The SANFL and the Port Power Financial Issue

[Jimmy_041]

Anyone see this??

Jimmy_041
League Bench Warmer
Thu Mar 12, 2009 9:04 pm

Posts: 1497
Teams:
Norwood
Collingwood
Prince Alfred OC
Re: 2009 SANFL Season Launch
Have to say, I'm looking forward to this year in the SANFL

Very open competition and hopefully NFC might finally be up there.

According to Jimmy World, and this is my opinion only, at the end of the minor round (stick the H&A $hite up yer bum):

Glenelg - Should go better this year, only limited by the revitalised local entertainment that hurt them in the 80's
Norwood - Gearing up - good coach & better player list. Bank - factor later in the year? (Where are AGC when we need them?)
Sturt - Lost a lot of experience - full of college boys who need to come back to SAAFL
Centrals - gotta love 'em. Wish I played in this club with this culture, other than living out there, of course
Woodville Eagles - Mixed news - but always competitive
Port - They're North Haven yeah? Struggling with their identity. Did Fos play/coach Port or Power?
North} Who knows? Will they implode or explode (aka SAJC)?. Have to say Jars did lift them up, now what?
South} Hope they go well but they do compete with the local market
West} Proof that an excellent junior programme bites you on the a$$ by the bigger AFL mofo - nobody hates them, other than Doug

Of course, there is the danger that by August, every club will be broke, and the SANFL will fold, and then we can all get our players back into the SAAFL

[once_were_warriors]

Release the two AFL licences, let the Crows and Power act as their own identities under the shelter of the AFL.

Sell footy park,land and surrounding carparks

Put the proceeds into a trust

50% distribution from the trust to the 9 Sanfl clubs
20% metro leagues
20% country leagues
10% SANFL administration

Sanfl grandfinal at Adelaide Oval

[cd]

Very much personal thoughts only

I have always believed that the 2 licenses for the AFL in SA should have been shared by the clubs. 5 clubs have one and 4 clubs and the affliated leagues have the other.

Each club elects 2 to the board of the AFL club and the SANFL appoint the chair independently so each club has 11 board members.

The 5 clubs share the profits - so your SANFL club will get 20% of the profit of the AFL club directly paid to them.

You can only be a member of the AFL club by joining your SANFL club ie you get dual membership.

All SANFL folk would then have direct ownership into an AFL club based in SA plus a reason to support them and make them successful as the SANFL club would need their AFL team to be successful.

Further it would mean the SANFL coach only dealing with one AFL team system for draft folk.

I would thus have had the Crows owned by 5 SANFL Clubs and the 'Southern Sharks' owned by the 4 other SANFL clubs plus the Affliated Leagues which would see 20% of their profits going directly to Amateur clubs - city and country.

As I said my thoughts only and only as discussion points

Col D
Personal Post Only

[Macca19]

Do the power distibute anything back to the SANFL? Not sure if they are still forced to contribute even though they are making losses.

I reckon they've only just paid off their initial money to the AFL and they were 'socking' some away in the Power Trust or similar.

I not being a power or crow supporter say unless they are returning a dividend to the shareholders, the 9 sanfl clubs they are a liability and should be sold off. In fairness to the crows they do return a dividend.

Honestly, the amount of people that like to give an opinion and have a crack at Port for not giving anything back that have no actual clue about the situation at all is laughable.

Port have given money back to the SANFL in every year except for two...two out of the first 3 or 4 years they were in the AFL. Every year this decade we have given significant returns to the SANFL in terms of end of year sub-licence fee (other people call it 'dividend' but its a sub licence fee to the SANFL) and money made at games. No matter whether they make a profit or not they give the same sub-licence fee year in year out. If Port get under their break even point for home games, they have to make up the difference and pay the SANFL. Apparently, Port paid the SANFL up to $400k per game this year for poor attending home games. The SANFL make significant coin off home games at AAMI, whether Port get 10k or 40k.

So really, for anyone happy to have a crack at Port not pulling their weight or not contributing to the SANFL....get a clue.

[aceman]

Mark Williams giving in half way through last season started this rot....

the team gave up......so the supporters stayed away!........real smart move!

I know of supporters who will stay away until Williams has gone.....

I also know of Magpie supporters who hate the power for what they have done to the Magpies....

throwing up "living the creed" has done nothing more than dividing the football public even further.....

