Port Adelaide Football Club

Left: Inaugural president John Hart, Jr.
Right: 13 May 1870 excerpt from the South Australian Register proclaiming the founding of the 'Port Adelaide Cricket and Football Club' whilst also announcing the club's first training session.[18]

Port Adelaide was formed on 12 May 1870 as a joint football and cricket club, created by locals to benefit the growing number of workers associated with nearby wharfes and industries.[19] The first training session of the newly formed club took place two days later.[18] The Port Adelaide Football Club played its first match against a newly established club from North Adelaide called the Young Australian.[20] The club's first home ground was the family property of inaugural club president John Hart Jr in Glanville.[18] John Hart Sr would become premier of South Australia the week following the first match.[21] Prior to 1877, football in South Australia was yet to be formally organised by a single body and as a result there were two main sets of rules in use across the state.[22] Port Adelaide's main opponents during the years prior to the foundation of a governing body for the code in South Australia were the now defunct Kensington and Old Adelaide club. The rules of the Old Adelaide club, which more closely resembled the rules used in Melbourne at the time, were ultimately adopted across Adelaide in 1876.[22]

The club's first premiership team in 1884

In 1889 Port Adelaide played Norwood in the first "Grand Final". Port Adelaide defeated South Melbourne for the 1890 Championship of Australia. Both matches were played at Adelaide Oval, pictured in 1889

In 1877, Port Adelaide joined seven other clubs to form the South Australian Football Association (SAFA), the first ever governing body of Australian rules football.[6] For the first few seasons in the SAFA the club competed in magenta guernseys and white shorts.[23]

In 1878, Port Adelaide hosted its first game against the recently established Norwood Football Club with the visitors winning 1–0.[24] A rivalry between these clubs would soon develop into one of the fiercest in Australian sport (See Port Adelaide–Norwood SANFL rivalry).

In 1879, the club played reigning Victorian Football Association (VFA) premiers Geelong at Adelaide Oval in what was Port Adelaide's first game against an interstate club.[25]

In 1880, Port Adelaide moved to Alberton Oval which remains to this day the club's training and administrative headquarters.[14] In 1881, Port Adelaide travelled to Victoria and played its first game outside South Australia against the Sale Football Club.[26] On 2 July 1883, Port Adelaide played its first game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground against Melbourne.[27]

In 1884, Port Adelaide won its first SAFA premiership, ending Norwood's run of six premierships.[28] On 25 May 1885, Port Adelaide played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground against South Melbourne, drawing with the eventual VFA premiers in front of 10,000 spectators.[29]

The 1889 SAFA season ended with Port Adelaide and Norwood with equal minor round records, leading to the staging of the SAFA's first grand final. Norwood went on to defeat Port Adelaide by two goals.[30]

In 1890 Port Adelaide won its second SAFA premiership[31] and would go on to be crowned "Champions of Australia" for the first time after defeating VFA premiers South Melbourne.[32]

As the 1890s continued, Australia would be affected by a severe depression with many players were being forced to move interstate to find work. This exodus translated into poor on field results for the club. By 1896, the club was in crisis and finished last causing the club's committee to meet with the aim of revitalising the club.[33] The revitalisation had immediate results and in 1897 Port Adelaide won a third premiership.[34] This is one of only four occurrences since 1877 that the team that finished last won a premiership the following year. Stan Malin won Port Adelaide's first Magarey Medal in 1899.[35]

During the 19th century the club had nicknames including the Cockledivers, the Seaside Men, the Seasiders and the Magentas. In 1900, Port finished bottom in the six-team competition, which it has not done in any senior league since.[36]

Club legend Harold Oliver taking a spectacular mark in the 1914 SAFL Semi-final against Sturt at Adelaide Oval.

Port Adelaide's undefeated 1914 SAFL premiers and Champions of Australia team.

In 1902, Port Adelaide took the field in black and white guernseys for the first time after it was having trouble finding dyes that would last for its blue and magenta guernseys.[37] The first year in the new guernsey would be a controversial year for the club. After finishing the 1902 season on top of the ladder, Port Adelaide was disqualified from a game with South Adelaide after disputing the use of an unaccredited umpire.[38] The 1902 SAFA premiership would subsequently be awarded to North Adelaide after they defeated South Adelaide in the Grand Final a week later.[39] Port Adelaide offered to play North Adelaide in a premiership deciding match, but the association refused.[40] The club would subsequently win the premiership the following year.[41]

Following a premiership in the 1906 season,[42] Port Adelaide would travel to NSW in the early 1907 season in what was marketed as 'Port Adelaide vs. Sydney'.[43]

Port Adelaide won the SAFL premiership in 1910 defeating Sturt 8.12 (60) to 5.11 (41) in the Grand Final.[44] The club would go on to defeat Collingwood for the 1910 Championship of Australia title,[45] and WAFL premiers East Fremantle in an exhibition match.[46] They would also defeat a combination of some of the WAFL's best players in another match.[47] Along with beating the premiers from South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia in 1910, Port Adelaide also invited North Broken Hill, the premier team of New South Wales, to a game at Adelaide Oval. Port would win this game 14.20 (104) to 5.5 (35).[48]

