South rabble off the field" far from it. Doing it tough this year on the field, yes, but as expected given the club rebuild from the ground up in terms of local player development which will take time. However good rumour about Port but as usual, all rubbish.

It is an interesting point.

Take the emotion out of it and it makes a good business proposition.
Would ALL PAFC Magpies supporters truck across to the POWER?
Having supported Collingwood in the past, I would like to see the POWER be given it's PRISON BAR jumper for all BUT Collingwood games. That would surely set PAFC POWER as the real Port Adelaide - no identity crisis any more?
Eight teams in SANFL - better zone distribution?

It would be as big of an emotional issue to "disband" the Magpies as it was when they first mooted to enter the AFL way back when - but we all lived and got on with our lives - so why wouldn't it work?

But - emotion - that what makes the game!

It won't happen.

We could never be so lucky

First of all Port Magpies should sue Port Power for putting 1870 on thier guernseys
Win the court case for defamation of character
Use the $$$ to buy a few VFL footballers and ...


From a non PA Magpie barracker
When footy was fair and square from 1870-1997 they were the best
They will have thier time at the top again, but not as often

Perhaps you've been reading the Port forum on BF? There's a lot of people there calling for the Magpies to be wound up and are quite disparaging in their description of the club.

This is a transcript of a column I wrote for Sportsbeat about six weeks back. There were some minor changes in the published product, but may be worth throwing out there for debate on this topic:

WHERE, WHERE THE BLACK AND THE WHITE?

The Port football brand polarises football followers in South Australia like no other. As a young fan, you either love them or hate them. There is no middle ground for many, who believe they have plenty of good reason. Whether it be copping grand final humiliation at their hands in the SANFL, or losing a Showdown at AFL level, the name “Port” conjures up immediate reactions from many fans.

In 2009, however, the financial status of both clubs is in serious question. Port Adelaide are actively seeking assistance from the AFL and a more attractive stadium deal from the SANFL to reverse a trend that looks set to deliver a multi million dollar loss to the club. With attendances regularly falling below the 25,000 barrier, it is immediately apparent that many diehard supporters are not prepared to turn out and support the club. The SANFL situation for Port Magpies is also becoming a real concern. Sitting 0-4 on the ladder, attendances at Alberton Oval are falling to hitherto unseen levels since the entry of Port Adelaide into the AFL. Fans are simply not turning up to see the once fiercely proud club in action and the associated drop in revenue at bar, catering and gaming is making it harder for the club to actively recruit in the tougher marketplace.

While this situation is giving many rival fans a quiet snigger, the reality is that the South Australian football market needs two vibrant teams in the Port area to build upon the massive tradition of the region. The idea of simply providing financial handouts to both clubs is not one that is attractive to either the AFL or SANFL. Both bodies have stated they need Port to work through a number of other options before this will be considered.

The most obvious solution to the problem has been staring the clubs in the face for many years. While it is one that will involve a degree of working through histories and changing a wide range of long held philosophies, it is also one that will solve as many problems along the way on a number of levels.

The time has come to formally merge the entities of Port Magpies Football Club and the Port Adelaide Football Club to make one single club. To bring together the disjointed, conflicting and confusing historical arguments of the clubs to end the debate once and for all, and end the idea of there being two separate clubs.

There are many, many things to work through. Would it make sense to bring together the AFL players into one team for the SANFL arm? While many will say that it will make the team unreasonably strong, there will still be the requirement to field a Reserves team at SANFL and realistically, a number of AFL draftees will be at Reserves level in the early stages of their development anyway. The one way to negate the perceived strength of the club is through the SANFL salary cap. With AFL clubs paying the wages of SANFL based players, the club could then be restricted to a “standalone” players cap of $125,000, which is used specifically to recruit players that are not tied to the AFL arm.

What branding does the club hold? The Magpies logo is already tied to Collingwood, so it may mean the SANFL arm has to compromise and remain the Port Adelaide Power for the sake of SANFL. While it loses a large degree of tradition, there is nothing preventing the SANFL arm from retaining the current Magpies prison bar jumper on its own, while using the Power logo.
The real opportunity for fans to more actively attend both sets of games would be enhanced by being the same club at all levels. Imagine marketing going to see the SANFL club at 2.00pm at Alberton on a Saturday and then driving up the road to West Lakes for a 7.10pm start for the AFL arm. It gives the club a real opportunity to further build some real tradition – tradition that not other AFL club could realistically ever hope to have.

No doubt there are plenty of other issues to work through. Before critics howl the idea down, think of the very real alternative – losing one or both of the clubs in their current form, and losing so much history, tradition and honour. The financial states of both clubs are in, to quote a famous Magpie player, “Grave Danger”. It’s time to consider the option.

mal wrote:First of all Port Magpies should sue Port Power for putting 1870 on thier guernseys
Win the court case for defamation of character
Use the $$$ to buy a few VFL footballers and ...

Mal, the problem with that is if the Power lost the case, the SANFL would have to bankroll it as usual

Couldn't see it happen as - with all due respect - unless the Power can increase their supporter base, there's no guarantee they'll be around forever and all of a sudden there would be no Port Adelaide at all

Nah, leave the Port Magpies the way they are and let them suffer death by a thousand cuts

Its hard not to be emotional about this issue and to try and have a discussion without people pushing their own agendas based around the dislikes that they have of various clubs in this case the Port Magpies, yet I will have a go anyway yet would like to preface my comments towards both Port Adelaide and Woodville West Torrens Supporters to say that I mean you no disrespect whatsoever.

First off the current situation with the way the Port Adelaide Magpies is financed is not working and it shows no signs of changing in the medium term which places the club at a massive financial disadvantage which they are going to struggle to overcome. A leased hotel on Port Rd and a % of the takings through the Power club is not enough to finance the club to the level required in the SANFL and Port must find other income streams if they are to survive. The club has debts which put them well and truly in problems which they dont have the luxury of having a few years to sort out.

From the Port Power point of view, legally they are the continuation of the Port Adelaide Magpies Football Club, Some do see the current PAM as a branch from the same trunk yet its not the way it was set up as much as how people might like to think it was. Yes, the PAM are a drain financially on the Power club, Port Power are all about the best financial decision for the club in a commercial sense and without the PAM they would get more takings through the club easing their financial problems and they may well think that more people would divert their attention towards the Power if the Magpies folded which may or may not be true.

Its fairly clear something has to happen, if people just stick their heads in the sand then its very likely that an SANFL club will go bankrupt, I have no doubt no shortage of Fitzroy or VFL supporters didnt think it would ever happen to them, because they took no action there club was lost to the competition despite how people might like to think it continues in the Brisbane Lions. Its for this reason that I do feel that we have to take action and make the right decisions to ensure the integrity of the competition and its financial support in the longer term.

In WW2 the Port Magpies were amalgamated for six years with the West Torrens Eagles, When West Torrens were founded it was as "The Port Natives" and their home ground was Alberton Oval for several years until Thebarton was built. The point that I am driving at is that West Torrens were founded from Port Adelaide and the two clubs have had links at various stages in their existances. With that in mind, maybe there is a case for the two clubs to be joined together, yet considering that Port have their existance continuing in the AFL, I would any amalgamation as fairly one sided to WWT with the exception being that perhaps a new name to replace "Woodville-West Torrens" could be found as after 19 years or however long its been, it would be a good thing for the club to forge its own identity with a new name rather than trying to pacify members who since the merger have passed on or dropped their interest in the club anyway. More qualifed people than me could easily put forward names, colours and how the clubs could be re-pointed to make it all occur, yet I do feel it is the best step forward for the SANFL in general to at least explore such a move and how it could work.