Never Tear Us Apart...

[NorthernLights]

A new club was formed out of what?

Port Adelaide bid for the licence, Port Adelaide won the right to field a team in the AFL, Port Adelaide entered the AFL. It's the same club.

The artificial separation in 1997 was because the SANFL were scared this would make a side that had won 6 of the last 7 SANFL flags even stronger. Port Adelaide certainly didn't want to separate. Thankfully the clubs were remerged a few years back.

So the existing club moved to the AFL, and a new club was placed in the SANFL?

 

[El_Scorcho]

So the existing club moved to the AFL, and a new club was placed in the SANFL?

The club wanted two teams playing for the one club, but the SANFL disallowed it. The club was split. Like a reverse merger. Both entities had the rights to the history.

On paper, the SANFL side was renamed the Port Adelaide Magpies Football Club but was the same legal entity, the AFL club kept the Port Adelaide Football Club name but took the new legal entity. It could have been set up either way really, it was just more convenient to do it that way given how a new constitution would have to be drawn up etc for the AFL club. The board, support staff and coach went to the AFL side.

In the hearts of supporters there was only ever one club. Thankfully that club was reunited.

 

[NorthernLights]

The club wanted two teams playing for the one club, but the SANFL disallowed it. The club was split. Like a reverse merger. Both entities had the rights to the history.

On paper, the SANFL side was renamed the Port Adelaide Magpies Football Club but was the same legal entity, the AFL club kept the Port Adelaide Football Club name but took the new legal entity. It could have been set up either way really, it was just more convenient to do it that way given how a new constitution would have to be drawn up etc for the AFL club. The board, support staff and coach went to the AFL side.

In the hearts of supporters there was only ever one club. Thankfully that club was reunited.

That clears a lot up. Cheers.

 

[TheFVK]

Earlier this year I was at the first AFL game played at the newly developed Adelaide Oval when this song was first pulled out, to the montage you can see below (this gets played at each home game too).



For context- when we transitioned into the AFL in 1997, our SANFL arm was forcefully kicked out of Alberton by the SANFL, with orders for any collaboration or communication to be ceased- understandably this caused a huge amount of division and confusion within the PAFC community.

It wasn't until another 15 years had passed, when PAFC were crippled on and off-field in both competitions, that a reinvigorated push for reunification by a couple legends of the club was allowed to gain traction- in my humble opinion it was the SANFL's perception of us as a defeated entity, a zero threat which contributed to their change in stance. Unification finally occurred, with the agreement that Port Magpies would give up numerous rights and privileges, including their voting rights as an SANFL club and 1/9th stake in the $80 million windfall for the sale of Footy Park land. The clubs were once again one entity, the Magpies returned to Alberton to join our AFL arm, and the administration and off-field support were consolidated.

3 years later and the final piece was completed. In September 2013 Port Adelaide successfully negotiated to have all of our players not in the 22 play in the same team, the Port Adelaide Magpies, rather than spread across and training with 8 other SANFL clubs. While to every other club in the comp this seems a given, it was yet another device which had weakened the club through divisiveness.

So come 2014, some 17 years later and Port Adelaide are finally one club again, under one roof, with every Port Adelaide player playing for Port Adelaide. The past greats have come back, the clubrooms are full and Port are playing at the home ground they won 20 SANFL premierships at.

Within an instant of the song being played I understood the significance, and so did every other Port Adelaide supporter. It's a move by PAFC, for PAFC, at our home ground packed with 45K supporters. I wouldn't expect an opposition fan to appreciate the significance, nor would I ask for it.

 

[Shane Hird]

This is the song that would get anyone going...imagine 30 odd thousand fans singing this before the bounce!

Lashing out the action, returning the reaction
Weak are ripped and torn away
Hypnotizing power, crushing all that cower
Battery is here to stay

Smashing through the boundaries
Lunacy has found me
Cannot stop the Battery
Pounding out aggression
Turns into obsession
Cannot kill the Battery

 

[TheHoneyBadger]

Earlier this year I was at the first AFL game played at the newly developed Adelaide Oval when this song was first pulled out, to the montage you can see below (this gets played at each home game too).