The following two seasons for Port Adelaide would be frustrating dropping only one game during the 1911 minor round and going undefeated the following year in 1912 only to be knocked out of contention by West Adelaide both times.[49][50] During the 1912 preseason, Port Adelaide travelled to Tasmania and defeated a combination of players from various Tasmanian Football League (TFL) sides.[51]

The club would finally find success in 1913, dropping only two games during the minor round and eventually defeating North Adelaide 7.12 (54) to 5.10 (40) for the SAFL premiership[52] and Fitzroy 13.16 (94) to 4.7 (31) for the 1913 Championship of Australia.[53]

The 1914 Port Adelaide Football Club season is widely regarded as one of the best in Australian rules football history.[54] It won all its pre-season matches, won all fourteen SAFL games by an average margin of 49 points and the 1914 SAFL Grand Final where it held North Adelaide to a single goal for the match 13.15 (93) to 1.8 (14).[55] The club would then meet VFL premiers Carlton in the Championship of Australia, defeating the Victorian club by 34 points to claim a record fourth title.[56] At the end of the 1914 season, a combined team from the six other SAFL clubs played Port Adelaide and lost to the subsequently dubbed "Invincibles" by 58 points.[57]

Port Adelaide players with the 1921 SAFL premiership flag pennant presented to them during half time of the opening match of the 1922 SAFL season at Adelaide Oval.[58]

During World War I the club lost three players — William Boon, Joseph Watson and Albert Chaplin—to the war.[59] A scaled-back competition referred to as the 'Patriotic League' was organised during wartime in which Port Adelaide won the 1916 and 1917 instalments.[60]

Port Adelaide would initially struggle to replicate its success before the war, eventually winning the 1921 premiership under the captaincy of Harold Oliver.[61] At the end of the 1922 SAFA season, Port Adelaide travelled to Sydney and played a combined New South Wales side on the Sydney Cricket Ground winning the match.[62] In following seasons most of Port Adelaide's champion players from before the war started to retire and the club's performances declined.[63]

Left: Bob Quinn chaired off after winning the 1939 SANFL Grand Final. He would be selected in the All-Australian team by Sporting Life magazine in 1947.[64]
Right: Haydn Bunton Sr joined Port Adelaide for the 1945 season forming a formidable ruck trio with Bob Quinn and Bob McLean.[65]

As was the case in the 1890s, the depression of the early 1930s hit the club hard with players moving interstate to secure employment.[63] By the late 1930s, the economy and Port Adelaide's form both recovered and after two narrow grand final losses in 1934 and 1935 the club won premierships in 1936 and 1937.[66][67]

During 1939, Bob Quinn, in his third year as a player for the club, coached the team to a Grand Final win over West Torrens.[68] Many Port Adelaide players also enlisted for military service during this time.[69] Port Adelaide suffered six player casualties during war: Lloyd Rudd, Jack Wade, Maxwell Carmichael, George Quinn, Christopher Johnston and Halcombe Brock.[70][71]

Just as had happened in 1914, the league was being hit hard by player losses in World War II. Due to a lack of able men, the league's eight teams were reduced to four with Port Adelaide temporarily merging with nearby West Torrens from 1942 to 1944.[72] The joint club would play in all three Grand Finals during this period, winning the 1942 instalment[73] but losing the 1943 and 1944 editions to the Norwood-North Adelaide combination.[74][75] Normal competition resumed in 1945.[76] Port Adelaide was unable to regain its pre-war success with West Torrens mounting a remarkable comeback to win the 1945 SANFL Grand Final.[77] The first ever 'All-Australian' side concept was created by Sporting Life magazine in 1947 with Bob Quinn named in the side.[64]

Fos Williams coached Port Adelaide to nine premierships[78]

At the end of the 1949, having missed two finals series in a row, the Port Adelaide Football Club's committee sought out a coach that could win the club its next premiership. Following a failed attempt to obtain Jim Deane, the decision was made to appoint Foster Neil Williams, a rover from West Adelaide.[79]

During his second season as coach in 1951, Williams led Port to their first standalone premiership in 12 seasons, defeating North Adelaide by 11 points.[80] At the end of the 1951 season the VFL premiers Geelong visited South Australia to play the local premiers Port Adelaide on Adelaide Oval. Geelong won the match 8.14 (62) to 6.18 (54).[81] Port Adelaide reached the Grand Final again in 1953 against West Torrens. West Torrens won the premiership by 7 points.[82]

During the 1950s Port Adelaide and Melbourne, often the premiers of South Australian and Victorian leagues respectively, played exhibition matches at Norwood Oval.[84] The most notable game was the 1955 match with an estimated crowd of 23,000, which went down to the last 15 seconds with Frank Adams kicking a behind and sealing the game 9.11 (65) to 9.10 (64) in favour of Melbourne.[85]

Geof Motley took over the captain-coaching role at the club in 1959 when Williams left to take a break from the game.[86] That year, the club won the premiership and equalled a national record of six consecutive Grand Final victories, having won each premiership from 1954 to 1959.[87] Port Adelaide's hope of winning 7 consecutive premierships was brought to an end in the 1960 preliminary final when Norwood won by 27 points.[88] The following season, Port Adelaide would again finish third. [89]

Fos Williams returned in 1962, and coached Port Adelaide to win three of the next four premierships.[91] In 1965 Fos Williams coached his ninth and last premiership in-front of 62,543 people,[78] the largest ever crowd at Adelaide Oval.[92] After the 1965 Grand Final, Port Adelaide would be frustrated by the dominance of Sturt, which won seven premierships over this period under the leadership of Jack Oatey.[93] In all, despite playing in 6 of the next 10 grand finals, Port Adelaide would fail to win a premiership.[94]

Statue of Russell Ebert outside Adelaide Oval.

