Port Adelaide Football Club

Port Adelaide Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Alberton, South Australia. The club's senior team plays in the Australian Football League (AFL), where they are nicknamed the Power, whilst its reserves team competes in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL), where they are nicknamed the Magpies. Port Adelaide are the oldest professional sporting club in South Australia and the fifth-oldest club in the AFL. Since the club's founding on 12 May 1870, the club has won 36 South Australian league premierships, including six in a row, records which are unequaled in the SANFL or AFL. The club also won the early 20th century Champions of Australia competition on a record four occasions.[3][4] After successfully obtaining a licence in 1994 the club began competing in the AFL in 1997, and subsequently added the 2004 AFL premiership to its list of achievements. Port Adelaide is the only pre-existing non-Victorian club to have entered the AFL.

Port Adelaide Football Club
Names
Full name	Port Adelaide Football Club Limited[1]
Motto	We Are Port Adelaide[2] Never Tear Us Apart
2019 season
Home-and-away season	10th
Leading goalkicker	Connor Rozee (29 goals)
Club details
Founded	12 May 1870 (1870-05-12)
Colours	Black      White      Teal      Silver
Competition	AFL: Senior men SANFL: Reserves men
Chairman	David Koch
CEO	Keith Thomas
Coach	AFL: Ken Hinkley SANFL: Matthew Lokan
Captain(s)	AFL: Tom Jonas SANFL: Cameron Sutcliffe
Premierships	AFL (1) 2004 Championship of Australia (4) 1890 1910 1913 1914 SANFL (36) 1884 1890 1897 1903 1906 1910 1913 1914 1921 1928 1936 1937 1939 1951 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1962 1963 1965 1977 1979 1980 1981 1988 1989 1990 1992 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 SA Patriotic League (2) 1916 1917 SANFL merger league (1) 1942 (as Port-Torrens)
Ground(s)	AFL: Adelaide Oval (53,583) SANFL: Alberton Oval (17,000)
Former ground(s)	Football Park (1974–2013)
Training ground(s)	Alberton Oval
Uniforms
Home Clash Traditional
Other information
Official website	portadelaidefc.com.au

Club history

Main article: History of the Port Adelaide Football Club

See also: Australian rules football in South Australia

1870–1876: Formation years

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.

By the late 1860s Port Adelaide's river traffic was growing rapidly. The increasing economic activity around the waterways ultimately resulted in a meeting being organised by young Port Adelaide locals John Rann, Mr. Leicester and Mr. Ireland with the intention to form a sporting club to benefit the growing number of workers associated with the wharfes and surrounding industries.[5] As a result of their meeting the Port Adelaide Football Club was established on 12 May 1870 as part of a joint Australian football and cricket club. The first training session of the newly formed club took place two days later.[6] The Port Adelaide Football Club played its first match against a newly established club from North Adelaide called the Young Australian. The club's first home ground was the family property of inaugural club president John Hart Jr in Glanville. John Hart Sr would become premier of South Australia the week following the first match.[7] During these early years, 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. 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.

1877–1889: SAFA founder, Adelaide Oval, Alberton Oval and first premiership

Top: The club's first premiership team in 1884.
Bottom: In 1889 Port Adelaide played Norwood in the first "Grand Final" due to their identical minor round records. 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.[8] For the first few seasons in the SAFA the club competed in magenta guernseys and white shorts.[9]

In 1878, Port Adelaide hosted its first game against the recently established Norwood Football Club with the visitors winning 1–0. A rivalry between these clubs would soon develop into one of the fiercest in Australian sport (See Port Adelaide–Norwood SANFL rivalry).[10]

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.

In 1880, Port Adelaide moved to Alberton Oval which remains to this day the club's training and administrative headquarters. In 1881, Port Adelaide played its first game against Carlton at Adelaide Oval. Later that year the club travelled to Victoria and played its first game outside South Australia against the Sale Football Club.[11] During the 1882 season Port Adelaide overcame Norwood for the first time after nine previous attempts winning by 1 goal at Adelaide Oval. On 2 July 1883 Port Adelaide played its first game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground against Melbourne.[12]

In 1884, Port Adelaide won its first SAFA premiership, ending Norwood's run of six premierships. 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.[13]

In 1887, immense interest led into the round 8 meeting against Norwood, as the previous two matches between the clubs resulted in draws. Norwood won in front of a then-record 11,000 spectators at Adelaide Oval.[14] Attending the match were Chinese Commissioners to the Jubilee Exhibition General Wong Yang Ho and Console-General Yu Chiung who were provided the South Australian premiers private box at Adelaide Oval.[15]

During 1889, the club played against the Richmond Football Club at Punt Road, with Port prevailing by a goal.[16] The 1889 SAFA season ended with Port Adelaide and Norwood equal top, leading to the staging of Australia's first grand final. Norwood went on to defeat Port Adelaide by two goals.

1890–1901: First national success and last wooden spoon

Top Left: Ken McKenzie was Port Adelaide captain for eight years during the 1890s. He is pictured as he appeared in Melbourne newspaper The Sportsman in 1893.
Top Right: Harry Phillips won the clubs best and fairest in 1888, 91, 92 and 93 along with Port Adelaide's 1890 Championship of Australia.
Bottom Left: Indigenous Australian Harry Hewitt was named in Port Adelaide's side when they defeated Fitzroy by two goals on Adelaide Oval in 1891.
Bottom Right: Fanatical Port Adelaide fan William Whicker wearing a striped magenta and blue guernsey. Magenta was used from 1877 until 1901 when the dye became too difficult to obtain and maintain.

In 1890 Port Adelaide won its second SAFA premiership and would go on to be crowned "Champions of Australia" for the first time after defeating VFA premiers South Melbourne. In 1891 the club defeated Fitzroy at Adelaide Oval with Indigenous Australian Harry Hewitt playing for Port Adelaide.[17]

1890 Championship of Australia	Score
Port Adelaide	7
South Melbourne	6
Venue: Adelaide Oval

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 clubs committee to meet with the aim of revitalising the club. Historian John Devaney suggested that there was a "conscious and deliberate cultivation by both the committee and the team's on field leaders of a revitalised club spirit, whereby playing for Port Adelaide became a genuine source of pride".[18] It had immediate results and in 1897 Port Adelaide won a third premiership finishing the season with a record of 14–2–1 with a scoring record two and a half times its conceded total. 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.

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.

1902–1915: Black and white and the pre-war invincibles

Top: Club legend Harold Oliver taking a mark in the 1914 SAFL Semi-final against Sturt at Adelaide Oval.
Bottom: 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.[19] 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.[20] The 1902 SAFA premiership would subsequently be awarded to North Adelaide after they defeated South Adelaide in the Grand Final a week later.[21] Port Adelaide offered to play North Adelaide in a premiership deciding match, but the association refused.[22] The first premiership after the dispute came the following year when Port Adelaide defeated South Adelaide 6.6 (42) to 5.5 (35) in the 1903 SAFA Challenge Final. In 1906 Port Adelaide appointed James Hodge as club secretary. Hodge would quickly earn the nickname 'Columbus' after taking the club on trips to play exhibition games all across Australia.[23] That year would also see further premiership when Port defeated North Adelaide 8.12 (60) to 5.9 (39) in the year's Grand Final. During the early stages of the 1907 season, Port Adelaide travelled to Sydney to play a combination of the cities best players. The game was marketed as 'Port Adelaide vs. Sydney' with the harbour city side taking the honours 8.9 (57) to 5.14 (44).[24]

1910 Championship of Australia	G	B	Total
Port Adelaide	15	20	110
Collingwood	7	9	51
Venue: Adelaide Oval

1910 Port Adelaide vs. WAFL[25]	G	B	Total
WAFL	6	12	48
Port Adelaide	6	17	53
Venue: Fremantle Oval

Port Adelaide won the SAFL premiership in 1910 defeating Sturt 8.12 (60) to 5.11 (41) in the Grand Final. The club would go on to defeat Collingwood for the 1910 Championship of Australia title. During the 1910 post season, seeking revenge for their loss the year before, Port Adelaide travelled to Western Australia and beat East Fremantle by 12 points. To conclude the trip Port Adelaide played a combination of some of the WAFL's best players and achieved a remarkable victory scoring 6.17 (53) to 6.12 (48), with Sampson Hosking named best on ground.[26] 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).[27]

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, the second of these encounters in front of a pre war South Australian record crowd of 28,500. During the 1912 preseason, Port Adelaide travelled to Tasmania and took on a combination of players from various Tasmanian Football League (TFL) sides. The game would prove to be very competitive with Port Adelaide defeating the TFL combination 7.13 (55) to 6.6 (42).[28]

1913 Championship of Australia	G	B	Total
Port Adelaide	13	16	94
Fitzroy	4	7	31
Venue: Adelaide Oval

During the 1913 preseason, Port Adelaide travelled back to Western Australia to play East Fremantle again with the local side winning for a second time 6.6 (42) to 4.12 (36). Despite this inauspicious preseason the club would break through 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 and Fitzroy 13.16 (94) to 4.7 (31) for the 1913 Championship of Australia.

Port Adelaide v South Australia	G	B	Total
South Australia	5	10	40
Port Adelaide	14	14	98
Venue: Jubilee Oval

1914 Championship of Australia	G	B	Total
Port Adelaide	9	16	70
Carlton	5	6	36
Venue: Adelaide Oval

The 1914 Port Adelaide Football Club season is widely regarded as one of the best in Australian rules football history. 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). The club would then meet VFL premiers Carlton on Adelaide Oval, defeating the Victorian club by 34 points to claim a record fourth Championship of Australia. 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.[29] Key players from this era were Harold Oliver, Angelo Congear and Sampson Hosking who all share the unique distinction of playing in three Championships of Australia together as well all taking part in South Australia's first victorious Australian National Football Carnival in 1911.[30]

1919–1949: Two World Wars and the Great Depression

Left: 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.[31]
Right: Cartoon from the South Australian Football Budget after Port Adelaide's start to the 1928 SANFL season.

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

After World War I, Harold Oliver, arguably the state's best player, was close to retiring from league football playing only 1 game in 1919 and 8 in 1920. However keen supporters of the club hoping to replicate its pre-war success raised funds and bought him a motorbike so he could commute from his farm in Berri for the 1921 season.[32] Oliver would captain the club to the 1921 premiership, winning his fourth in the process. In 1922 after playing only 5 league matches for the season his football career came to an end due to commitments regarding his farm and disputes regarding game compensation. His contract termination meant he was paid £76 of £100 pounds for the season making him one of the highest-paid footballers of the era.[33] 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.[34] In following seasons most of Port Adelaide's champion players from before the war started to retire and the club's performances declined.[35]

Left: Bob Quinn chaired off after winning the 1939 SANFL Grand Final. Upon returning from World War II service in Tobruk and East Timor where he was badly injured, Quinn would resume with Port Adelaide win a second Magarey Medal in 1945, and be selected as the first captain of an All-Australian team by Sporting Life magazine in 1947.
Right: Haydn Bunton Sr joined Port Adelaide for the 1945 season forming a formidable ruck trio with Bob Quinn and Bob McLean.

1939 SANFL Grand Final	G	B	Total
Port Adelaide	16	28	124
West Torrens	11	11	77
Venue: Adelaide Oval	crowd: 44,885

As was the case in the 1890s, the depression of the early 1930s hit the club hard with players moving interstate to secure employment.[35] 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, 1937 and 1939. 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. Many Port Adelaide players also enlisted for military service during this time.[36] In 1941 Port Adelaide suffered its first player casualties from war since World War I with Lloyd Rudd and Jack Wade both killed on the Allies' front in France. Four more players would be killed through the war: Maxwell Carmichael, George Quinn, Christopher Johnston and Halcombe Brock.[37][38]

1942 Wartime fundraiser	G	B	Total
Port Adelaide/West Torrens	20	23	113
"The Rest"	20	21	111
Venue: Adelaide Oval				[39]

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 merging with nearby West Torrens from 1942 to 1944. The joint club would play in all three Grand Finals during this period, winning the 1942 instalment but losing the 1943 and 1944 editions to the Norwood-North Adelaide combination. Normal competition resumed in 1945. After finishing his military service Haydn Bunton Sr., now a triple Brownlow and Sandover medallist, joined the club for his final season.[40] However, despite this addition Port Adelaide was unable to regain its pre-war success with West Torrens mounting a remarkable comeback to win the 1945 SANFL Grand Final in what was the only one Bunton's career. The first ever 'All-Australian' side concept was created by Sporting Life magazine in 1947 with Bob Quinn named the sides captain.

1950–1973: Fos Williams era and Jack Oatey rivalry

Fos Williams coached Port Adelaide to nine premierships

At the end of the 1949, having missed two finals series in a row, the Port Adelaide Football Club had become desperate to improve its on-field performances. The club's committee subsequently sought out a coach that could win the club its next premiership.

Eventually a decision was made which would influence the next 50 years of the Port Adelaide Football Club with Foster Neil Williams, a brilliant rover from West Adelaide, being appointed captain-coach of the club. Williams brought to the club a new coaching style based on success at any cost which was succinctly encapsulated in the legendary club creed he eventually wrote in 1962. During his second season as coach in 1951, Williams led Port to their first official premiership (excluding World War II competition) for 9 seasons, defeating North Adelaide by 11 points. 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) in front of 25,000 people.[41] Port Adelaide would make the Grand Final again in 1953 against local rivals West Torrens in what would be the Eagles last appearance before merging with Woodville. West Torrens would disappoint Port Adelaide, winning the 1953 premiership by 7 points.

