Unpopular Port Adelaide opinion you may have

[Ports1870]

If WA aren't getting 3 teams then we aren't either. It should have just been Port and Norwood coming in but I do agree with you that Norwood would be a powerhouse. Most of the Crow's affluent supporters are Norwood people too and I reckon a lot of unaffiliated supporters would have gone for Norwood over Port considering we've always been a love/hate club. And like you said their proximity would get them some pretty decent sponsorship's too.

It really shits me when Crows nuffies say that Port people only prefer Norwood because then we'd be bigger or something like that. Every Port supporter I know who agrees with Norwood being in the competition over the Crows says so because it would have been better for the game in this state and none of them have said that Norwood would be the smaller club. You'd have to be absolutely oblivious to think Glenelg/Sturt/North Adelaide supporters would barrack for us over Norwood if we're both in the AFL.

Just thinking about it if Norwood joined the league what would have been the go with their colours? Would it be another prison bars debate?

 

[PatientMental]

Just thinking about it if Norwood joined the league what would have been the go with their colours? Would it be another prison bars debate?

They'd have been required to add yellow

 

[Established1870]

Just thinking about it if Norwood joined the league what would have been the go with their colours? Would it be another prison bars debate?

You could probably just give them the Crows moniker and colours. Would imagine that Melbourne would be a lot less anal about the colours than the other lot though.

 

[JimmyBC]

Norwood wouldn't have become a financial juggernaut in the AFL the SA AFL model we operate in doesn't allow it, wealthy supporters yea but even the Crows turn pathetic profits for their market share in this state.

 

[El_Scorcho]

The alternate universe where Port and Norwood join together to bring it up to 16 teams in 1991 is better in every way than what we got.

You'd have to be absolutely filthy as a Norwood supporter now wouldn't you? What an awful blown chance. Arguably the most gutless failure from a club administration in the history of the game.

 

[JimmyBC]

The AFL always wanted a composite side from SA I'm not sure how realistic Norwood ever were.

 

[backtozero]

The alternate universe where Port and Norwood join together to bring it up to 16 teams in 1991 is better in every way than what we got.

You'd have to be absolutely filthy as a Norwood supporter now wouldn't you? What an awful blown chance. Arguably the most gutless failure from a club administration in the history of the game.

Not better for Port Adelaide.

 

[Established1870]

The AFL always wanted a composite side from SA I'm not sure how realistic Norwood ever were.

Norwood in the AFL would have happened if they sided with us. At the time, we were the two biggest clubs in the state by a mile and both of us had fairly handy people behind the scenes to push for us. If we worked together to get into the AFL, we'd both be in the AFL right now.

 

[Schulzenfest]

REALLY unpopular opinion: I'm glad things turned out the way they did and that the Crows came into existence. They're the perfect rival for us. They're the antithesis of everything we stand for in a way that Norwood, Glenelg etc aren't and could never be. I would never despise Norwood or any other SANFL team as much as I despise the Crows. But I'm glad it worked out the way it did, because football fandom needs someone to hate.

 

[Duck Farmer]

You'd have to be absolutely filthy as a Norwood supporter now wouldn't you?

That's the real problem with the Crows' supporter base. Just about every one of them would've preferred their own SANFL team entered the AFL so they are stuck supporting a second choice compromise.

 

[JimmyBC]

Norwood in the AFL would have happened if they sided with us. At the time, we were the two biggest clubs in the state by a mile and both of us had fairly handy people behind the scenes to push for us. If we worked together to get into the AFL, we'd both be in the AFL right now.

Disagree the outcome still would've been the Adelaide Crows with a 2nd licence down the track, we should be thankful Norwood piked out it gave us clear air to position our push even if the reward was a few years later than planned.
Norwood had to join forces with Sturt for the 2nd licence bid, absolute small time shit.

 

[backtozero]

REALLY unpopular opinion: I'm glad things turned out the way they did and that the Crows came into existence. They're the perfect rival for us. They're the antithesis of everything we stand for in a way that Norwood, Glenelg etc aren't and could never be. I would never despise Norwood or any other SANFL team as much as I despise the Crows. But I'm glad it worked out the way it did, because football fandom needs someone to hate.

Everything turned out the way it was supposed to (except for the SANFL/SMA being our bloodsucking overlords)

 

[Established1870]

REALLY unpopular opinion: I'm glad things turned out the way they did and that the Crows came into existence. They're the perfect rival for us. They're the antithesis of everything we stand for in a way that Norwood, Glenelg etc aren't and could never be. I would never despise Norwood or any other SANFL team as much as I despise the Crows. But I'm glad it worked out the way it did, because football fandom needs someone to hate.

Norwood were pretty much what the Crows are with a century of history and success behind them. They're the club for the affluent w***ers from the leafy suburbs in the east while we're the working class club on the docks out west. Port and Norwood are perfect opposites for a rivalry and I much prefer Norwood as rivals due to the respect that's there. I'd also think if we want a club to universally hate then there's a black and white club in Melbourne for that.

And Norwood coming in with us over the Crows could have a few things going for it:

1) Earlier access to AO, especially if the SANFL don't want us using Footy Park
2) Better preservation of our state's footy heritage
3) Evenly supported clubs with clear geographical/demographic differences in the supporter bases and a combined 200 years of history and success
4) A club that would have our back when it comes to things like wearing the PB's, considering they'd have similar issues

 

[Established1870]

Disagree the outcome still would've been the Adelaide Crows with a 2nd licence down the track, we should be thankful Norwood piked out it gave us clear air to position our push even if the reward was a few years later than planned.
Norwood had to join forces with Sturt for the 2nd licence bid, absolute small time sh*t.