One of Port Adelaide's finest players during the Fos Williams era was John Cahill. After retiring from playing in 1973, he would take over as coach in 1974 following the departure of Fos Williams to West Adelaide.[95] In 1975 a dispute between the Port Adelaide City Council and the SANFL over the use of Alberton Oval forced Port Adelaide to move its home matches to Adelaide Oval for two seasons.[96] In 1976, Cahill would subsequently take Port Adelaide to its first Grand Final under his leadership against Sturt. Sturt would win by 41 points in front of an official attendance of 66,897, the record for football in South Australia.[97] The actual crowd was estimated at 80,000, much bigger than the official figure.[98] In 1977 the dispute regarding Alberton Oval was resolved and the club moved back to Alberton Oval.[96] It would later go on to win that year's premiership, breaking a 12-year drought.[99]

"It has taken us a bloody long time but by gee it was worth it!"

— Russell Ebert during the post game award presentations of the 1977 SANFL Grand Final., [101]

The 1980 season was Port Adelaide's most dominant since 1914.[102] The club completed its fourth ever 'Triple Crown', winning the premiership, Magarey Medal and having the SANFL's leading goalkicker in a single season.[102] The Magarey Medal was awared to Russell Ebert for a record 4th time, a feat unmatched since, and Tim Evans set the then-league goal kicking record of 146 goals in a season.[102] The club set a new record for most points scored during a home-and-away season at 3,176, whilst also having the best defence conceding only 1,687 points.[102] The club's win-loss record was 19-1-2, with its percentage being 65.31, its best percentage since 1914.[102]

Following the 1982 season, Cahill was offered a contract by Collingwood to coach the club.[103] In his steed, Russell Ebert became coach in 1983.[104] During his five years as coach, Port Adelaide would make the finals three times, and would enjoy a win rate of above 55%.[105] John Cahill returned as coach for the 1988 season, with the club winning the premiership that year.[106]

In 1989, seven of the ten SANFL clubs were recording losses and the combined income of the SANFL and WAFL had dropped to 40% of that of the VFL.[107] During May 1990, the SANFL clubs accepted a SANFL proposal to not enter a club from South Australia until 1993.[108] Frustrated with lack of progress, Port Adelaide were having secret negotiations in the town of Quorn for entry in 1991.[109]

When knowledge of Port Adelaide's negotiations to gain an AFL licence were made public, the other nine SANFL clubs called a crisis meeting to discuss options. Plans were made to kick Port Adelaide out of the SANFL should they succeed, and to prevent them from using Football Park as a home ground.[111] SANFL clubs urged Justice Olssen to make an injunction against the bid, which he agreed to.[111] During these meeting, an option was discussed to make a counter offer to the AFL. On the 16th of August, the SANFL officially launched a submission for a composite team.[112] After legal action from all parties, the AFL finally agreed to accept the SANFL's bid and the Adelaide Football Club was born.[113]

"These twenty blokes, everyone whose helped us, are sensational people and all the views that you have read in the press the one thing that really matters is that there will always be a Port Adelaide Football Club."

— George Fiacchi upon accepting the 1990 Jack Oatey Medal for best on ground at the 1990 SANFL Grand Final.[114]

During December 1994, Max Basher announced that Port Adelaide had won the tender for the second South Australian AFL licence,[115] though this would be dependent on a merger between two existing AFL clubs, due to a club limit imposed by the AFL in 1993.[116] The club was also restricted by time, with a new license only becoming available in 1996.[117] On 27 October 1995, the club was advised they would not take part in the 1996 season.[118] On 21 May 1996, the club was advised by the AFL that they would take part in the 1997 AFL season. [119]

Following confirmation of their entry in 1997, the club began preparations to enter the league. John Cahill began the transition to the AFL, with Stephen Williams taking over the SANFL coaching position from midway through the 1996 season.[120] Cahill then set about forming a group which would form the inaugural squad. Brownlow Medallist and 1990 Port Adelaide premiership player, Gavin Wanganeen was signed from Essendon and made captain of a team made up of six existing Port Adelaide players, two from the Adelaide Crows, seven players from other SANFL clubs and 14 recruits from interstate. The AFL's father-son rule for the club was set at 200 games for SANFL players before 1997, compared to only 100 for Victorian clubs.[121]

On 29 March 1997, Port Adelaide played its first AFL premiership match against Collingwood at the MCG, suffering a 79-point defeat.[123] Port won its first AFL game in round 3 against Geelong,[124] and defeated cross town rivals and eventual premiers Adelaide by 11 points in the first Showdown in round 4.[122] The club finished its first season 9th, missing the finals on percentage behind Brisbane.[125] Following the 1998 season, John Cahill retired from his coaching position.