1957 SANFL Grand Final	G	B	Total
Port Adelaide	15	15	105
Norwood	13	16	94
Venue: Adelaide Oval	Crowd: 58,924

Port Adelaide's run of disappointment from the 1952 and 1953 seasons would prove to be short lived with the club subsequently going on to win a national record six Grand Finals in a row from 1954 to 1959. The club had a win-loss-draw record of 105–16–1 (86%) over the six-year period. During the 1950s Port Adelaide and Melbourne, often the premiers of South Australian and Victorian leagues, played exhibition matches at Norwood Oval. The most notable game was the 1955 match with an estimated crowd of 23,000. The game being a thriller going 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 Norm Smith's demons.[42][43] The following year Melbourne was full of praise for their cross border challenger with those in the Demons camp agreeing that "Port Adelaide could take their place in the V.F.L. competition and do themselves credit".[44]

Geof Motley took over the captain-coaching role at the club in 1959 when Williams left to take a break from the game. That year the club won the premiership setting a national record of sixth consecutive Grand Final victories. 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. For the following two seasons Port Adelaide would finish third.

1965 SANFL Grand Final Fos Williams ninth premiership.	G	B	Total
Port Adelaide	12	8	80
Sturt	12	5	77
Venue: Adelaide Oval	Crowd: 62,543[45]

Fos Williams returned in 1962 and Port Adelaide won three of the next four premierships taking his personal tally to nine and the club's record to 10 of the last 15 premierships. At the end of 1962 the Woodville Football Club, based in a neighbouring suburb to Alberton, was admitted to the SANFL in an attempt to weaken Port Adelaide via taking up some of its suburban recruiting zone. In 1965, Fos Williams coached his last premiership in-front of 62,543 people, the largest ever crowd at Adelaide Oval. In that game Port Adelaide defeat Sturt by 3 points. 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. In all, despite playing in 6 of the next 10 grand finals, Port Adelaide would fail to win a premiership until 1977.

1974–1998: John Cahill, SANFL domination and AFL entry

Statue of Russell Ebert outside Adelaide Oval.

One of Port Adelaide's finest players during the Fos Williams era was John Cahill. He eventually became William's protégé and ultimately took over as coach in 1974. 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. In 1976 Cahill would subsequently take Port Adelaide to its first Grand Final under his leadership against Sturt with an official attendance of 66,897, the record for football in South Australia. The actual crowd was estimated at 80,000, much bigger than the official figure as Football Park ran out of tickets early and were forced to shut the gates 90 minutes before the bounce as people were being crushed on entry.[46] Sturt won in an upset by 41 points.

In 1977 the dispute regarding Alberton Oval was resolved and the club moved back to its home ground and won that years premiership breaking an 11-year drought which at the time was Port Adelaide longest since competing in an organised football competition.

1977 SANFL Grand Final	G	B	Total
Port Adelaide	17	11	113
Glenelg	16	9	105
Venue: Football Park	Crowd: 56,717[47]

"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., [48]

The 1980 season was Port Adelaide's most dominant since 1914. All SANFL divisions of the club made finals with both the league and reserve sides winning their respective premierships. Russell Ebert won his record 4th Magarey Medal. Tim Evans set the then-league goal kicking record of 146 goals in a season. The club provided seven players to the state league team (Ebert, Evans, Cunningham, Phillips, Williams, Giles and Faletic). The club set a new record for most points scored during the whole season at 3,421 whilst also having the best defence conceding only 1,851 points. Overall Port Adelaide lost 2 games from 24 for the year.

Russell Ebert became coach in 1983 when Cahill left to coach Collingwood for two seasons. This period saw the club fail to reach the grand final. The period also marked the rise of the VFL as Australia's premier football competition. Many SANFL players were moving to the VFL larger salaries. In 1982 the SANFL, Norwood and East Perth all approached the VFL in regards to entering the league. All were ignored at the time.[49] Port Adelaide's report from 1982 showed that the failure of these attempts impacted the understanding of its future.[50] From this point onwards the club restructured in regards to economics, public relations and on-field performance for an attempt to enter the league. There was genuine feeling that failure to do this would result in the club ceasing to exist in the future.[49] Talk of a side from South Australia entering the VFL was fast tracked in 1987 when a team from Western Australia, the West Coast Eagles, and a team from Brisbane, the Brisbane Bears joined the VFL. South Australia was left out as the only mainland state without a team.

John Cahill returned as coach for the 1988 season. During that year, one of Fos Williams sons, Anthony, was tragically killed in a building accident. The following day the club played against Norwood and managed to overcome an early deficit to win the emotionally charged game. The club would go on to win the 1988 premiership.

In 1989 seven out of ten SANFL clubs were recording losses and the combined income of the SANFL and WAFL had dropped to 40% of that of the VFL.[51] During early 1990 the SANFL decided to wait three years before making any further decision in regards to fielding a South Australian side in the VFL until it could be done without negatively affecting football within the state. Frustrated with lack of progress, Port Adelaide were having secret negotiations in the town of Quorn for entry in 1991.[52] From these discussions Port Adelaide Football Club accepted an invitation from the VFL to join what had now become the AFL. The AFL signed a Heads of Agreement with the club in expectation that Port would enter the competition in 1991, meaning the Port Adelaide Football Club would field two teams, one in the AFL and one in the SANFL. During the 1990 preseason Port Adelaide played a practice match against the Geelong at Football Park in front of 35,000 spectators with Gary Ablett Snr and Gavin Wanganeen prominent.

1990 SANFL Grand Final Last season without AFL in SA.	G	B	Total
Glenelg	13	15	93
Port Adelaide	16	12	108
Venue: Football Park	Crowd: 50,589[53]

When knowledge of Port Adelaide's negotiations to gain an AFL licence were made public, many in the SANFL saw it as an act of treachery. SANFL clubs urged Justice Olssen to make an injunction against the bid, which he agreed to.[54] The AFL suggested to the SANFL that if they didn't want Port Adelaide to join the AFL, they could put forward a counter bid to enter a composite South Australian side into the AFL. After legal action from all parties, the AFL finally agreed to accept the SANFL's bid and the Adelaide Football Club was born.[55]

"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.[56]

During December 1994 Max Basher announced that Port Adelaide had won the tender for the second South Australian AFL licence.[57] However a licence did not guarantee entry and although a target year of 1996 was set, this was reliant upon an existing AFL club folding or merging with another. In 1996, the cash-strapped Fitzroy announced it would merge with the Brisbane Bears to form the Brisbane Lions. A spot had finally opened and it was announced that in 1997, one year later than expected, Port Adelaide would enter the AFL.

Once an entry date had been confirmed, the Port Adelaide Football Club set about forming a side fit for competition in the AFL. It was announced that existing Port Adelaide coach, John Cahill would make the transition to the AFL and Stephen Williams would take over the SANFL coaching role. Cahill then set about forming a group which would form the inaugural squad. Brownlow Medallist and 1990 Port Adelaide premiership player, Gavin Wanganeen was poached 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. Of the 35 players on Port Adelaide's inaugural AFL list 13 had played for the club before. The AFL's father son rule for the club was set at 200 games for players before 1997. This compared to only 100 for Victorian clubs.

1997 West End Showdown I	G	B	Total
Adelaide Crows	11	6	72
Port Adelaide	11	17	83
Venue: Football Park	Crowd: 47,265

On 29 March 1997, Port Adelaide played its first AFL premiership match against Collingwood at the MCG, suffering a 79-point defeat. Port won its first AFL game in round 3 against Geelong, and defeated cross town rivals and eventual premiers Adelaide by 11 points in the first Showdown in round 4. At the conclusion of round 17, the side sat fifth – only one win and percentage off the top spot in what was an unusually close season – but it fell out of the finals after recording only a draw from its final five games. Port Adelaide finished its first season 9th, missing the finals on percentage behind Brisbane. The 1998 season was looking very similar to the previous year as they hovered around ninth position for most of the year and looked like a threat for finals after round 14; but they lost six of their last eight games to finish in 10th place, with a record of 9 wins, 12 losses and 1 draw.

1999–2012: Mark Williams, inaugural AFL premiership and Primus period

In 1999 Mark Williams took over as coach of Port Adelaide. 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. After finishing 14th in 2000, Port Adelaide had a very successful 2001 season, starting with a maiden pre-season competition victory, defeating the Brisbane Lions. Port Adelaide finished their 2001 home and away season in third place with 16 wins and six losses. The club travelled to Brisbane for the Qualifying Final, losing by 32 points, then lost its home Semi-final against sixth-placed Hawthorn to be eliminated. Port Adelaide started 2002 strongly, winning the pre-season competition for the second time in a row, defeating Richmond by 9 points. The side built on its success and won its first AFL minor premiership with an 18–4 record. However, they lost to the eventual premiers, the Brisbane Lions, by 56 points in the preliminary final. Port Adelaide continued its minor round dominance in 2003 and again finished top to claim the minor premiership; however like the previous year, Port Adelaide was eliminated in the preliminary final, losing to Collingwood by 44 points.

Port Adelaide opened the 2004 season well with four straight wins, but then won only four of its next eight games. From rounds 12–17, Port Adelaide turned their fortunes around and had six consecutive wins, and with five rounds remaining were equal top of the ladder with Brisbane, St Kilda and Melbourne. After losing in round 18 to Essendon, Port Adelaide won its remaining four games – including wins against minor premiership contender Melbourne and cross town rivals Adelaide to claim the minor premiership for the third consecutive year. Port Adelaide easily won its qualifying final against Geelong, earning a home preliminary final. Port Adelaide made it through to its first AFL grand final after defeating St Kilda in a thrilling preliminary final by just six points with Gavin Wanganeen kicking the winning goal with a minute to go.

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

The following week Port Adelaide faced a highly fancied Brisbane side attempting to win a record-equalling fourth straight AFL premiership. Only one point separated the sides at half time, however 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). 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.

2004 AFL Grand Final	G	B	Total
Port Adelaide	17	11	113
Brisbane Lions	10	13	73
Venue: Melbourne Cricket Ground	Crowd: 77,671

"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., [58]

After a slow start to the 2005 season, Port finished eighth on the ladder, and defeated the Kangaroos by 87 points in the elimination final. In the semi-final, Port faced minor premiers Adelaide and lost by 83 points. After missing the finals in 2006 Port Adelaide made a strong recovery in 2007, and with strong performances from midfielders Shaun Burgoyne and Chad Cornes and strong debut seasons from Justin Westhoff, Robert Gray and Travis Boak, Port Adelaide finished the minor round second on the ladder with 15–7 record. Port Adelaide started their finals campaign against the West Coast Eagles at Football Park and won by three points. That win gave Port the bye, and they easily defeated the Kangaroos in the preliminary final to win by 87 points. 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.

Justin Westhoff (pick No. 71) made his debut in the 2007 season, along with Robert Gray (pick No. 55) and Travis Boak (pick No. 5).

The 2008 season was disappointing one for a Port Adelaide side keen to build on its 2007 grand final appearance, dropping to 13th on the ladder and out of the finals. By 2009 Port Adelaide had accumulated a consolidated debt totaling $5.1 million and was unable to pay its players; they had lost $1.4 million the season before. Financial assistance was denied by the league, with AFL Chief Executive Andrew Demetriou saying that they would have to undergo an intensive application process and work with the SANFL, who owned Port Adelaide's AFL licence.[59] On 20 May, Port were handed $2.5 million in debt relief by the SANFL, and on 15 June were handed a $1 million grant by the AFL commission.[60][61] The SANFL had announced it would not support Port Adelaide in both the AFL and SANFL. Plans for a re-merging the two teams was rejected by the SANFL. Amidst these off-field struggles, the club finished 10th in 2009. The 2010 season would see Mark Williams step down as senior coach marking the end of the Williams era for the club.

"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., [62]

Matthew Primus took over as caretaker coach for Port Adelaide after Mark Williams stood down.[63] The club finished the 2010 season with five wins from its last seven games to finish tenth. On 9 September, Matthew Primus was appointed as the senior coach of the club for the next three years. 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. The AFL announced it would underwrite $1.25 million in debt to protect its $1.25 billion television rights. 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. The AFL gave the money to the SANFL with strict conditions that they give Port Adelaide three million dollars a year, for three years.[64] Statistically, 2011 was Port Adelaide's worst season in 141 years, finishing 16th with only three wins from 22 games. Rounds 20 and 21 saw the club lose to Collingwood and Hawthorn by record margins of 138 and 165 respectively. The 2012 season was marginally better but a loss against Greater Western Sydney resulted in senior coach Matthew Primus stepping down. Assistant coach, Garry Hocking, took over for the remaining four games, with a draw in the final round against Richmond the best result.

2013–present: Ken Hinkley, Adelaide Oval return and independence

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. This marked the first time that the club had appointed someone not associated with the club before since Fos Williams in 1950. Television personality David Koch was named chairman of the club and numerous board members were replaced. The 2013 preseason also saw Travis Boak succeed Domenic Cassisi as captain of the club.[65] The club finished the home and away season 7th on the ladder, making it the first time that they had qualified for the finals 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.

The 2014 season saw both Port Adelaide and Adelaide move their home ground from Football Park to the redeveloped Adelaide Oval. Port Adelaide signed up a record 55,715 members for the 2014 season and averaged 44,429 at home games, a 65% increase from the previous year. Port Adelaide had its best first half of an AFL season, sitting first with ten wins from eleven matches. They then won only four of their remaining eleven matches to finish fifth on the ladder. 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. After defeating Fremantle in the semi-finals the club's 2014 season ended with a three-point loss to Hawthorn in the preliminary finals.