The Power must not be allowed to drain funds from the SANFL.....

either the AFL props them up......or let them fold or relocate!

personally I cant stand them and couldn't give a rats toss bag about what happens to them!

karma from the footy gods?

Bingo my boy!!!!!!!!!

[Macca19]

Clearly as most people are aware the Port Adelaide Power AFL side are currently experiencing significant financial problems. The SANFL have two issues, one being the owners of the license they are likely to see a signifcant revenue cut which is of concern to SANFL members who will subsaquently see returns to their SANFL sides greatly reduced if there is a dividend paid at all in 2009.

As I have mentioned, Port have paid a 'dividend' in every year except for 2. Every year this decade, the club has paid a dividend. This is already on top of other significant funds that both clubs make for the SANFL on game days. The SANFL is well supported financially by the Power. For arguments sake, when Freo lost $5m in 4 years back in the late 90s, the WAFC put a hold on all sub licence distribution by Freo for 8 years. They were allowed to keep all their profits for 8 years without paying a cent back to WA football. Going by this forum, people would show up with pitchforks if that happened here.

Secondly the AFL are currently pressuring the SANFL to put more coin into the Port Power Club which again comes at the expense of the various SANFL clubs as Peter is robbed to pay Paul.

What the AFL have said is that the SANFL have to do more to help make Port a profitable club. This will most likely be in the form of changing things around on gamedays...'stadium deals'. According to Mark Haysman, the WA clubs are around $2m better off and Brisbane $3m better off because of stadium deals. If this is so, then it shows that the SANFL are taking too much of the pie. If before a game is played, Freo are $2m better off simply because of a much lower break even point at Subi than what the Adelaide clubs get, then its an issue. This is obviously with my Port supporting hat on.

My concern is that in the current situation, I cant see what the SANFL can really do to actually make the Port Power AFL license a profitable concern

Giving the Adelaide clubs a fairer stadium deal would be a good start. Whilst there is a lot of talk about the bad stadium deals that the Etihad Stadium teams get, its becoming obvious that Port (and Adelaide) are equally worse off. Going by Mark Haysmans press conference, this is what Port are in talks with the SANFL about now.

maybe they could cut the guts out of the club and get rid of admin and coaching staff yet all that will result in is the club having a lesser peformance on the field and thus even less crowd attendances with the financial problems continueing to snowball.

Again, according to figures stated by both Mark Williams and Mark Haysman, Ports football department spend per win over the past few years is the best in the AFL. They are already quite thrifty in this department.

My thoughts are that this problem is a direct result of the decision that the SANFL made to award the license to the Port Adelaide FC bid. As you might recall the situation was bids from various sides - South-Glenelg, Norwood-Sturt, Port Adelaide, Woodville-West Torrens-North Adelaide-West Adelaide in the Cartel bid, Glenelg later joined the Cartel bid and I cant remember the position of the Central Districts club. South went on to support the Port Adelaide bid.

Now that the horse has well and truly bolted it appears to me that the Cartel bid may well have been the one with the best chance of success depending on how the side that went in which was supposed to be the Eagles was handled.

Considering that most WWT, NA, WA and Glenelg supporters were/are Crows supporters, it would involve supporters jumping off the Crows onto the new bandwagon. How would they market themselves? 'The second team for all South Australians'. Thats a great marketing angle! Given that the Crows won back to back flags in the 2nd teams first two years, how many ex-Crow fans would have jumped back on? There is very little to base any other selection would have been more profitable or successful than Port considering that every other selection would need to involve significant numbers of people jumping off supporting the Crows.

Fast Forward to today and we are in all manner of trouble and rumours are now running rife that an SANFL club possibly Sturt may well be a chance of collapsing financially due to the financial crisis, lack of Crows/Power funds and managment decsions taken to sell assets in the past.

Port are not the only club in financial trouble as you have mentioned. Many other clubs will also be under the pump in the current financial situation. Hearing that your major sponsor wont be honouring a $750k per year contract would make most clubs sweat id think. Though it seems now that they will be honouring their contract.

yet its pretty obvious that some quite drastic action has to be taken by the SANFL to safegaurd the integrity of the SANFL competition and to make a restructure to the point where the second AFL license is profitable

Giving Port a better chance to make money at home games, meaning they can pay more bills and reduce their debt, also meaning they can give a higher end of year sub licence distribution to the SANFL clubs. The fact that the WA AFL clubs are $2 million ahead before a games been played over the Adelaide clubs is an issue that should be sorted out.