In 1999 Mark Williams took over as coach of Port Adelaide.[126] They earned a spot in the AFL finals for the first time. They were eliminated by eventual premier, North Melbourne, by 44 points in the Qualifying Final.[127] Port Adelaide had a very successful 2001 season, starting with a maiden pre-season competition victory.[128] Port Adelaide finished their 2001 home and away season in third place,[129] though the club would lose both finals it contested.[130] In 2002, Port Adelaide built on its success and won its first AFL minor premiership. However, they lost to the eventual premiers, the Brisbane Lions in the preliminary final.[129] Port Adelaide continued its minor round dominance in 2003 and again claimed the minor premiership; however like the previous year, Port Adelaide was eliminated in the preliminary final.[129]

Left: 2004 club leading goalkicker, Warren Tredrea.[131]
Right: The 2004 AFL premiership was Port Adelaide's first since joining the league.[132]

Port Adelaide opened the 2004 season well with four straight wins, but then won only four of its next eight games.[133] Between Round 12 and the end of the minor round however, Port Adelaide would only lose a single game and claimed the minor premiership for third consecutive year.[129] Port Adelaide won its qualifying final against Geelong, earning a home preliminary final.[129] Port Adelaide made it through to its first AFL grand final after defeating St Kilda in a preliminary final by six points, with Gavin Wanganeen kicking the winning goal.[129]

The following week Port Adelaide faced the Brisbane Lions, who were attempting to win a record-equalling fourth straight AFL premiership.[129] Port Adelaide lead by 15 points at quarter time, but a strong second quarter by Brisbane meant only one point separated the sides at half time. Late in the third quarter Port Adelaide took the ascendency to lead by 17 points at three-quarter time, and dominated the final term to win by 40 points: 17.11 (113) to 10.13 (73).[129] Byron Pickett was awarded with the Norm Smith Medal after being judged the best player in the match, tallying 20 disposals and kicking three goals.[134]

"Port Adelaide are the winningest team in Australia. The ol' Port Adelaide have won 36 premierships, today, at the MCG, may just be their finest hour."

— Tim Lane's statement at the conclusion of the 2004 AFL Grand Final., [136]

Justin Westhoff made his debut in the 2007 season, along with Robert Gray and Travis Boak[137]

In 2005, Port Adelaide would contest the only Showdown final to date, with rivals Adelaide winning by 83 points.[138] In 2007, Port Adelaide finished the minor round second on the ladder with 15–7 record.[139] Port Adelaide started their finals campaign against the West Coast Eagles at Football Park and won by three points.[140] They proceeded to defeat the Kangaroos in the preliminary final to win by 87 points.[141] This win delivered Port its second Grand Final berth in four years. However, in the grand final they were defeated by Geelong by an AFL record margin of 119 points, 24.19 (163) to Port Adelaide's 6.8 (44) in a crowd of 97,302.[142]

By 2009, Port Adelaide had accumulated a consolidated debt totalling $5.1 million and was unable to pay its players; they had lost $1.6 million the season before.[143] The AFL delayed giving the club financial support, instead urging it to sort out deals with SANFL as a predecessor to any league support.[144] On 20 May, Port were handed $2.5 million in debt relief by the SANFL,[143] and on 15 June were handed a $1 million grant by the AFL commission.[145] Plans for a re-merging the two teams was rejected by the SANFL early during 2010,[146] though they would eventually sign off on the proposal during November 2010. [147]

"He (Demetriou) said he could not imagine an AFL competition without Port Adelaide in it. I thought that was a really strong statement of leadership."

— Keith Thomas at a press conference upon the retirement of Andrew Demetriou., [148]

The 2010 season would see Mark Williams step down as senior coach.[149] Matthew Primus took over as caretaker coach for Port Adelaide after Mark Williams stood down.[150] He would lead the club to five wins from its final seven games.[151]

On 9 September 2010, Matthew Primus was appointed as the senior coach of the club for the next three years.[152] The SANFL sought to take control of Port Adelaide in 2011. Despite underwriting $5 million of Port's debt in 2010, the takeover failed when the SANFL was unable to get a line of credit to cover Port Adelaide's future debts.[153] After the failure of the takeover, AFL Chief executive Andrew Demetriou offered $9 million over the next three years to help the club, ahead of the move to the Adelaide Oval.[154] Port Adelaide suffered its worst season result in 141 years, finishing sixteenth with 3 wins for the season. Rounds 20 and 21 saw the club lose to Collingwood and Hawthorn by record margins of 138 and 165 respectively.[155] The following season, a loss against expansion team Greater Western Sydney resulted in senior coach Matthew Primus stepping down. Assistant coach, Garry Hocking, took over for the remaining four games.[156]

In 2014, Port Adelaide returned to Adelaide Oval as its home ground for the first time since the 1976 SANFL season.