With great expectation, Port Adelaide started the 2015 season playing all of the year's finalists in the opening 10 rounds and entered the mid-season break with a 5–7 record. The club had a better second half of the year, recording 7–3, but would miss out on finals by one win. The club did not fare any better in 2016, winning only ten matches and finishing 10th. In 2017, Port Adelaide had made a massive improvement from the previous 2 seasons, winning 14 of 22 games to finish 5th on the ladder. Port Adelaide's season came to an end in an elimination final loss to West Coast by 2 points in extra time. The club would again narrowly miss the finals in 2018 and 2019, finishing 10th in both seasons.

Club symbols and identity

Wharf Pylon / "Prison Bar" guernsey

Left: Harold Oliver wearing Port Adelaide's famous Wharf Pylon or "Prison Bar" guernsey. The guernsey has long been a point of contention with the Collingwood Football Club who also wear a black and white guernsey.[66]
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.[67]

The Port Adelaide Football Club adopted the black and white Wharf Pylon / "Prison Bar" guernsey after having difficulty finding magenta and blue dyes that would repeatedly last the rigours of an Australian rules football match. Prior to adopting the Wharf Pylon / "Prison Bar" guernsey the club won 3 premierships over 31 years. After adopting the Wharf Pylon / "Prison Bar" guernsey in 1902 the club would, in controversial circumstances, be disqualified from finals but after would ultimately win 31 premierships and 3 Championships of Australia in the black and white guernsey before being admitted into the AFL in 1997.

"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., [68]

Nickname origin

The "Prison Bar" nickname originated from fans of the Norwood Football Club in the late 1980s and early 1990s in an attempt of deriding the Port Adelaide supporter base, playing on Port Adelaide's strong working class demographic. Supporters of Port Adelaide quickly adopted this insult as their own for the name of the guernsey. The 'Prison Bar' name eventually becoming part of the mystique and intimidation of the guernsey.

"Prison bars" has become a recent phenomenon, seemingly pushed – quite successfully – by those determined to cast the Port Adelaide image as an unsavoury part of society. Still, if it generates an image of fear, this will be taken as a compliment at Alberton.

— Michelangelo Rucci., The Advertiser (Adelaide), 2014.[69]

Number panel

The 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[23] During Hodge's time as secretary the club played exhibition matches in Kalgoorlie, Perth, Fremantle, Hobart, Devonport, Melbourne, Bendigo, Ballarat, Sydney, Albury, Wagga Wagga and Broken Hill. As spectators from other states were unfamiliar with the majority of Port Adelaide's players the club attached white squares with black numbers to the reverse of their guernseys and assigned numbers alphabetically so that spectators could identify players on the field with the team lists from newspapers covering the match.

Captain and No. 1 guernsey

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. 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.[70] Charles Hayter granted the wish of the junior and provided him with a number one Port Adelaide guernsey.[70] There have been exceptions to this tradition since 1924, often involving club captains being injured, however in almost all instances since 1924 the club captain has worn the number one guernsey. The most notable exception to this rule was when Geof Motley followed the captaincy of Fos Williams. Motley wore the number one guernsey in his first game as club captain but the pressure of following in Fos Williams footsteps, who just lead the club to five consecutive premierships, was too much and he requested that he revert to the number 17 for the remainder of his career. 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. When co-captains were appointed for the 2019 season the No. 1 guernsey was temporarily retired.

Wharf pylon design

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.

The Port Adelaide guernsey adopted in 1902 was a literal depiction of the Port Adelaide wharves and pylons of the areas docks. In the righthand side of the photograph taken in 1901, the inspiration of the guernsey design is visible.

Wharf Pylon / "Prison Bars" in the AFL

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 guernsey with vertical black and white stripes.[71] In 1995, a new guernsey was created incorporating teal.

In May 2007, chief executive John James stated that Port Adelaide received more correspondence from its supporters about the heritage guernsey than all other issues and that the club would "fight for its heritage and what is right". Port Adelaide decided not to participate in the 2006 heritage round when the AFL declined the club's 1980s guernsey for its 80s-themed heritage round.[72]

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, 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.[73] No heritage rounds have been held since this agreement was reached.

"This team from South Australia – this Port Power (sic) – why would they pick black and white? Did the competition really need another club in navy or dark colours?".

— Collingwood Football Club president Eddie McGuire's 2003 statement regarding Port Adelaide wearing its traditional guernsey., [74]

"He's a Port Adelaide boy born and bred Warren Tredrea and over a hundred years of magnificent history in this jumper is what foaled the Port Adelaide AFL team and they've done their heritage proud today".

— AFL commentator Dwayne Russell at the conclusion of the 2003 Heritage Round between Port Adelaide and Carlton., [75]

Collingwood club president Eddie McGuire has been a vocal opponent of Port Adelaide wearing the "Prison Bar" guernsey, claiming that Collingwood has an exclusive right to wear black and white in the AFL, even in the heritage round.

"It should have nothing to do with Eddie McGuire and Collingwood ... I'll say that for a start."

— Leigh Matthews during a discussion regarding Port Adelaide's traditional guernsey during the 2014 Elimination Final., [76]

Support for the guernsey remains extremely high, with a limited batch of jumpers for a game against Carlton in 2013 resulting in an increase to the club's revenue of around $1,000,000, according to club CEO Keith Thomas. In 2014 the AFL declined Port Adelaide permission to wear its traditional guernsey for celebrating of 100 years since its 1914 Championship of Australia.[77] There was controversy in 2014 during the lead-up to the final against Richmond when the AFL told Port Adelaide they had to wear their clash guernsey. On 2 September 2014 the AFL cleared them to use the traditional guernsey for the match.

"I've always regarded that strip that Port are wearing today as the best uniform in Australian Football".

— Dennis Cometti describing Port Adelaide's traditional guernsey during the 2014 Elimination Final., [78]

"If they wore it the whole year and not against Collingwood I got no worries. It's a different jumper...I don't think it should be Eddie's say; the AFL, they run the competition".

— Tony Shaw, former Collingwood captain sharing his opinion on 3AW in 2019., [79]

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.[80] Prominent football commentators who have given support to the campaign to reinstate the guernsey include Tony Shaw,[81] Paul Hasleby,[82] Mark Bickley,[83] Dale Lewis[84] along with current Port Adelaide players Travis Boak,[85] Robbie Gray[86] and Ollie Wines.[87] Former South Australian premier Jay Weatherill has also given support to the push to reinstate the guernsey.[88] A supporter petition calling for the reinstatement of the guernsey reached 10,000 signatures.[89] The club was granted permission to wear the guernsey in their two Showdown matches in the 2020 season.[90] On 30 August 2019 Port Adelaide's CEO Keith Thomas stated that there was no agreement in place to prevent the club wearing the guernsey again beyond 2020.[91] On 1 June 2020 Port Adelaide's Chairman David Koch stated that he would like to see the club wear the guernsey for the Showdown in 2020 along with 2021.[92] On 3 June 2020 Eddie McGuire said that David Koch "doesn't have the guts to tell his supporters that it's finished!".[93] The following day on 4 June 2020, David Koch submitted an application on behalf of Port Adelaide for the club to wear the guernsey in all Showdown's going forward arguing that "There is an existing agreement in place from 2007 between Port Adelaide, Collingwood and the AFL that states clearly Port Adelaide has permission to wear the black-and-white Prison Bar guernsey in all home AFL Heritage Rounds thereafter. Ironically, Heritage Rounds ceased to exist from that point. We will argue that Showdowns now represent the heritage of South Australian football and we should therefore be granted permission to wear it on an ongoing basis...In a year like no other when we’ve seen the importance of family, community and heritage we believe any decision not to allow us to wear this guernsey in Showdowns would be nothing short of mean spirited...One of the charters of the AFL is to protect and celebrate the heritage of our great game. We think wearing our black-and-white Prison Bar guernsey in Showdowns does just that."[94] The same night on the 4 June 2020 current Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley came out in support of Port Adelaide's request to wear it's Prison Bar guernsey in Showdowns.[95] On 11 June 2020 current South Australian premier Steven Marshall (joining his predecessor Jay Weatherill[88]) in providing his support to the push for the guernsey to be worn in Showdown's every year.

Uniform evolution

1870–1876 Seasons: 7 Premierships: 0 [note 1]

1877–1883 Seasons: 9 Premierships: 0 [note 2]

1884–1892 Seasons: 9 Premierships: 2 (1884, 1890) [note 3]

1893–1901 Seasons: 9 Premierships: 1 (1897) [note 4]

1902–present Seasons: 101 Premierships: 34 (1903, 1906, 1910, 1913, 1914, 1916*, 1917*, 1921, 1928, 1936, 1937, 1939, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999) [note 5]

1997–2009 Seasons: 13 Premierships: 1 (2004) [note 6]

2010–present Seasons: 10 Premierships: 0 [note 7]

Notes

1. The recorded colours worn by the club.
2. Original full magenta uniform.
3. Better dyes resulted in magenta appearing closer to red. Blue bib added to top of uniform.
4. Magenta and blue stripes with leather lace divider.
5. Wharf Pylons / "Prison Bars" uniform. Worn for all South Australian premierships since 1902 except for 1951. Used in the 2003, 2007, 2013, 2014 and 2020 AFL seasons.
6. Inaugural uniform in the AFL. Port Adelaide was required to incorporate teal and remove horizontal stripes by the AFL to appease Collingwood.
7. Permanently used in the AFL since 2010.

Club songs

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.[96]

"Work, Boys, Work" (1880s)

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.[97]

"Pride of Port Adelaide" (1921–1970)

From around the end of World War I until 1970 the club song was "The pride of Port Adelaide is my football team".[98]

"Cheer, Cheer the Black and the White" (1971–1996, SANFL)

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".[99] As the Sydney Swans were 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 for Port Adelaide's reserves in the SANFL.

"Power To Win" (1997–present)

Upon joining the AFL and requiring a new song, Port Adelaide eventually chose the "Power to Win" which was 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.[100] 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. 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, deleting the word 'Port' and the song was re-recorded. This change is also reflected when the team sings the song at the end of a game.[101]

"Never Tear Us Apart" (2014–present)

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. The song is used as a reference to the various and unique difficulties the club faced when trying to enter the AFL.

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.[102] In light of the very positive reviews given by the club's players towards the Anfield crowd's rendition of "You'll Never Walk Alone", Matthew Richardson, Port's general manager of marketing and consumer business, along with the club's management, sought to replicate the pre-match experience they experienced at Anfield. At a meeting in mid-2013, the idea of an anthem was raised; a number of various songs were suggested, including "Power and the Passion" by Midnight Oil and "Power to the People" by John Schumann. Eventually, "Never Tear Us Apart" by INXS was suggested by Port Adelaide's events manager, Tara MacLeod. It was eventually accepted, due to the fact that the song resonated with the club's history.[102] In particular when Port Adelaide's was forced to separate its AFL and SANFL operations forcing its local side to train at Ethelton to ensure they would not gain an advantage using the Alberton training facilities.[103] Australian football historian John Devaney described the forced separation of Port Adelaide's SANFL and AFL operations as being "akin to the enforced splitting up of families associated with military conquest or warfare".[104]

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.[102] So successful was the song that by June 2014, the club were forced to print club coloured scarves with the words "Never Tear Us Apart" on them that fans would hold aloft and sing in unison prior to the start of matches.

Logo evolution

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.[105] The ensign switched to blue sporadically through the 1910s before the flags were dropped in 1928. 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). The last Magpies-specific logo, used by the club from 1975 onward 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, running through to the end of the 2019 SANFL season.[105]

Upon entering the AFL in 1997, Port were required to adopt colours and insignia that distinguished it from the existing AFL club already nicknamed the Magpies, Collingwood. The club adopted the "Power" moniker, featuring a silver fist clutching a lightning bolt in front of the wharf pylon/prison bar design, while also showcasing the addition of teal to the club's colour scheme for the first time.[105] The logo was slightly altered in 2001 with the lightning bolt and fist defined and the reference to "Port" dropped.[105] 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.[106]

Home grounds

On 15 May 1880, Port Adelaide played its first match at Alberton Oval. In 1881 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. Situated at the eastern end of the suburb of Alberton in Adelaide, the playing surface is surrounded by the Allan Scott club headquarters, the Robert B. Quinn MM Stand, the Fos Williams Family Stand, the Port Adelaide Bowling Club and the N.L. Williams Scoreboard. As well as the facilities facing the oval, along Queen Street there is The Port Club and The Port Store.[107]

• 
  Glanville Hall Estate
  SAFA: 1870–1879
• 
  Alberton Oval
  SANFL: 1880–present
  AFL (training): 1997–present
• 
  Football Park
  AFL: 1997–2013
• 
  Adelaide Oval
  SANFL: 1975–1976
  AFL: 2011, 2014–present

Club creed

Fos Williams authored the club's creed in 1962.[108][109]

We, the players and management of the Port Adelaide Football Club, accept the heritage which players and administrators have passed down to us; in doing so, we do not intend to rest in idleness, but shall strive with all our power to further this club's unexcelled achievements.
To do this, we believe that there is great merit and noble achievement in winning a Premiership. That to be successful, each and every one of us must be active, aggressive and devoted to this cause.
We agree that success is well within our reach and have confidence that each member of both the team and management will suffer personal sacrifices for the common end.
Also, we know that, should after striving to our utmost, after giving our everything still not be successful, our efforts will become a further part of this club's enviable tradition.
Finally, we concede there can be honour in defeat, but to each of us, honourable defeat of our club and guernsey can only come after human endeavour on the playing field is completely exhausted.

