On Saturday at 5pm, the Port Adelaide Football Club will hold their annual internal trial – a tradition that was born in 1997 and continues to this very day.
With only 48 days until Port kick off their season against Fremantle at Adelaide Oval, the intra-club is the perfect opportunity to open the gates to the fans and give them a taste of competitive footy for the first time this year.
6000 fans are expected to flock through the gates to witness the hit out and lay eyes on the new players for the first time. Port is aware that they can’t compete with the big clubs, they celebrate when they make a year on year profit (even if it’s a measily 26,000 like in 2017) but the one thing they know is that their heart beat is the community.
In addition to this, the club is holding a members convention for 750 supporters and members of the media where coach Ken Hinkley, football boss Chris Davies, assistant coaches Nathan Basset and Brendan Lade, CEO Keith Thomas and high-profile president David Koch will address and answer questions from the crowd.
Post-game all listed players will hang around to mingle, sign autographs and pose for selfies with the spirited supporter group.
How’s that for access!
Despite the obvious benefits for clubs and supporters, Port Adelaide may be only one of a few clubs in the competition holding an intra-club match in 2018.
The intra club, it seems, is dead.
Clubs either don’t do them or if they do they shut out the fans with the excuse they are ‘closing the session’ to keep their game plans out of gaze of rival clubs.
The Philadelphia Eagles were victorious in Monday's Super Bowl LII – where your average ticket would set you back around $3200 – and it's increasingly obvious our Australian game is becoming more and more 'Americanised'.
Our football vocabulary includes words such as offense, defence, quarterback, clutch, free agency and our wannabe recruits are now put through a draft combine!
I’ve even heard some AFL contributors suggest our players should ditch the traditional game day attire of club polo and team tracksuits and replace it with expensive, tailormade suits, gold jewellery and designer head phones worn by the eccentric, American superstars.
Please…spare me!
I’m sure NFL clubs wouldn’t open their doors for an intra club and welcome the fans. Yet another example of our following of the American systems.
If your club isn’t holding an open intra club they are severely punishing you, the fans.
On the back of the record 2.5 million dollar TV deal our players are the richest in the game's history and we cannot let them become out of touch to the everyday supporter who invests their wages into club memberships, merchandise and are slugged $5 for a bottle of water at Etihad Stadium.
I understand each club is holding modified trial games weekly at training, and the players hardly get excited about holding a competitive game against their team mates.
But the slow death of the intra club is just another sign that our game is becoming more and more unreachable for the average fan.