On 8 October 2012, Ken Hinkley was announced as the new senior coach of the club. During the same week, David Koch was named chairman of the club and numerous board members were replaced.[157] The club finished the home and away season 7th on the ladder, qualifying for finals for the first time since 2007. Port travelled to Melbourne to play Collingwood at the MCG in an Elimination Final where they won by 24 points; they then lost to Geelong by 16 points the following week in a Semi-final.[158][159]

The 2014 season saw both Port Adelaide and Adelaide move their home ground from Football Park to the redeveloped Adelaide Oval.[15] Port Adelaide signed up a record 48,968 members for the 2014 season, an increase of 23% from the previous year, and averaged 44,824 at home games.[160][161] Port Adelaide finished fifth on the ladder, with a win-loss record of 14-8.[162] They hosted Richmond in the elimination finals, kicking the first seven goals of the game and leading by as much as 87 points before recording a 57-point victory.[163] After defeating Fremantle in the semi-finals, the club's season ended with a three-point loss to Hawthorn in the preliminary finals.[164]

In 2017, Port Adelaide made finals after winning 14 games to finish fifth on the ladder.[165] Port Adelaide's season came to an end in an elimination final loss to West Coast by 2 points in extra time.[166] In the 2020 AFL season, Port Adelaide qualified for the finals as minor premiers for the first time since 2004,[167] making it to the preliminary final and being defeated by eventual premiers Richmond by 6 points.[168]

The tradition dictating that the captain of the Port Adelaide Football Club wear the number one guernsey started when Clifford Keal wore the number as club captain for the first time in 1924.[169] The tradition was cemented, at least in the eyes of then-secretary Charles Hayter, when in 1929 he received a letter from a junior Kilkenny player requesting a number one Port Adelaide guernsey as he had just become captain of his underage team.[170] Charles Hayter granted the wish of the junior and provided him with a number one Port Adelaide guernsey.[170] Since 1924, there have been few exceptions to the tradition. The most notable exception was Geof Motley, who followed the captaincy of Fos Williams. Following his appointment as captain-coach, Motley elected to continue wearing the number 17, and continued to do so for the remainder of his career.[169] When Motley handed the captaincy to John Cahill in 1967, at the insistence of coach Fos Williams, the tradition of Port Adelaide captains wearing the number one guernsey resumed.[169] When co-captains were appointed for the 2019 season the No. 1 guernsey was temporarily retired.[169] It was re-instated the following season, after the club returned to appointing a single captain.[171]

The white number panel on the back of the Port Adelaide guernsey originates from the first decade of the twentieth century when club secretary James Hodge took the club across Australia to play matches against interstate teams.[172] During the early 1900s, it was commonplace that touring teams would wear numbers, allowing spectators to identify unknown footballers.[173] Port Adelaide attached a white square to the back of its jumper, with black numbers to be printed on the square. This design would be used interchangeably with a black square and white numbers, the latter becoming the design of choice until 1928. The club introduced a 'permanent' white panel for the 1928 season, which would remain until the club was forced to merge with West Torrens during WWII. The club has used the panel continuously since 1953 in the SANFL. The panel was also present on the club's inaugural AFL jumper, before being phased out after 2009.[174] The number panel returned to the club's guernsey in 2017.[175]

In addition to its long time use by the club, the number panel is also used as a reflection of a local Magpie species, present on the badge of South Australia.[176]

Left: Harold Oliver wearing Port Adelaide's famous Wharf Pylon or "Prison Bar" guernsey.
Right: Clifford Cocks wearing the first Port Adelaide guernsey with the number panel attached to the back for a trip to Western Australia in 1910.[177]

The Port Adelaide Football Club adopted the black and white Wharf Pylon / "Prison Bar" guernsey in the 1902 season, after having difficulty finding magenta and blue dyes that would repeatedly last the rigours of an Australian rules football match.[16] The guernsey was designed to be a literal depiction of the wharves and pylons that were prominent along the docks of Port Adelaide at the turn of the 20th century.[176] Prior to adopting the Wharf Pylon / "Prison Bar" guernsey the club had won 3 premierships over 31 years. After adopting the Wharf Pylon / "Prison Bar" guernsey, the club would win 33 premierships and 3 Championships of Australia in the guernsey.[16]

"Anyone that put on the guernsey acted like the guernsey intended it to act. It wasn't built around the player wearing the guernsey. It was the guernsey using a player."

— Retired Port Adelaide player and coach Fos Williams explaining the mythology of the guernsey in 1981., [178]

The "Prison Bar" nickname first originated from fans of the rival football clubs, in particular those of Norwood. The nickname was used in a derogatory fashion, in an attempt to liken the club to a criminal stereotype. The nickname first appeared in media in early 1993, in a match report written by former cricketer Alan Shiell.[16]

Upon joining the AFL, Port Adelaide, along with being required to find a new logo, song and nickname, was also forced to replace the Prison Bar guernsey because existing club Collingwood, already using the Magpie logo and nickname, also wore a similar guernsey with vertical black and white stripes.[17] A new guernsey was ultimately created, incorporating teal into its design.[179] The club was first granted the right to wear an AFL-approved prison-bar guernsey (a replica of the 1914 premiership design) in the heritage round of the 2003 season.[16]

In 2007, the club was waiting for confirmation from the AFL that it could wear its 1970s' "Prison Bar" guernsey for a match against the Western Bulldogs, after the AFL declined them the previous year,[180] and wanted confirmation it would be able do so in any future heritage rounds. On 14 May 2007, the AFL and Port Adelaide reached an agreement whereby the club could wear its traditional guernsey in the heritage round, with the proviso that in future seasons its players can only wear it in home heritage round games and provided that such a game is not against Collingwood.[181] No heritage rounds have been held since this agreement was reached.[182]