Fos Williams

Rivalries

Adelaide

Main article: Showdown (AFL)

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."[110]

The Showdown's intense rivalry can be traced back to Port Adelaide's pre-existing rivalries within the SANFL, particularly Norwood. The Norwood–Port Adelaide rivalry began in 1878 when the two clubs first played one another, however it was not until 1882 that the Norwood–Port Adelaide rivalry grew bitter. That year 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.[23] 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.

Current playing lists

Port Adelaide Football Club

Senior list						Rookie list		Coaching staff
1 Tom Jonas (c) 2 Sam Powell-Pepper 3 Ryan Burton 4 Todd Marshall 5 Dan Houston 6 Steven Motlop 7 Brad Ebert 8 Hamish Hartlett (vc) 9 Robbie Gray 10 Travis Boak 11 Tom Rockliff 12 Trent McKenzie 13 Wylie Buzza 14 Miles Bergman 15 Karl Amon 16 Ollie Wines (vc) 17 Tom Clurey 18 Zak Butters 19 Mitch Georgiades		20 Connor Rozee 21 Xavier Duursma 22 Charlie Dixon 23 Jack Watts 24 Kane Farrell 25 Sam Hayes 26 Riley Bonner 27 Joel Garner 28 Willem Drew 29 Scott Lycett 30 Joe Atley 32 Sam Mayes 33 Darcy Byrne-Jones 34 Dylan Williams 37 Jake Patmore 38 Peter Ladhams 39 Justin Westhoff 40 Jarrod Lienert 44 Jackson Mead				31 Trent Burgoyne 36 Boyd Woodcock 41 Riley Grundy 45 Martin Frederick (B) 47 Tobin Cox 48 Jake Pasini 50 Cameron Sutcliffe		Head coach Ken Hinkley Assistant coaches Michael Voss (senior assistant) Brett Montgomery (defence) Jarrad Schofield (midfield) Nathan Bassett (forwards) Trent Hentschel (defence development) Scott Thompson (midfield development) Chad Cornes (forwards development) Dean Brogan (ruck) Matthew Lokan (SANFL coach) Paul Stewart (NGA, player welfare and development) Legend: (c) Captain(s) (vc) Vice captain(s) (B) Category B rookie italics - Inactive player list Long-term injury (ret.) Retired Updated: 15 August 2020 Source(s): Playing list, Coaching staff

Port Adelaide SANFL squad

SANFL list								Coaching Staff
Tyson Goldsack Adam Mahney Sean Samblich Matthew Appleton Dallas Hill Lachlan Smith		Tom Corcoran Jack Strange Harrison Thornton Simon Wong Jack Elsworthy						Head coach Matthew Lokan Legend: (c) Captain(s) (vc) Vice captain(s) Updated: 28th November 2019 Source(s): [111]

• Note: Port Adelaide AFL-listed players (not selected to play AFL) are allowed to play for the SANFL squad.

Corporate

Guernsey sponsors
Period	Front sponsor	Back sponsor
1978	Lensworth Finance
1979
1980	Jetspress
1981
1982
1983	Standard Chartered
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988		Standard Chartered
1989
1990
1991
1992	Alpine Retreat
1993	Bee-Jays Roadlink
1994	Seaton Hotel	Cash Converters
1995	Scott's Transport
1996
1997		Vodafone
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008	Bianco Construction & Industrial Supplies
2009
2010	MyATM	AussieATM
2011		Soaring Securities
2012	VIP Home Services	Foodbank
2013	Renault	VIP Home Services
2014	EnergyAustralia	Renault
2015
2016
2017	OAK
2018		OAK
2019		GFG Alliance^
2020	MG Motor

Administrative positions

• Chairman: David Koch
• Chief executive: Keith Thomas
• 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

Sponsors

Current major sponsors

• GFG Alliance
• MG Motor

Key China game sponsors

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

Current clothing sponsor

• ISC (2013–present)

Former clothing sponsors

• Nike (1997–2006)
• Reebok (2007–2012)

Supporters

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.

After historically being the largest football club in South Australia, Port Adelaide has reemerged as one of the largest sporting organisations in Australia, with over 60,000 members and an average attendance nearing 45,000 in 2015.

Supporter groups

Port Adelaide has many supporter groups, with every state or territory containing at least one supporter group. In addition, many country towns within South Australia have their own supporter group, many of which travel to both home and away games, including the Port Adelaide Cheer Squad, the Outer Army and The Alberton Crowd.[112]

Number one ticket holders

Current

• Hugh Sheridan – Australian actor and singer.

Former

• David Koch – Seven Network's Sunrise co-host, current club chairman[113]
• Stuart O'Grady – Australian professional road bicycle racer[114]
• Teresa Palmer – Australian model and actress[115]
• Bob Quinn – former Port Adelaide player[116]
• Tony Santic – owner of racehorse Makybe Diva[117]

Membership, revenue and attendance

Year	Membership		Revenue		Ladder position		Home crowds
	AFL audited	Change					Average	Rank	Change
			Consolidated	Change	Minor round	Finals
2010	29,029	783	$31,920,182	0.21%	10th	-	24,256	16/16	93
2011	32,581	5,236	$37,017,885	15.97%	16th	-	23,066	15/17	1,190
2012	35,543	1,003	$37,885,369	2.34%	14th	-	19,911	16/18	3,155
2013	39,838	3,383	$41,588,282	9.77%	7th	5th	26,915	13/18	7,004
2014	48,968	9,130	$48,241,996	16.0%	5th	3rd	44,429	4/18	17,514
2015	54,057	5,089	$50,794,664	5.29%	9th	-	43,749	4/18	680
2016	53,743	314	$52,768,461	3.89%	10th	-	39,665	4/18	4,048
2017	52,129	1,614	$57,907,188	9.74%	5th	7th	38,136	6/18	1,529
2018	54,386	2,257	$59,000,643	1.85%	10th	–	38,227	8/18	91
2019	51,951	2,435	$58,334,901	1.14%	10th	–	33,950	8/18	4,277

Partnerships

China partnership

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

On 14 April 2016, Port Adelaide announced a three-year multimillion-dollar partnership with leading Chinese property developer Shanghai Cred. Within this partnership, Port Adelaide will take primary responsibility for developing Australian rules football in China. The partnership will see Port Adelaide hold annual training camps and provide sponsorship in China, as well as producing AFL programs and broadcasting games in the country via China Central Television and other networks.[118] The first AFL game played for premiership points was played in May 2017 between the Gold Coast Suns and Port Adelaide.[119] 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.[120]

Indigenous community

Richie Bray is Port Adelaide's first known Indigenous premiership player (1962, 1963, 1965).

The Port Adelaide Football Club has had a long connection to the indigenous community. The Hart family who were 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.[121] John Hart Sr advocated for other settlers to refrain from killing and eating black swans as they were a totem of the Kaurna people.[121] Harry Hewitt was named in Port Adelaide's side when they defeated Fitzroy by two goals on Adelaide Oval in 1891 and is the clubs first known Indigenous Australian player. In 2008 the club started the Aboriginal Power Cup to help promote academic and healthy outcomes for indigenous students in South Australia.[122] Known Indigenous Port Adelaide players to have represented the senior team in the SANFL, AFL or against interstate clubs include: Ross Agius, Keiran Agius, Corey Ah Chee, Brendon Ah Chee, Karl Amon, Troy Bond, Shane Bond, Richie Bray, Peter Burgoyne Jr, Peter Burgoyne Sr, Trent Burgoyne, Shaun Burgoyne, Michael Clinch, Jason Cocaktoo, Che Cockatoo-Collins, Donald Cockatoo-Collins, Malcolm Cooper, Tobin Cox, Aaron Davey, Alwyn Davey, Fabian Francis, Joel Garner, Brett Goodes, Harry Hewitt, Wilf Huddleston, Jarman Impey, Graham Johncock, Aidyn Johnson, Nathan Krakouer, Peter Lindsay, Jarrod Lienert, Andrew McLeod, Tim Milera, Terry Milera, Harry Miller, Cameron Miller, Daniel Motlop, Marlon Motlop, Steven Motlop, Derek Murray, Allan Murray, Jake Neade, Stephen O'Brien, Michael O'Brien, Ricky O'Loughlin, Brenton Owens, Danyle Pearce, Sam Powell-Pepper, Byron Pickett, Patrick Ryder, Peter Talman, Joel Tessman, Lindsay Thomas, Wade Thompson, Gavin Wanganeen, Elijah Ware, Eugene Warrior Jnr, Eugene Warrior Snr, Luke Wilson, Chad Wingard.

Club honour boards

See Also

• List of Port Adelaide Football Club players (Pre AFL entry)
• List of Port Adelaide Football Club players (Post AFL entry)