To my knowledge, the SANFL take all parking, catering and bar revenue from Port games, a large percentage of Advertising revenue and most of the corporate box revenue. The SANFL takes around $400k per Port home game. As I said, if Port dont make break even point, we pay the difference to the SANFL.

The only way I can see that happening is for the SANFL to dissolve and re-launch the Port Adelaide Club as a more composite type version of an S.A based team not affiliated with any specific SANFL club and yet I think that is just physically not possible to do that.

You are right, its not possible to do that. Alienating the entire Port supporting population would not be clever. I dont know where people think these 30-50,000 other financially football supporting people are meant to come from. If the SANFL were getting 40k attendance on average then you could make some sort of play that it may happen. But they dont, its about 15k people go to SANFL games every week, still lower than Ports worst attendance. So again, where are these other people going to come from? The Crows waiting list?

In the next few days serious financial decsions have to be taken and will be taken that directly affect each of the 9 SANFL clubs greatly, lets hope that they really do a proper job of it and come up with a definate solution to solve the problem once and for all instead of the usual line re "managment and adminstration changes"......

Management and admin changes arent really useful considering Port turned over most of its off field staff this year. Try giving them a chance to turn it around before making other changes. Not to mention that the SANFL have appointed members on Ports board...if there is mismanagement going on, then they will already know about it.

[aceman]

Do the power distibute anything back to the SANFL? Not sure if they are still forced to contribute even though they are making losses.

I reckon they've only just paid off their initial money to the AFL and they were 'socking' some away in the Power Trust or similar.

I not being a power or crow supporter say unless they are returning a dividend to the shareholders, the 9 sanfl clubs they are a liability and should be sold off. In fairness to the crows they do return a dividend.

Honestly, the amount of people that like to give an opinion and have a crack at Port for not giving anything back that have no actual clue about the situation at all is laughable.

Port have given money back to the SANFL in every year except for two...two out of the first 3 or 4 years they were in the AFL. Every year this decade we have given significant returns to the SANFL in terms of end of year sub-licence fee (other people call it 'dividend' but its a sub licence fee to the SANFL) and money made at games. No matter whether they make a profit or not they give the same sub-licence fee year in year out. If Port get under their break even point for home games, they have to make up the difference and pay the SANFL. Apparently, Port paid the SANFL up to $400k per game this year for poor attending home games. The SANFL make significant coin off home games at AAMI, whether Port get 10k or 40k.
So really, for anyone happy to have a crack at Port not pulling their weight or not contributing to the SANFL....get a clue.

So tell us why aren't the Power getting the support of people who are not aligned to the Crows but maybe aligned to the PAFC Magpies. Mate, you've got more issues down there than you can poke a stick at, maybe Jesse James got out just in time, before the sh*t did hit the fan. The creed is dead and buried and has been for years, time for the Williams era to finish at the Port and you may start to win back some support.
Ask a few ex players why they don't go back there, you might get a real shock!

[Macca19]

I not being a power or crow supporter say unless they are returning a dividend to the shareholders, the 9 sanfl clubs they are a liability and should be sold off. In fairness to the crows they do return a dividend.

I keep repeating myself here. They've been paying their dividend to the SANFL every year as I understand. $335K last year, $325K the year before.

They also spin money for the SANFL by sharing the proceeds from their games at AAMI. In fact, the amount of the "sharing" seems to be core of the issue. They want the AFL to pitch in $ until the SANFL are prepared to move on the Stadium deal. Unfortunately a Port win on the stadium deal is a loss for the SANFL and the 9 clubs.

Some of those 9 clubs, in turn, are in need of their own financial assistance. All this while a global recession takes sponsors money out of the system.

I wonder if all these financial demands lead to Leigh Whicker's recent public frustrations with the SANFL club's results. I think the 7 of 9 SANFL club losses came at the worse possible time unfortunately. It's made the SANFL's bargaining with the AFL more difficult. Who's actually propping up who, will be the debate. In fact, it's interesting reading the comments on here advocating ruthless action on Port when most of our SANFL teams are also showing losses!

Great post. The SANFL get $350k end sub-licence distribution plus a significant amount of money generated from match days - more than $400k per match.

