Port Adelaide Football Club (AFL Women's) explained

Color1:black
Color2:white
Color3:solid #06AAC5
Clubname:Port Adelaide Football Club
Fullname:Port Adelaide Football Club Limited[1]
Nicknames:Port, Power
Motto:Herstory in the making
Clubsong:AFL: Power to Win
Season:2022 (S7)
Colours: Black White
Teal Silver
League:AFLW
Chairman:David Koch
Ceo:Matthew Richardson
Coach:Lauren Arnell
Captain:Janelle Cuthbertson
Ground:Alberton Oval
Capacity:8,000
Trainingground:Alberton Oval
Url:portadelaidefc.com.au
Current:2023 Port Adelaide Football Club season
Port Adelaide Football Club (AFL Women's) is a professional Australian rules football team based in Alberton, South Australia. The team plays in the AFL Women's (AFLW) competition. The team is part of the Port Adelaide Football Club.

In May 2021, the club was granted a license by the AFL to compete in the league from the start of 2022 season 7. The team play their home games at Alberton Oval, in Alberton, South Australia.

History

Early participation in women's football

The earliest recorded instance of the Port Adelaide Football Club fielding a Women's side was in 1918 for a match played on Alberton Oval to raise funds for the Port Adelaide Workers Memorial against a team representing Thebarton.[2] Port Adelaide was captained by Eileen Reid. In 1951 Port Adelaide awarded Ruby Dewar with life membership at the club, the first SANFL club to bestow the honour upon a woman, with club secretary Bob McLean praising her contribution saying that she had over 29 years "organised probably more than 100 functions for us — balls, dinners, competitions — as convener of the women's social committee."[3] Port Adelaide has given 17 women life membership at the club.[4] On 8 March 2004 Jenny Williams organised a Women's Showdown as a curtain raiser to Port Adelaide's home game at Football Park.[5] The Port Adelaide Women's side won the match 16.5 (101) to Adelaide's 1.1 (7) with Erin Phillips considered a unanimous best on ground. The Port Adelaide Football Club also supported the local Port Adelaide Women's Football Club (nicknamed the Magpies and wearing the "Prison Bar" guernsey) who played in the Adelaide Football League from 2003-2018

2015–present: Initial bids, formation and early years in the league

On 16 December 2015 Erin Phillips entered into an agreement with Port Adelaide to be their marquee AFL Women's (AFLW) signing on the contingency the club received a licence for that competition.[6] However, due to the logistical demands placed on Port Adelaide's administration and staff associated with the club's China program, which sought to ensure the club had sustainable revenue streams, the club was deemed not capable to bid for an AFLW licence for the 2017 AFL Women's season.[7] Subsequently, the Adelaide Crows signed Phillips as a rookie.[8] Port Adelaide turned its attention towards entering a Women's side in the SANFL Women's League (SANFLW) competition but this approach was rejected by the South Australian Football Commission. After this, in 2018 the local Port Adelaide Women's Football Club in the Adelaide Football League was wound up.[9] In May 2021, the AFL Commission announced that the remaining four clubs without AFLW teams would be admitted to the competition by the end of 2023, with the clubs to bid for entry order.[10] Port Adelaide's bid to enter the competition was successful, with the AFL Commission deciding all four clubs would debut in the AFLW in 2022 season 7.[11] On 26 October 2021 Port Adelaide appointed Juliet Haslam as the clubs head of Women's football.[12] On 3 February 2022 Port Adelaide announced Naomi Maidment as the clubs inaugural AFLW list manager.[13] On 17 February 2022 Rachael Sporn was appointed to an Operations Manager role to organise the logistics of running an AFLW program at Port Adelaide.[14]

Port Adelaide finished second-last (17th) in their debut season in the competition, celebrating their debut win in the competition at their home ground of Alberton Oval in round 4 against .[15] The team marginally improved to 15th in the 2023 season, and inaugural captain and dual-sports professional Erin Phillips retired from football at the end of the season.[16]

Current squad

In April 2022, former captain and premiership player Lauren Arnell was announced as Port Adelaide's inaugural AFLW coach,[17] and two weeks later, three-time premiership player Erin Phillips, whose father Greg played in 343 games and eight premierships with the club in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL), was announced as the club's inaugural AFLW player signing.[18] On the opening day of the expansion signing period in May, Port Adelaide signed Adelaide players Ange Foley and Justine Mules, Brisbane midfielder Maria Moloney, forward Gemma Houghton and twins Laquoiya and Litonya Cockatoo-Motlap,[19] the nieces of former and player Che Cockatoo-Collins.[20] The next day, Port Adelaide signed Phillips, Brisbane defender Indy Tahau and midfielder Ebony O'Dea,[21] while also finalising its AFLW coaching team.[22] In August, Phillips was named Port Adelaide's inaugural AFLW captain.[23]

Club honour roll

See also: List of Port Adelaide Football Club coaches and List of Port Adelaide Football Club captains.