Honour Board

PORT ADELAIDE FOOTBALL CLUB HONOUR BOARD
Interclub matches
Year	Position	W-L-D	%	Chairman	CEO	Coach	Captain	Best and fairest	Leading goalkicker
1870	3rd	0-1-2	50	John Hart Jr.	Richard Leicester	John Wald	John Wald	John Wald	John Wald	2
1871	3rd	0-2-2	33	John Hart Jr.	George Ireland	Fred Stone	Fred Stone	Fred Stone		1
1872	Runner-up	0-1-2	0	John Hart Jr.	George Ireland	George Middleton	George Middleton	N/A	N/A
1873	Runner-up	1-2-0	25	John Hart Jr.	F.Ireland	H.Sparnon	H.Sparnon George Middleton	Samuel Tyzack	Samuel Tyzack	1
1874	Runner-up	2-3-1	100	John Hart Jr.	F.Ireland	John Rann	John Rann Charles Wells	N/A	N/A
1875	Runner-up	3-3-1	140	John Hart Jr.	F.Ireland	Robert Sandilands	Robert Sandilands	Henry Ford	Henry Ford Warren	2
1876	5th	2-6-0	38	John Hart Jr.	Charles Wells	William Fletcher	William Fletcher	Ernest LeMessurier	Samuel Tyzack John Rann E.LeMessurier	1
South Australian Football Association era
1877	4th	9-4-2	177	John Hart Jr.	Charles Wells	William Fletcher	William Fletcher	Thomas Smith	Alfred LeMessurier	5
1878	Runner-up	5-2-4	400	John Hart Jr.	Charles Wells	William Fletcher	William Fletcher	Thomas Smith	E.LeMessurier Joseph Carter	3
1879	Runner-up	5-2-2	183	John Hart Jr.	Charles Wells	William Fletcher	William Fletcher	Thomas Smith	E.LeMessurier	4
1880	6th	3-3-5	89	John Formby	J.W.Channon	J.A.Atkins	J.A.Atkins Joseph Carter	John Sidoli	E.LeMessurier	3
1881	5th	2-6-5	43	John Formby	E.LeMessurrier Joseph Carter	Jack Sandilands	Jack Sandilands	John Sidoli	Henry Watt	6
1882	3rd	7-7-0	157	John Formby	E.C.LeMessurier	Charles Kellett	H. Frayne Charles Kellett	James Munro	George Slatter	6
1883	Runner-up	7-5-2	114	John Formby	E.C.LeMessurier	Richard Turpenny	Ernest Le Messurier Richard Turpenny	Robert Kirkpatrick	James Litchfield ✪	13
1884	Premiers	11-2-2	252	John Formby	E.C.LeMessurier	Richard Turpenny	Richard Turpenny	Charles Kellett George Cairns	Robert Roy ✪	25
1885	3rd	6-8-1	120	John Formby	E.C.LeMessurier	Richard Turpenny	Richard Turpenny Charles Kellett	Michael Coffee	Robert Roy	13
1886	4th (Wooden Spoon)	3-11-1	64	John Formby	James Litchfield	Jack McGargill	William Bushby	Charlie Fry	Michael Coffee Charlie Fry	6
1887	Runner-up	12-3-2	239	John Formby	E.C.LeMessurier	Jack McGargill	William Bushby	William Bushby Richard Walsh	Alfred Bushby	22
1888	Runner-up	14-2-1	280	John Formby	John Sweeney	Jack McGargill	William Bushby	Harold Phillips	Harold Phillips	24
1889	Grand Finalist	14-3-1	385	John Formby	Robert Cruickshank	Jack McGargill	William Bushby	Goody Hamilton	Charlie Fry ✪	32
1890	Premiers +	16-2-0	388	John Formby	Robert Cruickshank	Jack McGargill	Ken McKenzie	Charlie Fry	John McKenzie ✪	54
1891	Runner-up	12-4-0	288	John Formby	Robert Cruickshank Alfred Bushby	Jack McGargill	Ken McKenzie	Harold Phillips	John McKenzie	37
1892	Runner-up	11-4-1	193	John Formby	John Sweeney	Jack McGargill	Ken McKenzie	Harold Phillips	Alex McKenzie	43
1893	3rd	10-6-2	202	John Cleave	John Sweeney	Jack McGargill	Ken McKenzie	Walter Murray Harold Phillips	Alex McKenzie	59
1894	3rd	9-9-0	114	John Cleave	John Sweeney	Jack McGargill	Ken McKenzie	Alfred Miers	Alex McKenzie	36
1895	3rd	8-7-1	141	W.Fisher	John Sweeney	Jack McGargill	Alfred Miers	Otway L'Estage	Alex McKenzie	25
1896	5th (Wooden Spoon)	4-13-1	69	W.Fisher Charles Tucker	Henry Hills	Jack McGargill	Ken McKenzie	George Linklater Sr.	Adam Lees	19
Modern scoring system adopted
1897	Premiers	14-2-1	266	W.Fisher Charles Tucker	Henry Hills	Jack McGargill	Ken McKenzie	Ken McKenzie	Adam Lees ✪	26
Regular SAFA Grand Finals held
1898	Grand Finalist	12-6-0	199	W.Fisher	Henry Hills John Sweeney	Jack McGargill	Ken McKenzie	Archibald Hosie	William Stark	31
1899	3rd	9-5-0	155	W.Fisher	John Sweeney	Jack McGargill	Harold Phillips	Stan Malin ★	William Stark	13
1900	5th (Wooden Spoon)	2-12-0	66	W.Fisher	John Sweeney	Jack McGargill	Harold Phillips George Davis	Jack Quinn	Hedley Tompkins	16
Federation of Australia
1901	Grand Finalist	12-7-0	131	Robert Cruickshank	John Sweeney	Jack McGargill	Archibald Hosie	Ted Strawns	Jack Quinn	27
1902	Disqualified by SAFA	10-2-0	198	William Mattinson	John Sweeney	Jack McGargill	Archibald Hosie	Lewis Corston	Matthew Healy	25
1903	Premiers	12-2-1	248	William Mattinson	John Sweeney	Jack McGargill	Archibald Hosie	Jimmy Tompkins	Jimmy Tompkins	40
1904	Grand Finalist	10-3-1	173	William Mattinson	John Sweeney	Jack McGargill	Archibald Hosie Jack Quinn	Lewis Corston	Jimmy Tompkins	28
1905	Grand Finalist	11-2-1	170	William Mattinson	John Sweeney	Jack McGargill	Jack Quinn	Jack Quinn	James Mathison ✪	30
1906	Premiers	12-2-0	213	William Mattinson	James Hodge	Jack McGargill	Jack Fletcher Lewis Corston	Ted Strawns	James Mathison ✪	42
South Australian Football League era
1907	Grand Finalist	11-4-0	192	William Mattinson	James Hodge	Jack McGargill	Lewis Corston	Jack Mack ★	Jack Quinn ✪	32
1908	3rd	8-5-0	137	William Mattinson	James Hodge	Jack McGargill	Ted Strawns Mick Donaghy	Sinclair Dickson	James Mathison ✪	33
1909	Grand Finalist	9-5-0	134	William Mattinson	James Hodge	Archibald Hosie	Mick Donaghy	Sinclair Dickson	Angelo Congear	12
1910	Premiers +	14-2-0	150	William Mattinson	James Hodge	Archibald Hosie	John Woollard	Sampson Hosking ★	Frank Hansen	46
1911	Grand Finalist	12-3-0	171	Robert Cruickshank	James Hodge	Mick Donaghy John Woollard	George Dempster	Harold Oliver	Frank Hansen ✪	41
1912	Grand Finalist	12-2-0	205	Robert Cruickshank	James Hodge	Sampson Hosking	Clifford Cocks Sampson Hosking	Harold Oliver	Frank Hansen ✪	37
1913	Premiers +	12-2-0	160	Alexander Benson	James Hodge	Jack Londrigan	Jack Londrigan	Henry Eaton	Frank Hansen ✪	39
1914	Premiers + +	14-0-0	209	Alexander Benson	James Hodge	Jack Londrigan	Jack Londrigan	Jack Ashley	John Dunn ✪	33
1915	Grand Finalist	9-4-1	175	Alexander Benson	James Hodge	Alex McFarlane	Alex McFarlane	Henry Eaton	Angelo Congear	21
South Australian Patriotic League (World War I)
1916	Premiers	11-0-1	246		Charles Tyler	S. Gill D. Shand	Henry Eaton	Sampson Hosking	John Hayman	40
1917	Premiers	11-0-1	164	John Adams	Charles Tyler		Henry Eaton		John Hayman	39
1918	3rd	12-3-1	123		Charles Tyler		Henry Eaton
Return to South Australian Football League administration
1919	4th	6-6-1	127	Alexander Benson	Charles Tyler	Frank Hansen	Horrie Pope Alexander McFarlane	Jack Ashley	Len Lackman ✪	26
1920	3rd	8-5-0	119	Alexander Benson	Charles Tyler	Frank Hansen	John Robertson Albert Olds	Charlie Adams	Eric Dewar (24)	24
1921	Premiers	13-4-0	182	Alexander Benson	Charles Tyler	Sampson Hosking	Harold Oliver	Charlie Adams ★	Maurice Allingham	43
1922	5th	7-7-0	101	Herbert Skipper	Charles Tyler	Samuel Howie	Samuel Howie	Clement Dayman	Maurice Allingham	47
1923	7th	5-9-0	99	Herbert Skipper	Alexander McKelvie	Clement Dayman	Clement Dayman	Les Dayman	Maurice Allingham	42
1924	4th	9-6-0	121	Herbert Skipper	Alexander McKelvie	Archibald Hosie	Clifford Keal	Les Dayman	Maurice Allingham	28
1925	3rd	10-5-0	127	Herbert Skipper	Alexander McKelvie	Archibald Hosie	Clifford Keal	Peter Bampton ★	Harold Logan (56)	56
1926	3rd	10-5-0	123	Percival Cherry	Alexander McKelvie	Maurice Allingham	Maurice Allingham	Laurie Hodge	Harold Logan (36)	36
South Australian National Football League era
1927	3rd	10-8-0	118	Percival Cherry	Charles Hayter	Sampson Hosking	Peter Bampton	Clifford Keal	Harold Logan	66
1928	Premiers	15-4-0	119	Percival Cherry	Charles Hayter	Sampson Hosking	Victor Johnson	Les Dayman	Les Dayman	41
1929	Grand Finalist	15-5-0	156	Percival Cherry	Charles Hayter	Sampson Hosking	Victor Johnson	Ernest Mucklow	Les Dayman ✪	86
1930	Grand Finalist	12-7-1	116	Percival Cherry	Charles Hayter	Sampson Hosking	Victor Johnson	Victor Johnson	Les Dayman	89
1931	3rd	14-5-0	127	Percival Cherry	Charles Hayter	Sampson Hosking	Victor Johnson	Maurice Allingham	Les Dayman	70
1932	4th	10-8-0	99	Clement Gun	Charles Hayter	Sydney Ween	Sydney Ween	Ernest Mucklow	Ned Hender	55
1933	5th	9-7-1	104	Clement Gun	Charles Hayter	Henry Dewar	Sydney Ween	Jack Dermody	Ned Hender	48
1934	Grand Finalist	11-7-1	121	Clement Gun	Charles Hayter	Len Ashby	Victor Johnson	Albert Hollingworth	Jim Prideaux	73
1935	Grand Finalist	13-6-0	125	Clement Gun	Charles Hayter	Len Ashby	Robert Johnson	Jack Dermody	Jim Prideaux	95
1936	Premiers	16-4-0	127	Clement Gun	Charles Hayter	Sampson Hosking	Jack Dermody	Albert Hollingworth	Jim Prideaux	86
1937	Premiers	15-4-0	131	Percival Cherry	Charles Hayter	Sampson Hosking	Jack Dermody	Robert Quinn	Robert Quinn	51
1938	Grand Finalist	12-8-0	118	Percival Cherry	Charles Hayter	Sampson Hosking	Ned Hender	Robert Quinn ★	Albert Hollingworth	45
1939	Premiers	15-4-0	126	Percival Cherry	Charles Hayter	Robert Quinn	Robert Quinn	Allan Reval	Howard Abbott	49
1940	3rd	14-5-0	118	Percival Cherry	Charles Hayter	Robert Quinn Allan Reval	Robert Quinn Allan Reval	Reginald Schumann	Allan McLean	47
1941	4th	11-6-1	106	Percival Cherry	Charles Hayter	Allan Reval	Allan Reval	Jack Skelley	Allan McLean	62
Temporary geographical merger with West Torrens during World War II
1942	Premiers	9-5-0	103	Percival Cherry	Charles Hayter	Sampson Hosking	Llewellyn Roberts	N/A	Merv Shaw	42
1943	Grand Finalist	11-3-0	135	Percival Cherry	Charles Hayter	Sampson Hosking	Llewellyn Roberts	N/A	Merv Shaw	55
1944	Grand Finalist	12-2-0	133	Percival Cherry	Charles Hayter	Sampson Hosking	Llewellyn Roberts	N/A	Merv Shaw	69
Competition returns to unaligned teams
1945	Grand Finalist	16-3-0	133	Percival Cherry	Charles Hayter	Robert Quinn	Robert Quinn	Robert Quinn ★	Robert Quinn	51
1946	Grand Finalist	13-7-0	121	Percival Cherry	Charles Hayter	Robert Quinn	Robert Quinn	Llewellyn Roberts	Ken Jolly	46
1947	3rd	14-5-0	131	Percival Cherry	Charles Hayter	Robert Quinn	Robert Quinn	Robert Quinn	Allan McLean ✪	80
1948	7th	4-13-0	86	Percival Cherry	Charles Hayter Les Dayman	Llewellyn Roberts	Llewellyn Roberts	Richard Russell	Allan McLean	48
1949	6th	7-10-0	94	Percival Cherry	Allan McLean	Jack McCarthy	Reginald Schumann	Richard Russell	Lloyd Zucker	51
1950	3rd	13-6-0	113	Walter Baudinet	Allan McLean	Fos Williams	Fos Williams	Fos Williams	Fos Williams	40
1951	Premiers	19-1-0	156	Walter Baudinet	Allan McLean	Fos Williams	Fos Williams	Richard Russell	Noel Clark	37
1952	3rd	13-6-0	149	Bert Harvey	Allan McLean	Fos Williams	Fos Williams	Ray Whitaker	Roger Clift	26
1953	Grand Finalist	16-5-0	144	Bert Harvey	Allan McLean	Fos Williams	Fos Williams	Harold McDonald	Ray Whitaker	35
1954	Premiers	17-3-0	147	Bert Harvey	Allan McLean	Fos Williams	Fos Williams	Roger Clift	Tom Garland	44
1955	Premiers	15-5-0	132	Bert Harvey	Allan McLean	Fos Williams	Fos Williams	Fos Williams	Fos Williams	35
1956	Premiers	19-1-0	187	Bert Harvey	Allan McLean	Fos Williams	Fos Williams	Edward Whelan	Rex Johns ✪	70
1957	Premiers	17-2-1	170	Bert Harvey	Allan McLean	Fos Williams	Fos Williams	Neville Hayes	Rex Johns	77
1958	Premiers	18-3-0	146	Bert Harvey	Allan McLean	Fos Williams	Fos Williams	Geof Motley	Rex Johns ✪	55
1959	Premiers	19-2-0	160	Bert Harvey	Allan McLean	Geof Motley	Geof Motley	Geof Motley	Wally Dittmar ✪	74
1960	3rd	14-6-0	148	Bert Harvey	Allan McLean	Geof Motley	Geof Motley	Neville Hayes	Wally Dittmar ✪	69
1961	3rd	15-6-0	141	Bert Harvey	Allan McLean	Geof Motley	Geof Motley	Jeffrey Potter	Rex Johns	54
1962	Premiers	19-2-0	156	Bert Harvey	Allan McLean	Fos Williams	Geof Motley	Peter Obst	Rex Johns	76
1963	Premiers	15-7-0	152	Bert Harvey	Allan McLean	Fos Williams	Geof Motley	Geof Motley	Rex Johns ✪	54
1964	Grand Finalist	18-4-0	183	Bert Harvey	Allan McLean	Fos Williams	Geof Motley	Jeffrey Potter	Jeffrey Potter	30
1965	Premiers	19-3-0	129	Bert Harvey	Allan McLean	Fos Williams	Geof Motley	Geof Motley	Eric Freeman	74
1966	Grand Finalist	15-7-0	143	Bert Harvey	Allan McLean	Fos Williams	Geof Motley	John Cahill	Eric Freeman ✪	81
1967	Grand Finalist	16-7-0	134	Bert Harvey	Allan McLean	Fos Williams	John Cahill	Jeffrey Potter	Eric Freeman	74
1968	Grand Finalist	16-7-0	139	Bert Harvey	Allan McLean	Fos Williams	John Cahill	John Cahill	Russell Ebert	44
1969	6th	9-11-0	92	Bert Harvey	Allan McLean	Fos Williams	John Cahill	Jeffrey Potter	Mark Dittmar	28
1970	3rd	17-4-1	150	Bert Harvey	Allan McLean	Fos Williams	John Cahill	John Cahill	Eric Freeman	75
1971	Grand Finalist	17-7-0	138	Bert Harvey	Allan McLean	Fos Williams	John Cahill	Russell Ebert ★	Eric Freeman	50
1972	Grand Finalist	16-8-0	122	Bert Harvey	Allan McLean	Fos Williams	John Cahill	Russell Ebert	Max James	62
1973	5th	11-11-0	105	Ken Duthie	Allan McLean	Fos Williams	John Cahill	John Cahill	John Cahill	59
1974	3rd	19-5-1	123	Ken Duthie	Allan McLean	John Cahill	Russell Ebert	Russell Ebert ★	Darrell Cahill	54
1975	3rd	14-7-0	123	Ken Duthie	Allan McLean	John Cahill	Russell Ebert	Peter Woite ★	Tim Evans	64
1976	Grand Finalist	18-5-0	135	Ken Duthie	Allan McLean	John Cahill	Russell Ebert	Russell Ebert ★	Randall Gerlach	90
1977	Premiers	19-4-1	146	Ken Duthie	Allan McLean	John Cahill	Russell Ebert	Russell Ebert	Tim Evans ✪	88
1978	3rd	16-9-0	111	Ken Duthie	Allan McLean	John Cahill	Russell Ebert	Stephen Clifford	Tim Evans ✪	90
1979	Premiers	17-8-0	112	Ken Duthie	Allan McLean	John Cahill	Brian Cunningham	Milan Faletic	Tim Evans	82
1980	Premiers	21-2-1	188	Ken Duthie	Allan McLean	John Cahill	Brian Cunningham	Stephen Clifford	Tim Evans ✪	146
1981	Premiers	18-7-0	122	Ken Duthie	Ron Taylor	John Cahill	Brian Cunningham	Russell Ebert	Tim Evans ✪	98
1982	3rd	16-7-1	127	Ken Duthie	Ron Taylor	John Cahill	Brian Cunningham	Craig Bradley	Tim Evans ✪	125
1983	6th	10-12-0	91	Ken Duthie	Ron Taylor	Russell Ebert	Russell Ebert	Stephen Clifford	Tim Evans	63
1984	Grand Finalist	18-6-0	127	Ken Duthie	Ian McKenzie	Russell Ebert	Russell Ebert	Craig Bradley	Tim Evans	137
1985	7th	8-14-0	88	Ken Duthie	Ian McKenzie	Russell Ebert	Russell Ebert	Craig Bradley	Tim Evans	96
1986	4th	13-11-0	103	Bruce Weber	Ian McKenzie	Russell Ebert	Russell Johnston	Martin Leslie	Darren Smith	49
1987	4th	15-9-0	112	Bruce Weber	Ian McKenzie	Russell Ebert	Russell Johnston	Bruce Abernethy	Darren Smith	71
1988	Premiers	18-6-0	127	Bruce Weber	Ian McKenzie	John Cahill	Russell Johnston	Greg Phillips	Scott Hodges	74
1989	Premiers	21-4-0	139	Bruce Weber	Bob Clayton	John Cahill	Russell Johnston	Russell Johnston	Scott Hodges	79
1990	Premiers	19-4-0	150	Bruce Weber	Bob Clayton	John Cahill	Russell Johnston	Scott Hodges ★	Scott Hodges ✪	153
1991	5th	14-9-0	109	Bruce Weber	Bob Clayton	John Cahill	Greg Phillips	Paul Northeast	Darryl Borlase	25
1992	Premiers	20-4-0	137	Bruce Weber	Brian Cunningham	John Cahill	Greg Phillips	Nathan Buckley ★	Mark Tylor ✪	97
1993	3rd	16-7-0	118	Greg Boulton	Brian Cunningham	John Cahill	Greg Phillips	Troy Bond	Mark Tylor ✪	90
1994	Premiers	18-8-0	131	Greg Boulton	Brian Cunningham	John Cahill	Tim Ginever	Tim Ginever	Scott Hodges ✪	130
1995	Premiers	19-6-0	131	Greg Boulton	Brian Cunningham	John Cahill	Tim Ginever	Robbie West	Mark Tylor	53
1996	Premiers	16-8-0	129	Greg Boulton	Brian Cunningham Bob Clayton David Hutton	John Cahill Stephen Williams	Tim Ginever	Scott Hodges	Scott Hodges	117
Australian Football League era Click for continued SANFL presence
1997	9th	10-11-1	92	Greg Boulton	Brian Cunningham	John Cahill	Gavin Wanganeen	Darren Mead	Scott Cummings	70
1998	10th	9-12-1	96	Greg Boulton	Brian Cunningham	John Cahill	Gavin Wanganeen	Adam Kingsley	Warren Tredrea	33
1999	7th	12-11-0	90	Greg Boulton	Brian Cunningham	Mark Williams	Gavin Wanganeen	Stephen Paxman	Warren Tredrea	40
2000	14th	7-14-1	84	Greg Boulton	Brian Cunningham	Mark Williams	Gavin Wanganeen	Brett Montgomery	Warren Tredrea	32
2001	5th	16-8-0	129	Greg Boulton	Brian Cunningham	Mark Williams	Matthew Primus	Warren Tredrea	Warren Tredrea	51
2002	3rd	19-6-0	132	Greg Boulton	Brian Cunningham	Mark Williams	Matthew Primus	Matthew Primus	Stuart Dew	51
2003	4th	19-6-0	127	Greg Boulton	Brian Cunningham	Mark Williams	Matthew Primus	Gavin Wanganeen	Warren Tredrea	58
2004	Premiers	20-5-0	132	Greg Boulton	Brian Cunningham	Mark Williams	Matthew Primus Warren Tredrea	Warren Tredrea	Warren Tredrea	81
2005	6th	12-11-1	98	Greg Boulton	John James	Mark Williams	Matthew Primus	Warren Tredrea	Warren Tredrea	65
2006	12th	8-14-0	89	Greg Boulton	John James	Mark Williams	Warren Tredrea	Brendon Lade	Josh Mahoney	29
2007	Grand Finalist	17-8-0	113	Greg Boulton	John James	Mark Williams	Warren Tredrea	Kane Cornes	Brett Ebert	56
2008	13th	7-15-0	96	Greg Boulton	John James Mark Haysman	Mark Williams	Warren Tredrea	Kane Cornes	Daniel Motlop	57
2009	10th	9-13-0	89	Brett Duncanson	Mark Haysman	Mark Williams	Domenic Cassisi	Warren Tredrea	Warren Tredrea	51
2010	10th	10-12-0	82	Brett Duncanson	Mark Haysman	Mark Williams Matthew Primus	Domenic Cassisi	Kane Cornes	Jay Schulz	33
2011	16th	3-19-0	65	Brett Duncanson	Mark Haysman Keith Thomas	Matthew Primus	Domenic Cassisi	Travis Boak Jackson Trengove	Robbie Gray	32
2012	14th	5-16-1	79	Brett Duncanson David Koch	Keith Thomas	Matthew Primus Garry Hocking	Domenic Cassisi	Kane Cornes	Jay Schulz	42
2013	5th	13-11-0	102	David Koch	Keith Thomas	Ken Hinkley	Travis Boak	Chad Wingard	Jay Schulz	49
Administrative independence from the SANFL
2014	3rd	16-8-0	130	David Koch	Keith Thomas	Ken Hinkley	Travis Boak	Robbie Gray	Jay Schulz	66
2015	9th	12-10-0	106	David Koch	Keith Thomas	Ken Hinkley	Travis Boak	Robbie Gray	Chad Wingard	53
2016	10th	10-12-0	106	David Koch	Keith Thomas	Ken Hinkley	Travis Boak	Robbie Gray	Chad Wingard	38
2017	7th	14-9-0	130	David Koch	Keith Thomas	Ken Hinkley	Travis Boak	Paddy Ryder	Charlie Dixon	49
2018	10th	12-10-0	108	David Koch	Keith Thomas	Ken Hinkley	Travis Boak	Justin Westhoff	Robbie Gray	36
2019	10th	11-11-0	105	David Koch	Keith Thomas	Ken Hinkley	Ollie Wines Tom Jonas	Travis Boak	Connor Rozee	29
2020				David Koch	Keith Thomas	Ken Hinkley	Tom Jonas