For those bleating that Port should fold, take those 11 AFL games away plus the end distribution then you are looking at more than $4 million gone from the SANFL each year...take into account other incomes generated by Port then its more around the $5 million mark turned over by Port Adelaide for the SANFL. I guess most wouldnt have though of that side of the equation. Given that 7 out of 9 SANFL clubs made losses this year...then its a real smart move isnt it.

For those thinking that it would be a simple case of Port out...'hey Centrals, your turn now'...then your havin a laugh as well. If Port fold...which is doubtful and if worst comes to worst and it does happen wont be for another half decade at least, then dont expect another SA AFL club just to waltz into the spot....there would be no 2nd SA AFL club, at least for the short and possibly medium term.

[Macca19]

So tell us why aren't the Power getting the support of people who are not aligned to the Crows but maybe aligned to the PAFC Magpies.

Confused marketing campaigns...the previous management trying to turn us into 'Adelaide mkII', disenchanted Port supporters, shithouse gameplans, many people not happy with Williams as coach (me on the fence on that one, I dont like him but happy to give him this year to prove he can turn it around), add in the fact that we had every home game live against the gate on Foxtel this year plus I think two home games live on FTA as well - it does add up. Remember, Adelaides crowds have also dropped the last few years as well. Add in that we won the least amount of games by Port Adelaide in a season since before Fos Williams came to Port, then all these issues add up to the current dramas.

Mate, you've got more issues down there than you can poke a stick at

Correct.

maybe Jesse James got out just in time, before the sh*t did hit the fan

Given the current management has been in charge for all of about 3 months, one would say JJ needs to shoulder his percentage of the blame for this current situation.

Ask a few ex players why they don't go back there, you might get a real shock!

I couldnt really care less to be honest. Nothing to do with me.

[Macca19]

IMO, discussion on Adelaide Oval etc is smoke screen to divert attention from fact that the supporter base estimates were probably inflated and that the club has rarely drawn a crowd suitable for a profitable AFL team - this is the real problem that must be addressed - all else is window dressing.

The only Adelaide Oval talk is coming from outside the club. As Haysman has said many times already, the club is 100% comitted to playing at Footy Park and are not seeking to play any games at Adelaide Oval.

[SimonH]

I keep repeating myself here. They've been paying their dividend to the SANFL every year as I understand. $335K last year, $325K the year before.

They also spin money for the SANFL by sharing the proceeds from their games at AAMI. In fact, the amount of the "sharing" seems to be core of the issue. They want the AFL to pitch in $ until the SANFL are prepared to move on the Stadium deal. Unfortunately a Port win on the stadium deal is a loss for the SANFL and the 9 clubs.

Some of those 9 clubs, in turn, are in need of their own financial assistance. All this while a global recession takes sponsors money out of the system.

I wonder if all these financial demands lead to Leigh Whicker's recent public frustrations with the SANFL club's results. I think the 7 of 9 SANFL club losses came at the worse possible time unfortunately. It's made the SANFL's bargaining with the AFL more difficult. Who's actually propping up who, will be the debate. In fact, it's interesting reading the comments on here advocating ruthless action on Port when most of our SANFL teams are also showing losses!

It's tough times all round, not good for anybody and everybody needs to get their houses in order. Don't think that halving the number of AFL games at AAMI Stadium each year is good for the SANFL however Only 1 AFL team in town is very BAD for the SANFL. The Crows can't fit many more people in to their 11 games!

I am sure the AFL will kick in something given what they've handed out to some of the Melbourne based teams over the years There are teams over there in a worse spot than Port however the next TV deal locked in for 16-18 teams (including 2 from SA) will be bigger than the last.

Good post. When I heard the story, the first thing I thought was, 'that's what was motivating Leigh Whicker's alarmist and negative comments about SANFL clubs'. The financial hole that the Pahhhhr could create for the SANFL is enormous; the realisation of the nightmare will leave it with little in reserves, and no motivation, to shore up any insolvent SANFL clubs.

While Macca19 speaks a lot of truth about the current facts of the matter, the whole angle of 'the Power is weighed down by excessively onerous obligations to give to SA footy until it can't give any more, and that's why we're going broke' line is pretty tough to run where you've only been in this business for 12 years. It's not like generations have passed and everyone's forgotten how it was you entered the AFL. PAFC were granted the second AFL license in SA based on a detailed submission and business plan. It contained detailed and confident claims about revenue flow, attendance, support etcetera. Many or all of which have proved to be complete fantasy. That is to say, if the Power's current business model is unsustainable, that's because it entered the AFL under false pretences.