For context- when we transitioned into the AFL in 1997, our SANFL arm was forcefully kicked out of Alberton by the SANFL, with orders for any collaboration or communication to be ceased- understandably this caused a huge amount of division and confusion within the PAFC community.

It wasn't until another 15 years had passed, when PAFC were crippled on and off-field in both competitions, that a reinvigorated push for reunification by a couple legends of the club was allowed to gain traction- in my humble opinion it was the SANFL's perception of us as a defeated entity, a zero threat which contributed to their change in stance. Unification finally occurred, with the agreement that Port Magpies would give up numerous rights and privileges, including their voting rights as an SANFL club and 1/9th stake in the $80 million windfall for the sale of Footy Park land. The clubs were once again one entity, the Magpies returned to Alberton to join our AFL arm, and the administration and off-field support were consolidated.

3 years later and the final piece was completed. In September 2013 Port Adelaide successfully negotiated to have all of our players not in the 22 play in the same team, the Port Adelaide Magpies, rather than spread across and training with 8 other SANFL clubs. While to every other club in the comp this seems a given, it was yet another device which had weakened the club through divisiveness.

So come 2014, some 17 years later and Port Adelaide are finally one club again, under one roof, with every Port Adelaide player playing for Port Adelaide. The past greats have come back, the clubrooms are full and Port are playing at the home ground they won 20 SANFL premierships at.

Within an instant of the song being played I understood the significance, and so did every other Port Adelaide supporter. It's a move by PAFC, for PAFC, at our home ground packed with 45K supporters. I wouldn't expect an opposition fan to appreciate the significance, nor would I ask for it.

Understood the significance the second I knew they were doing it, and like it. Not sure about the Liverpool-esque scarf holding but good for them, it's a unique supporter experience in the AFL.

You mention Port (Magpies, SANFL) now playing at the ground they won 20 SANFL premierships at - where did the Port Magpies play before the club was reunited?

 

[Portsmeff]

Understood the significance the second I knew they were doing it, and like it. Not sure about the Liverpool-esque scarf holding but good for them, it's a unique supporter experience in the AFL.

You mention Port (Magpies, SANFL) now playing at the ground they won 20 SANFL premierships at - where did the Port Magpies play before the club was reunited?

had to build a training ground at Ethelton

 

[TheHoneyBadger]

had to build a training ground at Ethelton

Cheers. How ridiculous.

 

[Roo Lives Again]

I just watched the pre-game ritual with the sing and scarves and it's embarrassing...cringeworthy. Can't believe they decided it's a good idea

 

[tribey]

That's never been true. And even if it was it was 20 years ago and they have sinced been allowed to merge as one club and now they use this redundant song. its pointless.

The SA Football Commission absolutely decreed the complete divorce of Port Adelaide Power and Port Adelaide Magpies operations - hence the Magpies' $1,100,000 relocation to Ethelton and joint marketing and joint memberships being forbidden prior to the One Club merger at the end of 2010. The only exception was the Magpies were allowed to hold a 25% stake in The Port Club.

Beyond that, nada. Both clubs even had to seek permission from the SANFL to hold a trial game at the 2009 Family Day.

So are you being disingenuous or were genuinely misinformed?

 

[Schulzenfest]

I don't think the song choice is the problem really.

Came off as tacky rather than passionate and clearly didn't fire the team up much.

The song itself? Nah. Has meaning to the club and the supporters, and its continued use has been supporter driven. The club didn't shove it down our throats, they played it once before a game and we adopted it.

The Channel 7 coverage of it? Probably, especially when the team didn't back it up. Hopefully it's a one-off. And that Americanised bullshit 'decibel meter' can **** off too.

 

[CrazyJoeDevola]

This is the song that would get anyone going...imagine 30 odd thousand fans singing this before the bounce!