Hall of Fame

Port Adelaide Football Club
Hall of Fame
Individuals Bruce Abernethy John Abley Dave Boyd Craig Bradley John Cahill Bob Clayton Angelo Congear Kane Cornes Brian Cunningham Leslie Dayman Russell Ebert Tim Evans Brian Fairclough George Fiacchi Tim Ginever Neville Hayes Scott Hodges Ron Hoffman Sampson Hosking Henry Kneebone Allan McLean Edward McMahon Geof Motley Paul Northeast Harold Oliver Greg Phillips Harold Phillips Jeffrey Potter Bob Quinn Allan Reval Llewellyn Roberts Richard Russell Darren Smith Warren Tredrea Gavin Wanganeen Edward Whelan Fos Williams Mark Williams Stephen Williams Lloyd Zucker Eras 1954–1959 1962–1965 Players listed in bold are inductees in the Australian Football Hall of Fame. Players listed in bold and italics are legends in the Australian Football Hall of Fame.

Greatest Team

Port Adelaide's Greatest Team 1870–2000

B:	Richard Russell	John Abley	Edward Whelan
HB:	Neville Hayes	Greg Phillips	Geof Motley
C:	Craig Bradley	Russell Ebert (vc)	John Cahill
HF:	Dave Boyd	Les Dayman	Harold Oliver
F:	Scott Hodges	Tim Evans	Bob Quinn
Foll:	Russell Johnston	Allan Reval	Fos Williams (c)
Int:	Harry Phillips	Jeffrey Potter	Peter Woite
	Lloyd Zucker
Coach:	Fos Williams

Military service

War Roll of Honour[123]
Second Boer War
Kenneth McKenzie
World War I
Maurice Allingham	Frederick Badcock	Arthur Biscombe	William Boon †
David Bower	Howard Bungey	Hugh Challinder	Arnold Channon
Albert Chaplin †	Robert Coffen	Henry Davis	Clement Dayman
William Dempster	Henry Dewar	William 'Roy' Drummond M.M.	Edward Foggo
Archibald Gosling †	Matthew Healy	Horace Hoare	Samuel Howie
Gordon Inkster	Clarence Latimer	Lawrence Levy	William Marshall
Tom McDonald D.C.M	Frederick Meadows	Edward Oatey	John W. Robertson
Edwin Rose	Thomas Sard	Stedman Stidson	William Theodore
Harry Tobin	Arthur Tubel	Arthur Turner	Douglas Walsh M.C.†
Joseph Watson †	Edward Weeden
World War I – officials
Dr Alexander Benson	Charles Hayter	Dr Edward Morris
World War II
Howard Abbott	James Allingham	Charles A. Andersen	Charles H. Andersen
Basil Bampton	Harold Beer	Halcombe George Brock †	Maxwell Carmichael †
George W.F. Chapman	Clarence Christensen	Noel Clark	John Coppin
Ivor Dangerfield	Lindsay Darling	Ralph Dawe	Clarance L. Dayman
John Dermody	Edward Dorian	James Doyle	Drozena Eden
Bert Edwards	James Farr	Dennis Fitzgerald	Frederick Galliford
Laurence Gates	Geoffrey Germein	Francis Gibaut	Arthur Gower
Colin Grant	Claude Greening	Donald Gregg	Colin Grimm
John Heaton	Colin Herbert	John Johnson	Kenneth Johnson
Clyde Kellaway	Peter Keough	Lyall Kretschmer	Robert Lander
Peter Marrett	Richard Mayne	Harold McDonald	Norman McInnes
Malcolm McKiggan †	Allan R.C. 'Bob' McLean	Harold Mills	Brian Moore
George Neaylon	John Oehme	William Owens	Alexander Pender
Harry Perry	Frederick Peters	James Prideaux	George U. Quinn †
John M. Quinn	Robert B. Quinn M.M.	Lew Roberts	Herbert Robertson
Bertram Robinson	Lloyd Rudd †	Leonard Salvemini	Reginald Schumann
John Skelley	Kenneth Slade	Gordon Temby	William Trigg
Arthur Tunbridge	Arthur Utting	John Wade †	Hercules Waldron
John White	Geoffrey Wiese	Foster Williams	John Woollard
World War II – officials/staff
Kenneth Aubert	Archibald Dowsett	Henry Naismith	William Adair
Vietnam War
Peter Chant †	Lindsay McGie	John A. Quinn

† denotes killed in action or died while serving

SANFL presence post AFL entry

In 1994 the Port Adelaide Football Club obtained an AFL licence, however the club had to wait until 1997 to partake in the competition as the Adelaide Crows had a clause preventing another club entering the national competition from South Australia until the end of 1996.[124] Initially Port Adelaide's 1990 proposed model was to use its SANFL side as its reserves team.[125] By the second licence tender in 1994 the club proposal was to field a single team in the AFL. After winning the AFL licence the SANFL teams backflipped and wanted a Port Adelaide side to remain in the SANFL. However the SANFL clubs did not want the reserves side to gain any use of the senior side in the AFL's resources out of fear its advantages would be too strong in the SANFL.[103] As a result for the first few years after 1997, Port Adelaide's SANFL side, which was now a separate legal entity from the Port Adelaide Football Club, was forced to train at Ethelton to ensure they would not gain any advantage using the Alberton training facilities.[103] Australian football historian John Devaney described the forced separation of Port Adelaide's SANFL and AFL operations as being "akin to the enforced splitting up of families associated with military conquest or warfare".[104]

"I keep telling this story and I hope people listen. When we tendered for the AFL we got 99.9% of our members by survey [to answer] "do you want to go into the AFL?", [they replied] "yes we do, we want to be in the best competition and that best competition was the AFL". So we go with a mandate from our members and we win the licence to go into the AFL. Port Adelaide Football Club was going into the AFL as the Port Adelaide Football Club and we had no intentions in our bid document to have a reserves side at that point in time or a presence in the SANFL because that was just too complex because of the politics. We couldn't imagine we could get one side in the AFL and have a second side in the SANFL. I can tell the story because it's true, I was there! So we win the AFL licence and then all of a sudden the opposition clubs in the SANFL were going "what does that mean? Port have gone to the AFL…that means that we won't play them anymore! That means that they won't come through the gates to watch our home games against Port anymore!…Uh, we don't like that". So all of a sudden the SANFL change the rules and go "you can have the licence but one thing you have to do is have Port Adelaide in the SANFL" and we said "Yep ok…well were not going to fight that…but it wasn't the rules when you started the exercise". What happens is the SANFL want our local side to be separate, away from Alberton, so they won't get an advantage. Anyhow, what we have now through Keith Thomas and the good work of the board and all involved, the Timmy Ginever's and the George Fiacchi's etcetera who were involved in all of that have actually got the best of both worlds now with Port Adelaide in the SANFL as our AFL reserves side."