What's pretty sure is that the PAFC bid did not proceed on the assumption that a stadium deal significantly more generous than the one they now have, would be in place. If there's one thing the PAFC knew for certain when drafting their bid, it was that the SANFL would not be inclined to give the 2nd licenseholder a more favourable stadium deal than their own club the Crows was getting. And you can forget blaming the current global financial crisis-- the current Australian economy is about 50% larger than it was in 1994 when the submission plans were written. The club should have significantly overperformed on estimates. The last decade has been the salad days; if you weren't making money in the decade 1998-2008, you're never going to.

Talk of poor deals on Footy Park also begs the question, 'Why did the Power CEO absolutely rule out, in an instant, any move to Adelaide Oval?' The Power might give a lot of cash to the SANFL (although the idea that the SANFL makes anything like $400k from the average Power home game seems like fantasy to me, in lieu of seeing any actual figures), but the SANFL gives life to the Power. If the Power do anything to piss off the SANFL, the real capital base providing confidence that they will be there in 5 or 10 years' time, is suddenly gone. The SACA would hardly step in to save them!

[Macca19]

While Macca19 speaks a lot of truth about the current facts of the matter, the whole angle of 'the Power is weighed down by excessively onerous obligations to give to SA footy until it can't give any more, and that's why we're going broke' line is pretty tough to run where you've only been in this business for 12 years. It's not like generations have passed and everyone's forgotten how it was you entered the AFL. PAFC were granted the second AFL license in SA based on a detailed submission and business plan. It contained detailed and confident claims about revenue flow, attendance, support etcetera
Many or all of which have proved to be complete fantasy. That is to say, if the Power's current business model is unsustainable, that's because it entered the AFL under false pretences.

Times change. Back in 1997 Channel 7 had exclusive rights to football...and had done for decades. You could go to the game, take 45 minutes to get home, have dinner then watch the delayed telecast in full. Now, you have every Port game live on Fox and on 20 minute delay telecast on FTA, including some games live on FTA. A lot has changed in the AFL since 1993-4 when Port put together their original business model. Whats happened in Melbourne since Port entered the league? 70% of the MCG was knocked down and rebuilt and the league built an entire new stadium, creating two entirely modern stadiums for viewers pleasure. Whats happened in Adelaide in that time? We get bucket seats (wow, 20 years after every other stadium) and video screens (again, 20+ years after other stadiums had them). This just sounds like poor excuse making but its not meant to. Just because Port havent grown like maybe expected doesnt equal false pretences or lies. Stadium deals werent heard of back then either....Collingwood were still at Vic Park etc...it wasnt until 2006-7 when the AFL released a report on how much money each club earns at its home ground where 'stadium deal' became a buzz word and the talk of clubs like Western Bulldogs and North Melbourne.

the current Australian economy is about 50% larger than it was in 1994 when the submission plans were written. The club should have significantly overperformed on estimates.

In terms of turnover of money, it probably has overperformed on estimates. From memory, tv rights were something like $50 million back in 97...now its almost a billion dollars...Id say Ross Oakley & co would have cracked up laughing saying in 10 years time Channel 7 will pay $800 million or whatever it was for tv rights.

Talk of poor deals on Footy Park also begs the question, 'Why did the Power CEO absolutely rule out, in an instant, any move to Adelaide Oval?'

I think its called not biting the hand that feeds. The club has no control over trying to play games at Adelaide Oval. The SANFL own the licences of the two clubs, the SANFL own Football Park. Thats where AFL football will be played. Playing games at Adelaide Oval would involve getting the SANFL to sell matches to SACA. Not gonna happen any time soon Id think.