Norwood from all reports were going to go it alone until the SANFL recommended a 2 club bid and their joining forces with Sturt was Norwood just taking them over. And even with all that, Oakley admitted later down the track that Port was always going to get the second licence regardless of what the SANFL wanted. The SANFL even tried getting the Crows to relocate to Norwood and become the Norwood Crows back in 1995 because it was obvious to all that we were the next cab off the rank.

Norwood's time was 1990 when we were trying to get in. If they worked with us then we'd both be AFL clubs today. The Crows coming in doomed them as a small time state league club forever.

 

[JimmyBC]

Norwood from all reports were going to go it alone until the SANFL recommended a 2 club bid and their joining forces with Sturt was Norwood just taking them over. And even with all that, Oakley admitted later down the track that Port was always going to get the second licence regardless of what the SANFL wanted. The SANFL even tried getting the Crows to relocate to Norwood and become the Norwood Crows back in 1995 because it was obvious to all that we were the next cab off the rank.

Norwood's time was 1990 when we were trying to get in. If they worked with us then we'd both be AFL clubs today. The Crows coming in doomed them as a small time state league club forever.

The Norwood Crows thing sounds like utter rubbish tbh I'd need to see facts, the Crows supporter base is basically founded from 9 clubs Norwood supporters are only a section of that support.

 

[backtozero]

Unpopular opinion: I dont know why this board is so concerned with Norwood. Their existence is completely irrelevant to us now.

 

[Schulzenfest]

Port and Norwood are perfect opposites for a rivalry and I much prefer Norwood as rivals due to the respect that's there.

That's exactly why I don't prefer them as rivals. Who wants a respectable rival? I don't want to respect them, I want to despise them.

 

[tribey]

That's the real problem with the Crows' supporter base. Just about every one of them would've preferred their own SANFL team entered the AFL so they are stuck supporting a second choice compromise.

The rabid hatred bordering on xenophobia of Victoria in the Origin era transferred seamlessly to Port via their faux state team.

 

[port_adelaide_1870]

That's exactly why I don't prefer them as rivals. Who wants a respectable rival? I don't want to respect them, I want to despise them.

Nothing wrong with a respectable rivalry as well.

I get what you’re saying and I kind of agree with you. I think having Port and Norwood as the two SA clubs would had been best for South Australian football though

 

[Established1870]

The Norwood Crows thing sounds like utter rubbish tbh I'd need to see facts, the Crows supporter base is basically founded from 9 clubs Norwood supporters are only a section of that support.

Bruce Abernathy mentioned it in his book about us getting into the AFL that the SANFL recommended precisely that but that the Crows refused. Have seen a news article around here somewhere about it as well. It was definitely a real thing that the SANFL pushed for at one stage.

And I'd wager Norwood made up the bulk of their initial support, especially considering the massive overlap in supporter bases between the Crows and the Redlegs.

 

[Established1870]

That's exactly why I don't prefer them as rivals. Who wants a respectable rival? I don't want to respect them, I want to despise them.

I feel like you can respect and despise a rival at the same time. But being able to have a conversation about footy with a rival supporter and them not having epileptic fits because you uttered the names David Granger or Byron Pickett would be nice too.

 

[JimmyBC]

Bruce Abernathy mentioned it in his book about us getting into the AFL that the SANFL recommended precisely that but that the Crows refused. Have seen a news article around here somewhere about it as well. It was definitely a real thing that the SANFL pushed for at one stage.

And I'd wager Norwood made up the bulk of their initial support, especially considering the massive overlap in supporter bases between the Crows and the Redlegs.

There's no way on earth the SANFL recommended changing Adelaide to Norwood in terms of club name, the Norwood supporter base doesn't dwarf the support they garnered from 8 other clubs it's utter nonsense.

 

[El_Scorcho]

I hope this is not an unpopular opinion, but I'm sick of people bagging teal. It's a great 3rd colour and looks killer with B&W. fu** knows what all the sooking is around it. We were never entering the AFL/VFL in a purely B&W outfit. We needed to change and we adopted teal. It was a good decision. Sure it mightve been even better if we went with say silver, B&W, but we picked teal and it's a good colour. Quit the whinging, accept it and move on.

Teal is fine as a 3rd colour IMO.

It suffers a lot because every time we ask to wear the bars, we get opponents demanding we wear teal and that teal is our colour so we should wear it rah rah rah.

If we had the bars as a home guernsey I'd be fine with a teal based alternate

 

[El_Scorcho]

Disagree the outcome still would've been the Adelaide Crows with a 2nd licence down the track, we should be thankful Norwood piked out it gave us clear air to position our push even if the reward was a few years later than planned.
Norwood had to join forces with Sturt for the 2nd licence bid, absolute small time sh*t.

I think you're probably right, but certainly siding with the AFL and backing the Crows bid slammed the door shut on Norwood ever being anything but a 2nd tier club.

At least if they'd sided with us there would have been a good argument for them going forward. By chickening out like they did, they were done. Once the Crows were in, it could only ever be us, or another brand new club.

 

[NoddyHolder]

**** Norwood. They deserve the third tier obscurity their cowardice has given them for eternity