— Brian Cunningham, Port Adelaide Football Club's CEO from 1992 until 2004 in a 2018 interview., [126]

On 20 August 2010, the "One Port Adelaide Football Club" movement was launched by former player Tim Ginever to merge Port Adelaide's AFL and SANFL operations. A website was created that claimed 50,000 signatures were needed for the merger. On 15 November 2010, all nine SANFL clubs agreed that the off-field merger between the two operations would proceed.[127][128] On 10 September 2013, Port Adelaide and the SANFL agreed to a model to allow all its AFL-listed players (not selected to play for Port Adelaide in the AFL) to play for the SANFL side. From 2015 onward, the club lost its recruiting zones and could no longer field sides in the junior SANFL competition. Port Adelaide subsequently started an Academy team composed of 18 to 22-year-olds.[129]

Port Adelaide featured in three SANFL Grand Finals in the 2010s though it lost each of them. The club will not field a team in the SANFL in the 2020 season due to AFL restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic, though it has expressed its intention to re-join the competition in 2021.[130]

Season summaries

Port Adelaide Football Club honour roll (SANFL since 1997)
Season	Final position	Coach	Captain	A.R McLean Medal	Leading goal kicker
1997	Grand Finalist	Stephen Williams	Tim Ginever	Tim Ginever	Phil McGuinness (36)
1998	Premiers	Stephen Williams	Darryl Borlase	Bryan Beinke	Bryan Beinke (39)
1999	Premiers	Stephen Williams	David Brown	Darryl Poole	Paul Evans (35)
2000	3rd	Stephen Williams	Darryl Poole	Phil McGuinness	Phillip Smith (41)
2001	3rd	Stephen Williams	Darryl Poole	Ryan O'Connor ★	Tony Brown (27)
2002	6th	Stephen Williams	Darryl Poole	Corey Ah Chee	Matt Lokan (22)
2003	5th	Stephen Williams	Darryl Poole	Brett Ebert ★	Paul Evans (46)
2004	6th	Matthew Knights	Tony Brown	Kristian De Pasquale	Paul Evans (29)
2005	3rd	John Cahill	Tony Brown	Jeremy Clayton ★	Clive Waterhouse (75)
2006	5th	Tim Ginever	Mark Clayton	Jeremy Clayton	Clive Waterhouse (52)
2007	6th	Tim Ginever	Mark Clayton	Jeremy Clayton	Brent LeCras (45)
2008	5th	Tim Ginever	Corey Ah Chee	Jeremy Clayton	Daniel Hargraves (53)
2009	8th	Tim Ginever	Corey Ah Chee	Brad Murray	Joel Perry (43)
2010	8th	Tony Bamford	James Meiklejohn	Steven Summerton	Cameron Cloke (25)
2011	6th	Tony Bamford	James Meiklejohn	Mark Dolling	Brad Mercer (30)
2012	7th	Tony Bamford	James Meiklejohn	Jeremy Clayton	Luke Harder (29)
2013	6th	Ken McGregor	James Meiklejohn	Sam Gray	Josh Thurgood (38)
2014	Grand Finalist	Garry Hocking	Steven Summerton	Steven Summerton	John Butcher (32)
2015	4th	Garry Hocking	Steven Summerton	Steven Summerton	Mitch Harvey (21)
2016	6th	Chad Cornes	Steven Summerton	Kane Mitchell	Luke Reynolds (43)
2017	Grand Finalist	Chad Cornes	Steven Summerton	Brendon Ah Chee	Brett Eddy (59) ★
2018	9th	Matt Lokan	Steven Summerton	Will Snelling	Lindsay Thomas (21)
2019	Grand Finalist	Matt Lokan	Cameron Sutcliffe	Jack Trengove	Billy Frampton (32)
2020	Did not field a team due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Club achievements

Club achievements
Competition	Level	Wins	Year won
AFL	Premiers	1	2004
	Runners up	1	2007
	McClelland Trophy	3	2002, 2003, 2004
Championship of Australia	Champions	4	1890, 1910, 1913, 1914
SAFA/SAFL/SANFL	Premiers	36	1884, 1890, 1897, 1903, 1906, 1910, 1913, 1914, 1921, 1928, 1936, 1937, 1939, 1951, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999
	Runners up	38	1878, 1879, 1883, 1887, 1888, 1889, 1891, 1892, 1898, 1901, 1904, 1905, 1907, 1909, 1911, 1912, 1915, 1926, 1929, 1930, 1934, 1935, 1938, 1945, 1946, 1953, 1964, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1976, 1984, 1997, 2014, 2017, 2019
	Wooden Spoons	3	1886, 1896, 1900
South Australian Patriotic League	Premiers	3	1916, 1917, 1942
	Runner up	2	1943, 1944

Player achievements

Competition awards

Magarey Medal (SANFL best and fairest)

1899 – Stan Malin 1907 – Jack Mack 1910 – Sampson Hosking 1914 – Jack Ashley 1915 – Sampson Hosking 1921 – Charlie Adams 1925 – Peter Bampton 1938 – Bob Quinn 1945 – Bob Quinn 1956 – Dave Boyd 1964 – Geof Motley 1967 – Trevor Obst

1971 – Russell Ebert 1974 – Russell Ebert 1975 – Peter Woite 1976 – Russell Ebert 1980 – Russell Ebert 1986 – Greg Anderson 1990 – Scott Hodges 1992 – Nathan Buckley 2001 – Tony Brown & Ryan O'Connor 2003 – Brett Ebert 2005 – Jeremy Clayton

AFLCA Champion Player of the Year

• 2004 – Warren Tredrea
• 2014 – Robbie Gray

AFL Rising Star (Best player under 21)

• 1997 – Michael Wilson
• 2006 – Danyle Pearce

Grand final best on ground awards

Norm Smith Medal (AFL Grand Final best on ground)

• 2004 – Byron Pickett

Jack Oatey Medal (SANFL Grand Final best on ground)

• 1981 – Russell Ebert
• 1988 – Bruce Abernethy
• 1989 – Russell Johnston
• 1990 – George Fiacchi
• 1992 – Nathan Buckley
• 1994 – Darryl Wakelin
• 1995 – Anthony Darcy
• 1996 – David Brown
• 1998 – Brett Chalmers
• 1999 – Darryl Poole

All-Australian

Sporting Life Magazine

• Bob Quinn – 1947 (captain)
• Dick Russell – 1950
• Fos Williams – 1950, 1951
• Harold McDonald – 1951, 1955

Interstate carnivals

• John Abley – 1956, 1958, 1961
• John Cahill – 1969
• Greg Phillips – 1980
• Mark Williams – 1980
• Craig Bradley – 1983, 1985
• Tony Giles – 1983
• Stephen Curtis – 1983
• Greg Anderson – 1987
• Martin Leslie – 1988

Australian Football League

• Adam Heuskes – 1997
• Gavin Wanganeen – 2001, 2003
• Matthew Primus – 2001, 2002
• Warren Tredrea – 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004
• Brett Montgomery – 2002
• Josh Francou – 2002
• Chad Cornes – 2004, 2007
• Mark Williams – 2004 (coach)
• Kane Cornes – 2005, 2007
• Brendon Lade – 2006, 2007
• Shaun Burgoyne – 2006
• Chad Wingard – 2013, 2015
• Travis Boak – 2013, 2014
• Robbie Gray – 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018
• Paddy Ryder – 2017

Club awards

John Cahill Medal (best and fairest)

• John Cahill Medal

Allan Robert McLean Medal (SANFL best and fairest)

• Allan Robert McLean Medal

Gavin Wanganeen Medal (Best player under 21)

• 2006 – Danyle Pearce
• 2007 – Justin Westhoff
• 2008 – Alipate Carlile
• 2009 – Travis Boak
• 2010 – Jackson Trengove
• 2011 – Hamish Hartlett
• 2012 – Chad Wingard
• 2013 – Ollie Wines
• 2014 – Ollie Wines
• 2015 – Ollie Wines
• 2016 – Jarman Impey
• 2017 – Sam Powell-Pepper
• 2018 – Dan Houston
• 2019 – Connor Rozee

John McCarthy Medal (Community Award)

• 2013 – Jack Hombsch
• 2014 – Brad Ebert
• 2015 – Nathan Krakouer
• 2016 – Jack Hombsch
• 2017 – Jack Hombsch
• 2018 – Justin Westhoff
• 2019 – Travis Boak

Club records

Main article: List of Port Adelaide Football Club records

As at the end of 2017:

Overall win/loss record

• AFL – 485 matches / 248 wins / 232 losses / 5 draws (51.65%)
• SANFL – 2675 matches / 1744 wins / 882 losses / 65 draws (66.02%)
• Both leagues – 3160 matches / 1992 wins / 1114 losses / 70 draws (63.82%)

Best league record against another club

Minimum 20 league matches against a current club:

• AFL – St Kilda – 20 wins / 10 losses / 0 draws (66.67%)
• SANFL – Glenelg – 180 wins / 69 losses / 3 draws (72.02%)

Worst league record against another club

Minimum 20 league matches against a current club:

• AFL – Sydney – 9 wins / 20 losses / 0 draws (31.03%)
• SANFL – Norwood – 197 wins / 193 losses / 17 draws (50.49%)

Highest score

• AFL – 29.14 (188) vs Hawthorn, round 13, 2005, Football Park
• SANFL – 37.21 (243) vs Woodville, 19 April 1980, Football Park

Lowest score

• AFL – 3.3 (21) vs Collingwood, round 20, 2011, Football Park
• SAFA – 1.1 (7) vs North Adelaide, 5 May 1900, Alberton Oval

Greatest winning margin

• AFL – 117 points vs Hawthorn, round 13, 2005, Football Park
• SANFL – 179 points vs Woodville, 8 August 1970, Woodville Oval

Greatest losing margin

• AFL – 165 points vs Hawthorn, round 21, 2011, MCG
• SANFL – 122 points vs Norwood, 1997, Adelaide Oval

Most wins in a season

• AFL – 20 wins (2004)
• SANFL – 21 wins (1980, 1989)¹

¹ This record is unbreakable under the current SANFL fixturing rules (current maximum is 20 wins: 18 home-and-away plus two finals).

Fewest losses in a season

• AFL – 5 losses (2004)
• SAFL – 0 losses (1914)

Largest home attendances (minor round)

• AFL – 53,698 at Adelaide Oval (round 3, 2017 vs Adelaide)
• AFL (excluding Showdown) – 52,505 at Adelaide Oval (round 22, 2014 vs Carlton)
• SANFL – 38,213 at Football Park (round 19, 1988 vs Sturt)
• SANFL (suburban) – 22,738 at Alberton Oval (round 11, 1977 vs Norwood)

Largest away attendances (minor round)

• AFL – 51,883 at MCG (round 1, 1997 vs Collingwood)
• SANFL – 30,618 at Adelaide Oval (round 11, 1977 vs South Adelaide)
• SANFL (suburban) – 22,015 at Unley Oval (round 9, 1968 vs Sturt)

Largest finals attendances

• AFL – 97,302 at MCG (2007 AFL Grand Final vs Geelong)
• SANFL – 66,897 (80,000 police estimate) at Football Park (1976 SANFL Grand Final vs Sturt)[46]

Longest undefeated streak

• AFL – 8 wins (round 8 → 15, 2002, round 15 → 22, 2003, round 4 → 12, 2014)
• SAFL – 33 games (21 June 1913 → 1914 → 3 July 1915)

Longest winless streak

• AFL – 11 games (round 11 → 23, 2011)
• pre-SAFA – 15 games (game 1, 1870 → game 2, 1873)

Player records

Most games played

• AFL – 300 – Kane Cornes (2001–2015)
• SANFL – 391 – Russell Ebert (1968–1978, 1980–1985)[131]

Most games coached

• AFL – 274 – Mark Williams (1999–2010)
• SANFL – 444 – Fos Williams (1950–1958, 1962–1973)
• Combined – 488 – John Cahill (SANFL: 1974–1982, 1988–1996; AFL: 1997–1998)

Most premierships as player

• SANFL – 9 – Geof Motley (1954–1959, 1962–1963, 1965)
• AFL – 1 – 2004 premiership team

Most premierships as coach

• SANFL – 10 – John Cahill (1977, 1979–81, 1988–90, 1994–96)
• AFL – 1 – Mark Williams (2004)

Most goals at Port Adelaide

• AFL – 549 – Warren Tredrea (1997–2010)
• SANFL – 1044 – Tim Evans (1975–1986)[132]

Most goals in a match

• AFL – 8 – Warren Tredrea and Jay Schulz (1998, round 7, vs Carlton, Princes Park; 2014, round 14, vs Western Bulldogs, Adelaide Oval)
• SANFL – 16 – Tim Evans (1980, round 5, vs West Adelaide)

Most goals in a season

• AFL – 81 – Warren Tredrea (2004)
• SANFL – 153 – Scott Hodges (1990)