The Power might give a lot of cash to the SANFL (although the idea that the SANFL makes anything like $400k from the average Power home game seems like fantasy to me, in lieu of seeing any actual figures)

I think the break even point (from memory, may not be 100% accurate) for Port is 30,000. The SANFL (to my knowledge) take all parking revenue, all bar & catering revenue, a large percentage of advertising revenue plus a large percentage of corporate revenue. If the break even point is 30k, then its going by about $13.3 per person, which when you consider price of tickets, parking, food, corporate dollars coming in and advertising revenue, its not that fanciful is it. As I said earlier, if Port dont reach break even point then it pays the SANFL the difference in the revenue it didnt get. The $400k figure has been mentioned, from memory, by both media and the club previously. So thats $4.4 million the SANFL make off Port home games for the year, plus $350 something for the 'dividend', its closing in on $5 million that Port contribute to the SANFL. This being revenue/turnover, not necessarily profit (I dont know the ins and outs of game day AAMI expenses). Given Port have to foot the bill if they dont reach break even, id say its assuming a decent profit off the $400k. The Port Magpies recieved $453k in SANFL distribution in 2008. Making the simple assumption (which could be wrong) that each club recieved that amount, then its over $4 million that the SANFL gave out to SANFL clubs in 2008. This means, its had to have made over $3 million profit at least on the 22 match days at Footy Park in 2008 (not sure about the Crows final and what happens there)

The SANFL dont lose money on Port...even if Port lose substantial amounts. In a year where Port lost $1.4 million, it still contributed $5 million to the SANFL.

Some of the figures may not be exact, but its going from memory and what I believe to be true.

but the SANFL gives life to the Power. If the Power do anything to piss off the SANFL, the real capital base providing confidence that they will be there in 5 or 10 years' time, is suddenly gone. The SACA would hardly step in to save them!

A profitable Port is in the best interests for the SANFL. As ive said, theres no guarantee that if Port for some reason do end up folding, that another SA team will simply take its place. It wouldnt be as simple as that and the AFL would need to look into all the whys, hows etc. No 2nd SA side and thats a lot of revenue the SANFL, therefore the SANFL clubs suddenly dont have. Surely, a bit of give and take isnt too much to ask in this situation, which in the end would be in the best interests of all concerned.

[auto]

Well said Macca

[Wedgie]

the whole angle of 'the Power is weighed down by excessively onerous obligations to give to SA footy until it can't give any more,

I can categorically state that Port has never given anything to this website (except for a lot of laughter).

[Jimmy_041]

So tell us why aren't the Power getting the support of people who are not aligned to the Crows but maybe aligned to the PAFC Magpies.

Confused marketing campaigns...the previous management trying to turn us into 'Adelaide mkII', disenchanted Port supporters, shithouse gameplans, many people not happy with Williams as coach (me on the fence on that one, I dont like him but happy to give him this year to prove he can turn it around), add in the fact that we had every home game live against the gate on Foxtel this year plus I think two home games live on FTA as well - it does add up. Remember, Adelaides crowds have also dropped the last few years as well. Add in that we won the least amount of games by Port Adelaide in a season since before Fos Williams came to Port, then all these issues add up to the current dramas.

Mate, you've got more issues down there than you can poke a stick at

Correct.

maybe Jesse James got out just in time, before the sh*t did hit the fan

Given the current management has been in charge for all of about 3 months, one would say JJ needs to shoulder his percentage of the blame for this current situation.

Ask a few ex players why they don't go back there, you might get a real shock!

I couldnt really care less to be honest. Nothing to do with me.

Gees - honesty for a change. Good post Macca

[LPH]

I will tell you why...

As a supporter of a team that DIED as a result of the SANFL's hand being forced, I can NEVER bring myself to 'support' them.

Since 1990... I have been forced to support a MERGED TEAM - admittedly I have supported them with similar passion but...

It is STILL NOT the same !!!

My 'roots' are Gold & Blue - not 'Gold & Green & Blue'... Thebarton is my 'spiritual home', NOT Woodville (even though Woodville is a better ground IMHO).

Given, Torrens were around $300K in debt @ the time but...
With the revenues provided by the Crows over those 1st few years, surely they could've survived.

I agree that the WRONG decision was made to have a 2nd 'Western Suburbs Team' - it should've ALWAYS been East & West but...

Through WEAKNESS (nothing less), the SANFL (& Max's Cronies MUST be held accountable here) took the 'soft option' & REWARDED them with the licence.

Naming them 'Port Adelaide Football Club' was the BIGGEST mistake of all - as we ALL know, the history of this town dictates 'you either love 'em or hate 'em, no more no less.