Lashing out the action, returning the reaction
Weak are ripped and torn away
Hypnotizing power, crushing all that cower
Battery is here to stay

Smashing through the boundaries
Lunacy has found me
Cannot stop the Battery
Pounding out aggression
Turns into obsession
Cannot kill the Battery

Followed by seek and destroy

 

[IggypopsTshirt]

Imagine the atmosphere this gimmick will create when reality sets in again. Mmmmmm stirring

 

[mattis117]

It was mentioned before - but Freo do TNT, but replace it with Fre Man Tle and it is actually kinda cool to have the whole stadium rocking at the end of a game.

One thing I really hate is when some knob head MC tries to get the crowd to do fake cheers - this kind of shit becomes much more prevalent at finals. At Freo games the crowd has absolutely no trouble cheering and being very loud, we don't need fake people like this.

Another thing - I went to the Pies, Dogs game at Etihad and for the first half it was strangely VERY quiet for a footy game, although the noise level did pick up towards the end. What was kind of annoying was they kept putting this stupid noise meter that revved like an engine trying to make everyone "Get Loud". Holy shit that is so ****ing corny. Do pies fans need to be told when to cheer (I doubt it)?

 

[Jakko]

Followed by seek and destroy

It was mentioned before - but Freo do TNT, but replace it with Fre Man Tle and it is actually kinda cool to have the whole stadium rocking at the end of a game.

One thing I really hate is when some knob head MC tries to get the crowd to do fake cheers - this kind of shit becomes much more prevalent at finals. At Freo games the crowd has absolutely no trouble cheering and being very loud, we don't need fake people like this.

Another thing - I went to the Pies, Dogs game at Etihad and for the first half it was strangely VERY quiet for a footy game, although the noise level did pick up towards the end. What was kind of annoying was they kept putting this stupid noise meter that revved like an engine trying to make everyone "Get Loud". Holy shit that is so ******* corny. Do pies fans need to be told when to cheer (I doubt it)?

Quite true. We Port supporters have pretty much seen it all with gimmicks, "entertainment" and "MC spruikers" (from the grand old days of thunderpower mascot riding the boundry on his magic hovercraft to ACDC, to the depths of the giant fist and funk squad and shrieking brekky radio budgies telling us fans when to get excited). But having a decent/meaningful songs/s at predictable points in the day will create its own atmosphere.

 

[noddy]

I always liked those cute blue girls wearing short skirts while waving their pom poms..

 

[noddy]

But having a decent/meaningful songs/s at predictable points in the day will create its own atmosphere.

If you guys feel the need to sing a song before the game then go for it, YNWA from the Liverpool supporters or the Welsh anthem being sung before a rugby game still stirs the blood up even after all these years.

Anyway if your song doesn't work then you could do worse than look toward the AFC for inspiration, the mating call of a Crow tends to grow on you after a while.

 

[Hammer#8]

Do you Bomber fans still wave scarves as a ritual, or is that only when you play West Coast?

 

[Dave]

snips (good write up)

Within an instant of the song being played I understood the significance, and so did every other Port Adelaide supporter. It's a move by PAFC, for PAFC, at our home ground packed with 45K supporters. I wouldn't expect an opposition fan to appreciate the significance, nor would I ask for it.

Great explanation!

 

[Dave]

Do you Bomber fans still wave scarves as a ritual, or is that only when you play West Coast?

West Coast only, though even that's fizzled out a bit since Sheeds left.

 

[Jim Dixon]

,,,,,, the mating call of a Crow tends to grow on you after a while.

So does a tumour. Doesn't make it sound any better.

 

[PAFC_1870]

jealous much everyone?

We don't give a **** what others think, we like it.

 

[thethinkingcat]

jealous much everyone?

We don't give a **** what others think, we like it.

Well it didn't make you guys win last night!
So maybe you should take it all in as feedback!

 

[PAFC_1870]

Well it didn't make you guys win last night!
So maybe you should take it all in as feedback!

Well gee I think we have won many a games with it played before....

Clueless.

 

[Micksy]

I don't get the meaning though - who's trying to tear them apart?

Lisa.