References

1. "Current details for ABN 49 068 839 547". ABN Lookup. Australian Business Register. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
2. "PTV: Jack Hombsch – Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award nomination". 15 September 2015. Port Adelaide's motto is 'We Exist to Win Premierships and Make Our Community Proud'.
3. Port Adelaide – Part One: 1870 to 1918, FullPointsFooty.net
4. Club Championship of Australia, FullPointsFooty.net.
5. "Australian Football – Port Adelaide Football Club – Bio". australianfootball.com. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
6. "The wheat statistics". South Australian Register. Adelaide, SA: National Library of Australia. 13 May 1870. p. 5. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
7. South Australian Advertiser, 10 May 1870; and South Australian Chronicle and Weekly Mail, 14 May 1870.
8. Whimpress, Bernard (1983). "The South Australian Football Story". SA 175. professional historians association (south australia). Retrieved 2 May 2015.
9. Gyss, Trevor (2010). 1877 South Australian Football Season Records and Statistics. p. 31. ISBN 1445782928.
10. "Football". The South Australian Advertiser. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 18 June 1878. p. 7. Retrieved 2 May 2015.
11. "10 things you probably don't know about the Port Adelaide Football Club… – portadelaidefc.com.au". Retrieved 29 May 2015.
12. "Intercolonial Football Match". Evening Journal. XV (4410). South Australia. 3 July 1883. p. 3. Retrieved 27 April 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
13. "Sporting Intelligence". The Argus. Melbourne: National Library of Australia. 25 May 1885. p. 9. Retrieved 22 November 2014.
14. "Football". The South Australian Advertiser. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 21 June 1887. p. 7. Retrieved 14 January 2015.
15. "FOOTBALL". The South Australian Advertiser. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 21 June 1887. p. 7. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
16. "First of firsts: Port Adelaide v Richmond 1889 – portadelaidefc.com.au". portadelaidefc.com.au. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
17. "FOOTBALL". The Express and Telegraph. XXVIII (8, 303). South Australia. 3 August 1891. p. 4. Retrieved 22 July 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
18. Devaney, John. "Port Adelaide". Australian Football. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
19. "Football". Adelaide Observer. National Library of Australia. 26 April 1902. p. 20. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
20. "A Football Dispute". The Advertiser. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 4 September 1902. p. 4. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
21. "Football". The Register. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 9 September 1902. p. 6. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
22. "Football". The Register. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 9 September 1902. p. 6. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
23. "FOOTBALL". Evening Journal. XLIV (12305). South Australia. 16 September 1910. p. 6 (SPECIAL SPORTS EDITION). Retrieved 30 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
24. "Port Adelaide v. Sydney". The Evening News. Sydney: National Library of Australia. 7 June 1907. p. 3. Retrieved 5 May 2015.
25. Devaney, John. "Port in Perth – Port Adelaide's 1910 WA tour". australianfootball.com. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
26. "Australian Football". australianfootball.com. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
27. "Football". The Barrier Miner. Broken Hill, NSW: National Library of Australia. 16 August 1910. p. 2. Retrieved 5 May 2015.
28. Devaney, John (2008). SA Football Companion. Full Points Footy's. p. 431.
29. "Championship football port adelaide invincible soundly defeat combined league team". Daily Herald. 15 October 1914. p. 5. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
30. "Australian Football – Angelo Congear – Player Bio". australianfootball.com. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
31. "FOOTBALL". The Express and Telegraph. LIX (17, 627). South Australia. 4 May 1922. p. 6 (5 O'CLOCK EDITION SPORTS NUMBER). Retrieved 8 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
32. "Family tree. Details of William Harold Oliver (1891–1958)". users.on.net. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
33. "Play and Players". Daily Herald. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 4 August 1922. p. 7. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
34. "FOOTBALL". Daily Herald. XIII (3879). South Australia. 24 August 1922. p. 3. Retrieved 22 July 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
35. "Australian Football – Port Adelaide Football Club – Stats". australianfootball.com. Retrieved 22 May 2015.
36. Wood, John (1991). Bound for Glory. Adelaide: Largs Bay Printers. p. 6.
37. Wood, John (1991). Bound for Glory. p. 12.
38. Agius, Matthew (24 April 2014). "Port Adelaide servicemen in war".
39. "Port-Torrens Wins Again". The Advertiser. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 28 September 1942. p. 7. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
40. Devaney, John. "Haydn Bunton Snr".
41. Wood, John (1991). Bound for Glory. Port Adelaide: Largs Bay Printers. p. 46. ISBN 0959316213.
42. "1955 Exhibition Match vs Port Adelaide".
43. "1955 Exhibition Match vs Port Adelaide". demonwiki.org. 30 May 2014. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
44. Port Adelaide Football Club Annual Report. Port Adelaide Football Club. 1956. p. 6.
45. "1965 SANFL season".
46. Norton, Daniel (2013). Port Adelaide Football Club – 2013 Season Guide. Adelaide: Bowden Group. p. 28.
47. "1977 SANFL season".
48. Russell Ebert, 1977 SANFL Grand Final – Port Adelaide vs. Glenelg.
49. "Australian Football – Port+Adelaide Football Club – Bio". australianfootball.com. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
50. 'Port Adelaide Football Club Inc. Annual Report and Balance Sheet Season 1982', page 11
51. "Revisiting the South Australian license saga of 1991". The Roar. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
52. "Stateline South Australia". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
53. "1990 SANFL season".
54. "Revisiting the South Australian license saga of 1991". The Roar. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
55. John P. Devaney Full points footy: encyclopedia of Australian football clubs Lulu, 2009 pp 400 ISBN 0-9556897-0-8
56. George Fiacchi, 1990 SANFL Grand Final – Port Adelaide vs. Glenelg, Channel 9.
57. Rucci, Michelangelo (20 September 2012). "It's bye bye Port Adelaide". Adelaide Advertiser. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
58. Tim Lane, 2004 AFL Grand Final – Port Adelaide vs. Brisbane, Channel 10.
59. It's not a snub – AFL still in the wings Archived 30 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine TPFP 19 March 2009
60. Port Adelaide gets $2.5 million SANFL funding AFL 20 May 2009
61. Power AFL grant AFL, 15 June 2009
62. Will Swanton, Courtney Walsh (4 March 2014). "And the big man flies".
63. "Primu appointed – Official AFL website of the Port Adelaide Football Club". Portadelaidefc.com.au. 11 July 2010. Archived from the original on 16 June 2011. Retrieved 11 July 2010.
64. "The official website of the Australian Football League – AFL.com.au". afl.com.au. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
65. "Boak to lead new era at Port Adelaide". portadelaidefc.com.au. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
66. Watkin, Lucy (30 June 2017). "A history of your AFL club's jumper". Herald Sun.
67. "PORT ADELAIDE V. GOLDFIELDS". Kalgoorlie Western Argus. XVI (822). Western Australia. 9 August 1910. p. 23. Retrieved 5 November 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
68. Fos Williams, 1981 SANFL Grand Final broadcast, NWS9 Adelaide, 1981
69. "A few final Port jumper saga notes". The Advertiser. Adelaide. 8 September 2014. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
70. "GOSSIP OF THE GAME". The News. XIII (1, 898). South Australia. 15 August 1929. p. 14 (HOME EDITION). Retrieved 11 February 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
71. "Premier SA club plans AFL move". The Canberra Times. National Library of Australia. 1 August 1990. p. 38. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
72. "Club statement re: heritage guernsey". 1 May 2007.
73. "Port Adelaide to wear Black and White" from the Official AFL Website of the Port Adelaide Football Club. Retrieved 14 May 2007.
74. Karen Lyon, Alan Shiell and Bill McDonald, Port, Pies in black-and-white blue, The Age.
75. Dwayne Russell,2003 AFL Round 19 Port Adelaide vs. Carlton, Fox Footy.
76. Leigh Matthews, 2014 AFL Elimination Final – Port Adelaide vs Richmond, Channel 7.
77. Rucci, Michelangelo (16 July 2014). "Port Adelaide Denied Opportunity to Wear Heritage Jumper at First Friday Night Match at Adelaide Oval".
78. Dennis Cometti, 2014 AFL Elimination Final – Port Adelaide vs Richmond, Channel 7.
79. Shaw, Tony (4 May 2019). "Why a Collingwood legend "doesn't care" if Port Adelaide wear 'prison bar' jumper". 3AW.
80. "Club greats rally behind push for Port Adelaide to wear its prison bar guernsey in 2020". The Advertiser. 27 November 2018.
81. "Why a Collingwood legend "doesn't care" if Port Adelaide wear 'prison bar' jumper". 3AW. 4 May 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
82. Rucci, Michaelangelo (20 February 2019). "After the Port Adelaide resolves whether to stay by tradition with its captain, the Power can prepare for an even more emotive battle". The Advertiser. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
83. "#BringBackTheBars on Instagram: "Mark Bickley on FIVEaa supporting the wishes of Port Adelaide fans wanting to resume wearing the clubs most famous guernsey to coincide…"". Instagram. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
84. "#BringBackTheBars on Instagram: "Sydney Swans star Dale Lewis sharing his view on what should happen with Port Adelaide's traditional guernsey. Make sure you LIKE our…"". Instagram. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
85. "#BringBackTheBars on Instagram: "This Friday will be Travis Boak's 250th game. To celebrate we are revisiting his thoughts on our most famous guernsey. To support the…"". Instagram. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
86. "#BringBackTheBars on Instagram: "Robbie Gray shared his thoughts this week on our famous guernsey hoping the club "can get it done"...only one way to do this, SIGN and…"". Instagram. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
87. Wines, Ollie (24 November 2018). "My favourite jumper I've worn throughout my whole football career!". @wines16. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
88. "Jay Weatherill". facebook.com. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
89. "#BringBackTheBars on Instagram: "Our petition gained a lot of momentum after the #BringBackTheBars night. Reaching this milestone is testament to the effort of the @PAFC…"". Instagram. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
90. "AFL 2019: Port Adelaide will wear prison bars outfit in two matches for season 2020". Fox Sports Australia. 14 August 2019.
91. "Thomas: No agreement in place to prevent Prison Bars post 2020". portadelaidefc.com.au. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
92. "David Koch Wants A Port Adelaide 150th Anniversary "Reboot" Next Year". FiveAA. 1 June 2020. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
93. "AFL 2020: Port Adelaide prison bar jumper clash with Collingwood Eddie McGuire vs David Koch, Footy Classified". Fox Sports. 3 June 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
94. "Port Adelaide to seek Prison Bar approval beyond 2020". portadelaidefc.com.au. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
95. Faulkner, Andrew (4 June 2020). "Nathan Buckley backs Port Adelaide's prison bars for Showdown". The Australian.
96. "General News". The Express and Telegraph. VI (2, 018). South Australia. 19 August 1870. p. 2 (2nd Ed.). Retrieved 5 January 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
97. "Song for the Port Adelaide Football Club". Port Adelaide News. V (304). South Australia. 7 July 1882. p. 8. Retrieved 5 January 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
98. 1921 Port Adelaide premiership reunion dinner menu, 1965.
99. Rucci, Michaelangelo (14 April 2014). "Staying Power: jumper lead to start off" (PDF). The Advertiser. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
100. Club Song Port Adelaide Football Club
101. "Pitjantjatjara translation for Port Adelaide club song – portadelaidefc.com.au". portadelaidefc.com.au. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
102. McGuire, Michael. "Liverpool brings its football and its famous song to Adelaide Oval". The Advertiser. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
103. "From the CEO: September 3, 2015". portadelaidefc.com.au. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
104. "Australian Football – Port Adelaide Football Club – Bio". australianfootball.com. Retrieved 27 September 2017.
105. "A history of Port Adelaide's logos". portadelaidefc.com.au. 10 October 2019.
106. "Port Adelaide launch 150th anniversary season with commemorative logo". portadelaidefc.com.au. 13 October 2019.
107. "Alberton Oval – Official AFL website of the Port Adelaide Football Club". Portadelaidefc.com.au. Retrieved 14 June 2010.
108. The Creed Port Adelaide Football Club
109. AFL 360: The Port Adelaide Creed YouTube (originally broadcast by Fox Footy)
110. "Why we win the derby Showdown". Retrieved 15 April 2017.
111. http://www.portadelaidefc.com.au/sanfl/season-2014/players
112. "Port Adelaide Supporter Groups – portadelaidefc.com.au". portadelaidefc.com.au. Archived from the original on 27 June 2015. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
113. Joint No.1 Ticket Holders thepowerfromport.com.au 30 January 2008
114. Riding the roller-coaster The Age 2 January 2008
115. Teresa Palmer Power's No. 1 Archived 2 September 2010 at the Wayback Machine AFL News 30 January 2008
116. Bob Quinn 1915–2008 Official website of the Port Adelaide Football Club, 12 September 2008
117. AFL: Diva trainer Port's No. 1 fan 24 March 2006
118. "Subscribe to The Australian". The Australian. Retrieved 22 October 2016.
119. McClure, Sam (27 September 2016). "AFL 2016 finals: Port Adelaide heading to China in late May as AFL ticks off on international game". The Age. Retrieved 22 October 2016.
120. "Power Footy". portadelaidefc.com.au. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
121. "Hart's Mill Complex | SA History Hub". sahistoryhub.com.au. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
122. "Aboriginal Power Cup". aboriginalpowercup.com.au. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
123. "War Honour Roll". portadelaidefc.com.au. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
124. Rucci, Michaelangelo (14 December 1994). "Premiers SA's Second Team". The Advertiser (Adelaide). p. 1-2.
125. "SA rebel club's entry into AFL hinges on Monday meeting". The Canberra Times. 64 (20, 203). Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 4 August 1990. p. 12 (EMPLOYMENT). Retrieved 27 October 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
126. Cunningham, Brian (19 March 2018). "Life Of Brian! – Ep. 6.06 BigFooty Power AFL podcast".
127. Stop Press! One Club has been approved! See you at Alberton Oval at 11am Tuesday 16 November! #pafc Archived 25 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine
128. One PAFC – Official AFL Website of the Port Adelaide Football Club
129. "Statement: Port Adelaide accepts SANFL invitation". portadelaidefc.com.au. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
130. "Statement – 2020 SANFL participation". Port Adelaide FC. 12 May 2020.
131. "Australian Football – Russell Ebert – Player Bio". australianfootball.com. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
132. "Australian Football – Tim Evans – Player Bio". australianfootball.com. Retrieved 28 May 2017.

External links

• Official AFL website of the Port Adelaide Football Club