In 2014 the AFL declined Port Adelaide permission to wear its traditional guernsey for celebrating of 100 years since its 1914 Championship of Australia.[183] On 2 September 2014, the AFL cleared the club to use the guernsey in their final against Richmond, following controversy about their prior decision to have Port Adelaide wear their clash strip.[184] For their 150th anniversary, the club was granted permission to wear the guernsey in their two Showdown matches in the 2020 season.[185]

Support for the guernsey remains extremely high, with a merchandise for a game against Carlton in 2013 generating over $500,000.[186] On 9 September 2020, it was revealed that memorabilia associated with the Prison Bar guernsey raised $2,000,000 for the club in 2020 and the Prison Bar guernsey itself was the highest selling piece of merchandise in the AFL that year.[187] Towards the end of 2018, a group of supporters organised to push for the return of the club's traditional guernsey full time from the start of the 2020 AFL season, to coincide with the club's 150th anniversary year, and a supporter petition in 2019 calling for the reinstatement of the guernsey reached 10,000 signatures.[188][189]

Over the years, Port Adelaide has used various songs and music at its games. In its first season during 1870 the club invited local brass bands to play during the club's first games at Glanville.[192]

In 1882 a song based on Harry Clifton's "Work, Boys, Work (and be contented)" was written for the club as a tribute to the recently retired player Thomas Smith.[193] Following the end of the First World War, the club adopted the song was "The Pride of Port Adelaide is my football team". The song remained in use until 1971.[194]

In 1971, Port Adelaide secretary Bob McLean decided to change the club song to "Cheer, Cheer the Black and the White" after hearing the South Melbourne Football Club's song based on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team's "Victory March".[195] As Sydney was already using the Notre Dame Victory March when Port entered the AFL, the club was forced to find a new song. Cheer, Cheer the Black and the White is still used by the club in the SANFL competition.[196]

Due to the club's need for a new song upon their entry to the AFL, Port Adelaide adopted "Power to Win", written for the club by Quentin Eyers and Les Kaczmarek. The song was first played at AFL level after Port's win against Geelong in Round 3, 1997 at Football Park.[197] Since 2016, an alternative Pitjantjatjara language version of the song ('Nganana wanangara kanyini' – literally, 'We have the lightning bolt') has been used by the club on occasions such as Indigenous Round.[198] Because the club is not officially known as 'Port Power' but just 'The Power', the line in the song "..til the flag is ours for the taking, Port Power!" was eventually changed, removing the word 'Port' and the song was re-recorded.

Since March 2014, Port Adelaide has used "Never Tear Us Apart" by the Australian band INXS as the club's unofficial anthem leading up to the opening bounce at its new home of Adelaide Oval.[199] The song is used as a reference to the various and unique difficulties the club faced when trying to enter the AFL.[200] Port Adelaide's use of the song stemmed from a trip the club took to Anfield in November 2012 while they were in England to play an exhibition match against the Western Bulldogs.[200] During a meeting in mid 2013, the idea of an anthem was raised and "Never Tear Us Apart" by INXS was suggested by Port Adelaide's events manager, Tara MacLeod.[200] It was eventually accepted, due to the fact that the song resonated with the club's history in regards to the separation of its SANFL and AFL operations.[200] Initially the song was introduced to coincide with the 60-second countdown before the start of a match, with the music playing over the top of a video montage. The song proved to be a success among the fans, with them adopting the song as well as raising scarves above their heads as the song was being sung.[200]

Port Adelaide's two joint logos for the club's AFL and SANFL teams, in use until 2019

Port Adelaide has adopted different insignia's on several occasions throughout its history. The original club crest, adopted in 1900, featured a tan football and magpies perched on a gum tree with a black and white striped flag on the left and the Australian Red Ensign on the right.[201] The ensign switched to blue sporadically through the 1910s before the flags were dropped in 1928.[201] From 1930 to 1996, the logo always featured a dexter (left-facing) magpie perched upon a gum branch (1930 to 1953) and a fence wire (1954 to 1974).[201] The last Magpies-specific logo, used by the club between 1975 and 2019 in the SANFL, was situated inside a circular disc as was the case at all other SANFL clubs. It made mention of "Magpies" in the logo for the first time and was the longest standing in the club's history.[201]

Upon entering the AFL in 1997, Port were required to adopt colours and insignia that distinguished it from Collingwood, who already had the nickname of the 'Magpies'. The club designed a new logo with a sliver fist clutching a lightning bolt, in front of both a Prion Bar design and teal background, showcasing both new colours the club adopted.[201] The logo was slightly altered in 2001 with the lightning bolt and fist defined and the reference to "Port" dropped.[201] Ahead of the 2020 season, Port Adelaide's 150th anniversary, the club unveiled a commemorative logo to be worn by both the senior AFL team and reserves SANFL team. The current logo features the "PA" acronym, 1870 to acknowledge the foundation year, the black-and-white prison bars, the chevron design of the AFL guernsey and a teal outline.[202]

After foundation, it was decided that Port Adelaide's home ground would Glanville Hall Estate, a property owned by the inaugural president John Hart Jr.'s family.[18][203] The area in which the teams played was often referred to as 'Buck's Flat'. The club was forced to cease using the ground following 1979, as the property was sold at an auction.[204]