Port Adelaide Football Club (women's) Honour Board
YearFinalsChairmanCEOCoachCaptainBest & FairestLeading Goalkicker(s)
2022 (S7)17th1–8–170.6DNQDavid KochMatthew RichardsonLauren ArnellErin PhillipsHannah EwingsHannah Ewings, Jade de Melo,
Gemma Houghton, Brittany Perry
4
202315th2–7–175.1DNQDavid KochMatthew RichardsonLauren ArnellErin PhillipsAbbey DowrickGemma Houghton16

Best and fairest

Seasonstyle=width:12em Winnerstyle=width:12em Runner–upstyle=width:12em Third–placeclass=unsortable
[24]
[25]

Corporate

Administrative positions

Sponsors

Current major sponsors

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Current details for ABN 49 068 839 547. ABN Lookup. November 2014. Australian Business Register. 4 August 2020.
  2. News: 1 November 1918. LADIES' FOOTBALL MATCH.. 6. 1. Port Adelaide News. 12. South Australia. 14 February 2017. National Library of Australia.
  3. News: PORT HONOR FOR WOMAN . . 58 . 8,895 . South Australia . 11 February 1952 . 17 February 2022 . 22 . National Library of Australia.
  4. News: Life Members. Port Adelaide Football Club. 17 February 2022.
  5. News: Founten. Loukas. 18 July 2019. The story of the first ever women's Showdown. Port Adelaide Football Club. 17 February 2022.
  6. News: Agius. Matthew. 16 December 2015. Erin Phillips to follow in footsteps of father Greg in playing for Port Adelaide. Port Adelaide Football Club. 17 February 2022.
  7. News: 16 April 2021. Did Port Adelaide miss AFLW boat while on the road to China?. InDaily. 17 February 2022.
  8. Web site: Burtenshaw. David. 13 September 2016. Crows sign Erin Phillips. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200320034543/https://www.afc.com.au/news/348658/crows-sign-erin-phillips. 20 March 2020. 6 April 2020. Adelaide Football Club.
  9. News: Sarah. Black. 9 July 2021. 'The first Showdown could bring 50,000': Will Port Adelaide power into the AFLW?. womens.afl.
  10. Web site: Black. Sarah. AFLW expansion: Four new clubs, no more AFL overlap. 13 October 2021. AFLW. en.
  11. News: Walsh. Liz. Ralph. Jon. Port Adelaide set to form women's team to compete in the AFLW from the 2022-23 season. en-AU. 13 October 2021.
  12. News: 26 October 2021. Port Adelaide appoints Juliet Haslam as Head of AFLW program. Port Adelaide Football Club. 17 February 2022.
  13. News: Bastiani. Gemma. 3 February 2022. Maidment of honour: Power name inaugural list boss. womens.afl. 17 February 2022.
  14. News: Green. Jess. 17 February 2022. Rachael Sporn joins Port Adelaide's AFLW program. Port Adelaide Football Club. 17 February 2022.
  15. Web site: Match report: Dominant Port blitz Swans to secure maiden win. Port Adelaide FC. Michelangelo Rucci. 17 September 2022.
  16. Web site: All-time great Erin Phillips signs off in style as Port trounce GWS. The Guardian. 4 November 2023.
  17. News: Black. Sarah. Player, captain, and now coach: Arnell's historic new chapter at Port Adelaide. womens.afl. 12 April 2022. 27 April 2022.
  18. News: Black. Sarah. Superstar Phillips departs Crows, excited to carry on father's legacy. womens.afl. 27 April 2022. 27 April 2022.
  19. News: Day one's expansion signings: 28 players make it official with new clubs. womens.afl. 24 May 2022. 25 May 2022.
  20. News: Black. Sarah. Beveridge. Riley. Bastiani. Gemma. Trade latest: Saints set to land All-Australian Giant. womens.afl. 17 May 2022. 18 May 2022.
  21. News: Day two's expansion signings: Erin's Power switch now official. womens.afl. 25 May 2022. 25 May 2022.
  22. News: Anderson. Jamie. Arnell assembles coaching team. portadelaidefc.com.au. 25 May 2022. 25 May 2022.
  23. News: Black. Sarah. Power move: Phillips to captain Port in inaugural season. womens.afl. 1 August 2022. 1 August 2022.
  24. News: Ewings wins Port Adelaide's AFLW Best and Fairest. Port Adelaide Football Club. Founten. Loukas. 5 December 2022. 2 October 2023.
  25. News: Dowrick named Port Adelaide's Best and Fairest. Port Adelaide Football Club. Anderson. Jamie. 11 November 2023. 11 November 2023.
  26. Web site: Board of Directors . portadelaidefc.com.au . 10 April 2021 .
  27. Web site: Staff . portadelaidefc.com.au . 10 April 2021 .
  28. Web site: Port Adelaide welcomes new member-elected board member . portadelaidefc.com.au . 18 February 2022 . 24 February 2022 . en.
  29. Web site: Partners . portadelaidefc.com.au . 10 April 2021 .