PORT Adelaide is making no apologies and nor does it have any regrets for putting its China experiment ahead of establishing an AFL women’s team — which remains a long-term dream.
Chief executive Keith Thomas said he had been impressed with the new AFLW competition but it would not change the club’s plans.
“Our focus is very much on playing good footy this year and China, they’re the two big issues on our plate,” Thomas said.
“It will really be about our capacity to do it (field a women’s team).
“We’re right now not planning to enter the league or put pressure on the AFL to get us in the league. We’re very happy just to do what we’re doing.
“(I’ve been) more impressed with the way the athletes have really taken the game on, and you can see the emotion. I’ve enjoyed reading the stories.
“It’s been a great awakening for us and our code to enable girls and women to play the game. Our role, as we see it, is to keep encouraging the younger girls to play the game.
“We think that’s going to be the true measure of the success of this league.”
Port Adelaide will play Gold Coast in China on May 14. Picture: Getty ImagesSource:Getty Images
Port has done a complete 180-degree turn, from its announcement in December, 2015, that it was committed to fielding a female AFL team to now putting it on the backburner.
“We were already fully engaged on our China plans and I felt like it was going to be a significant task to get into the league,” Thomas said.
“As it turned out, we just decided we’re very happy to keep going on our path and see what happens.
“We liked the idea without knowing what the idea entailed, and we probably thought it was going to take longer than it actually did to get up and going.
“And the reality was, we just weren’t in a position to make that commitment to get it up.
“But having said that, we don’t regret that at all, we’re very enthused about what’s going on in our China plans and football is a very high priority for us as well – the men’s.”
Port Adelaide will play Gold Coast for premiership points in a historic match in Shanghai on May 14.
The Adelaide Crows are SA’s representatives in the AFLW. Picture: Sarah ReedSource:News Corp Australia
Thomas also confirmed what appeared to be the mantra coming out of Alberton over summer — of less talk and more action as it seeks a return to finals after a two-year hiatus.
“Our philosophy last year (was) ‘speak when you’ve got something to say’,” he said.
“When I first started (2011) we were really trying to reshape the image and standing of the club.
“It probably felt like we were talking all the time because we were trying to create a different image of a club that had been struggling.
“I think we’ve arrived at a point in time where that’s not as important at the moment. People understand what our agenda is and what we’re trying to do.
“When something interesting is there to be said, we’ll come out and talk about it.”
He said the club’s eyes were set firmly on returning to finals but that did not put any extra pressure on players or coaches.
“Every club right now is looking at finals and we’re no different – we’re in it to play competitive football and that means you want to be around there,” Thomas said.
“The reality is, we’ve spent two years not playing finals, so our first objective is to get there.
“It’s no use us believing anything other than we’ve got to approach every game on its merits and dig in and play really well.”