Alberton Oval

Alberton Oval has been Port Adelaide's home ground in the SANFL since 1880, excluding 1975 and 1976.[14] Following the end of its operations at Glanville Hall, Port Adelaide was forced to find a new ground to operate from. It was decided that the club would use Alberton Oval for the 1880 season. On 15 May 1880, Port Adelaide played its first match at Alberton Oval.[205] The following year, the decision was made by the club to start leasing the oval from the Port Adelaide Council for the sum of 10 shillings a year.[206] The club is also used for training purposes for both AFL and SANFL operations, with SANFL training temporarily moving to Ethelton between 1997 and 2001.[207]

In 1975 and 1976, Port Adelaide was temporarily locked out of the ground following a dispute between the Port Adelaide Council, the SANFL and the Club over seating arrangements at the ground. The club would usually split its seating revenue 50/50 with the SANFL during this time period, an arrangement the SANFL held with each club. However, the Port Adelaide Council wanted to take 50% of all game day revenue, leaving the remaining half to the two to split between themselves. In 1975, the SANFL refused to accept the offer for the ground provided by the council, resulting in the temporary suspension of Port Adelaide's lease on the ground. This prevented Port Adelaide from playing any games at the venue and, the following year, training at the venue. Pending the 1977 season, the issues between the council and the club were resolved and the club was permitted to return that year.[96]

The ground possesses two notable grandstands named after individuals important to the club. The Fos Williams Family Stand is oldest remaining structure at Alberton Oval, first constructed in 1903.[208] The other grandstand, the Robert B. Quinn MM Grandstand, was first opened in 1972.[209] The ground also has the bordering Allan Scott Power Headquarters, named after the club's initial major sponsor, opened in 1999.[210]

Football Park

Port Adelaide first played at Football Park on 15 June 1974.[211] Despite not being officially recognised as a 'home ground' in the SANFL, it would host all night matches,[212] as well as all finals between 1974 and 2014 regardless of 'home' team.[213] During 1975 and 1976, Port Adelaide sold some of their home games (to be played at their temporary home, Adelaide Oval) to Football Park.[96]

Upon the club's entry to the AFL, fellow South Australian club Adelaide was already using the ground for their home matches. The club was assigned the ground as its home venue, alongside its existing tenants.[214] Port Adelaide's first official AFL match at the ground was on 6 April 1997, where they were defeated by Essendon by 33 points.[215]

Planned upgrades to the stadium were cancelled following news that Port Adelaide, alongside both Adelaide and the SANFL, would make use of Adelaide Oval from 2014 onward, following redevelopment of the oval.[216] It hosted its final AFL match on the 31st of August that year, where Port Adelaide was defeated by a point by Carlton.[214] The ground remains the headquarters of Adelaide, though features such as the ground's grandstands have been demolished.[217]

Adelaide Oval

Adelaide Oval is the current home ground of Port Adelaide's AFL team, shared with Adelaide.[218]

Adelaide Oval has historically been used for SANFL Finals (until 1974) and the Championship of Australia match. During the 1975 and 1976 seasons, Port Adelaide's SANFL Team was forced to play out of the ground following their dispute with the local council, using it for both match day playing and training purposes over the period.[96] Its role as the primary venue for SANFL finals was supplanted by Football Park, following disagreements between the SANFL and South Australian Cricket Association (SACA).[219]

Following extensive redevelopment in the early 2010s and negotiations between the SANFL and SACA over the use of the ground,[220] the ground was cleared for football usage purposes, allowing Port Adelaide to use the ground as its home ground from the 2014 season onwards.[221] Port Adelaide also played the first official AFL match at the venue in 2011 against Melbourne.[222]

Adelaide Oval has two notable stands named after significant Port Adelaide individuals, the Fos Williams Stand, and the Gavin Wanganeen Stand. Both were named after the redevelopment of the Eastern Stand at the ground, and are featured alongside other famous individuals from the SANFL and Adelaide.[223]

Fos Williams authored the club's creed in 1962.[224][225]

Port Adelaide has a fierce rivalry with fellow South Australian AFL team Adelaide. Matches between the two teams are known as the Showdown. The rivalry between Adelaide and Port Adelaide is often considered the best, and most bitter, in the Australian Football League with Malcolm Blight, Australian Football Hall of Fame Legend, stating in 2009 that "there is no doubt it is the greatest rivalry in football."[226] The Showdown rivalry also significantly draws upon the bitter, winner take all, competition for the two South Australian licences to join the AFL in the 1980s and early 1990s.[227]

This rivalry dates back to 1997, the inaugural season of Port Adelaide and the newly merged Brisbane Lions. In their early days, the two clubs couldn't be separated and had multiple close encounters, with a draw in two of their first three meetings.[228] In the early 2000s, the rivalry reached its peak as the two clubs would be the most dominant of the era, meeting in consecutive finals series between from 2001 to 2004 and consistently finishing at the top of the Ladder.[229] The most notable meeting between the two sides is the 2004 AFL Grand Final, where Port Adelaide ended Brisbane's chances of a fourth consecutive premiership. In recent years, the rivalry has died down.[230]

Norwood and Port Adelaide playing in the 1921 SANFL Grand Final.