Many (not all - & I applaud those who stode by THEIR CLUB - PAMFC supporters & didn't 'defect' to the Power) have CONTINUALLY & CONSTANTLY claimed 100+ years of history as the 'Power History' - how ironic that some of those, Rucci inluded, are now distancing themselves from that & acknowledging that that view IS a milestone around the Power's neck.

Although I would LOVE to see them DIE, the clubs in the SANFL can NOT afford to allow this to occur - for the survival of OUR COMPETITION is @ stake here. As others have recounted; without the dividends paid by the 2 AFL Clubs in this town, many of our clubs (mine included) are in SERIOUS danger of oblivion.

Clearly, they have some problems.
Do I care... when all is said & done... not really ('you make your bed'), but...

My 'NEW' football club, that I have only been supporting for 19 years now, relies on revenue from them to survive...

So however much it HURTS ME to say this, for my OWN SELFISH reasons, I need to help them survive but I will NEVER SUPPORT them... I simply can not.

Ultimatly, no matter how you look at it, that 'entity' almost destroyed the competition that I grew up with & KILLED the club I progressed through as a Junior & supported from the age of 4... but sadly, I need them to survive because that is the nature of the business we JOINED - the expanded VFL - they never gave 2 shites about OUR competition, they were in it for the money.

There rant over

[Booney]

The 'defect' to the Power comment is interesting.

I am one of many who have room for both in my life and I feel sorry for those who were so bitter at the time that they didnt come on board for the ride.

$2 campaign anyone?

[Ronnie]

I will tell you why...

As a supporter of a team that DIED as a result of the SANFL's hand being forced, I can NEVER bring myself to 'support' them.

Since 1990... I have been forced to support a MERGED TEAM - admittedly I have supported them with similar passion but...

It is STILL NOT the same !!!

My 'roots' are Gold & Blue - not 'Gold & Green & Blue'... Thebarton is my 'spiritual home', NOT Woodville (even though Woodville is a better ground IMHO).

Given, Torrens were around $300K in debt @ the time but...
With the revenues provided by the Crows over those 1st few years, surely they could've survived.

I agree that the WRONG decision was made to have a 2nd 'Western Suburbs Team' - it should've ALWAYS been East & West but...

Through WEAKNESS (nothing less), the SANFL (& Max's Cronies MUST be held accountable here) took the 'soft option' & REWARDED them with the licence.

Naming them 'Port Adelaide Football Club' was the BIGGEST mistake of all - as we ALL know, the history of this town dictates 'you either love 'em or hate 'em, no more no less.

Many (not all - & I applaud those who stode by THEIR CLUB - PAMFC supporters & didn't 'defect' to the Power) have CONTINUALLY & CONSTANTLY claimed 100+ years of history as the 'Power History' - how ironic that some of those, Rucci inluded, are now distancing themselves from that & acknowledging that that view IS a milestone around the Power's neck.

Although I would LOVE to see them DIE, the clubs in the SANFL can NOT afford to allow this to occur - for the survival of OUR COMPETITION is @ stake here. As others have recounted; without the dividends paid by the 2 AFL Clubs in this town, many of our clubs (mine included) are in SERIOUS danger of oblivion.

Clearly, they have some problems.
Do I care... when all is said & done... not really ('you make your bed'), but...

My 'NEW' football club, that I have only been supporting for 19 years now, relies on revenue from them to survive...

So however much it HURTS ME to say this, for my OWN SELFISH reasons, I need to help them survive but I will NEVER SUPPORT them... I simply can not.

Ultimatly, no matter how you look at it, that 'entity' almost destroyed the competition that I grew up with & KILLED the club I progressed through as a Junior & supported from the age of 4... but sadly, I need them to survive because that is the nature of the business we JOINED - the expanded VFL - they never gave 2 shites about OUR competition, they were in it for the money.

There rant over

Good posting. The implications for the SANFL clubs in all this are very significant.
It is no secret that Sturt are in serious trouble without being alarmist.
If dividends back to the SANFL clubs are slashed, that is another significant income stream hurt.
How does the SANFL maintain it's quality in that scenario?

[Brodlach]

When was the last time Port actually paid a dividend back to the SANFL?.

[Wedgie]

I think we should help too, how could SAFooty help Port?
Im thinking we could sell a limited edition Tshirt (perhaps 119 only) in rose pink and turquoise to reflect both the past and present of Port saying 'Noone can lose AFL Grand Finals by as much as us!'.

Any takers?