The rivalry between Port Adelaide and the Norwood Football Club is one the longest standing rivalries in South Australian league football.[231] The rivalry between the two clubs first began in 1882, where Port Adelaide's first win over Norwood, held at Adelaide Oval, was controversially overruled by the league, with a follow up game overshadowed by a misunderstanding at the gate which almost prevented Norwood players accessing the venue.[232] The clubs met in 14 grand finals prior to Port's accession into the AFL and share over 60 premierships between them.[231] Norwood would bring Port Adelaide's own record run of six premierships to an end defeating them by 27 points in the 1960 Preliminary Final.[233] They have met in three Grand Finals following Port Adelaide's entry to the AFL, with Port winning in 1999 and Norwood winning in 1997 and 2014.[234] The two clubs are the only clubs in any of the elite Australian Rules Football leagues (the SANFL, WAFL, and VFL/AFL) to win six successive premierships.[235][236]

• Chairman: David Koch
• Chief executive: Matthew Richardson
• Football operations: Chris Davies
• Board members:
  • Kevin Osborn (deputy chairman)
  • Cos Cardone
  • Gavin Wanganeen
  • Ross Haslam
  • Holly Ransom
  • Jamie Restas
  • Richard Ryan
  • Trevor Thiele
  • Amanda Vanstone
  • Dylan Pilkington

• GFG Alliance
• KFC
• MG Motor

• Ausgold
• Cathay Pacific
• Shanghai Cred
• Haneco Lighting
• Four'n Twenty

• Macron (2021–present)[238]

• Nike (1997–2006)
• Reebok (2007–2012)
• ISC (2013–2020)

Sammy Lunn was a famous Port Adelaide supporter during the 1910s and 1920s who would shout rhymes at games. He was also a celebrated fundraiser for returned servicemen.

The Port Adelaide Football Club has historically drawn its supporter base in and around historical working class Port Adelaide. However, this support has spread to many coastal locations in Adelaide (from Outer Harbour down to West Beach), in much of the inner-Western suburbs, throughout the North-Eastern suburbs in Campbelltown and Tea Tree Gully, in many of the Southern suburbs (such as Aberfoyle Park and Flagstaff Hill), as well as throughout the Adelaide Hills and country South Australia.

Port Adelaide has many supporter groups from all around Australia, with every state and territory except Tasmania having an officially recognised supporter group. Among these, the Port Adelaide Cheer Squad, the official supporter group from Adelaide, creates banners to be used by the club and has official seating to cheer at home games.[239] There are also a number of unofficial supporter groups who perform activities for the club and its fans, such as the Outer Army and the Alberton Crowd.[240][241]

• David Koch – Seven Network's Sunrise co-host, current club chairman[242]
• Stuart O'Grady – Australian professional road bicycle racer[243]
• Teresa Palmer – Australian model and actress[244]
• Bob Quinn – former Port Adelaide player[245]
• Tony Santic – owner of racehorse Makybe Diva[246]

Left: China partnership banner displayed at a Port Adelaide home game at Adelaide Oval.
Right: Jiangwan Stadium in Shanghai where Port Adelaide played an annual fixture between 2017 and 2019.

On 14 April 2016, Port Adelaide announced it had struck a three-year multimillion-dollar partnership with leading Chinese property developer Shanghai Cred, where Port Adelaide would take primary responsibility for developing Australian rules football in China. This involved the club holding annual training camps and providing sponsorship in China, as well as producing AFL programs and broadcasting games in the country via China Central Television and other networks.[247][248] The same day, it was announced by then Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull that Port Adelaide had an intention to play an in-season AFL match in China.[249] Port Adelaide also runs an Australian rules football program in over 20 Chinese schools culminating in a football carnival the same week the AFL premiership match is held in Shanghai.[250]

Richie Bray is Port Adelaide's first known Indigenous premiership player.[251]

The first AFL game played for premiership points was played in May 2017 between the Gold Coast Suns and Port Adelaide.[252] In October 2018, the AFL announced St Kilda would be taking over from the Gold Coast Suns in the China fixture, citing funding as an issue.[253] Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the match was not played in the 2020 or 2021 AFL seasons.[254][255]

The Port Adelaide Football Club has had a long connection to the indigenous community. Initial club president John Hart Jr., alongside his father, were the founders of the club-operated 'The Adelaide Milling and Mercantile Company' in Port Adelaide, which employed Kaurna people alongside non-indigenous workers as early as the 1850s.[256] John Hart Sr advocated for other settlers to refrain from killing and eating black swans as they were a totem of the Kaurna people.[256] Harry Hewitt was named in Port Adelaide's side when they defeated Fitzroy by two goals on Adelaide Oval in 1891 and is the club's first known Indigenous Australian player.[257] Richie Bray became the club's first known Indigenous player to win a premiership, featuring in the 1962, 1963 and 1965 premierships winning teams.[251]

In 2008, the club started the Aboriginal Power Cup to help promote academic and healthy outcomes for indigenous students in South Australia.[258]

In the Port Adelaide clubrooms at Alberton Oval there is a large wooden honour board with gold text that details every season of the club from 1870 to the present.[259]