Port Adelaide Football Club (AFL Women's)

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.

Port Adelaide Football Club
Names
Full name	Port Adelaide Football Club Limited[1]
Nickname(s)	Port, Power
Motto	Herstory in the making
Club song	AFL: Power to Win
2022 (S7) season
Club details
Colours	Black   White   Teal   Silver
Competition	AFLW
Chairman	David Koch
CEO	Matthew Richardson
Coach	Lauren Arnell
Captain(s)	Janelle Cuthbertson
Ground(s)	Alberton Oval (capacity: 8,000)
Training ground(s)	Alberton Oval
Other information
Official website	portadelaidefc.com.au
Current season

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

Left: 1918 Port Adelaide team from the clubs 'Ladies Football Match' against a team representing Thebarton held on Alberton Oval.^[2]
Right: This match helped raise funds to construct the Port Adelaide Workers Memorial (pictured).^[2]

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.^[2] 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.^[5] 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 ‹See Tfd›Sydney.^[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 ‹See Tfd›Carlton captain and Brisbane premiership player Lauren Arnell was announced as Port Adelaide's inaugural AFLW coach,^[17] and two weeks later, three-time ‹See Tfd›Adelaide 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, ‹See Tfd›Fremantle forward Gemma Houghton and twins Laquoiya and Litonya Cockatoo-Motlap,^[19] the nieces of former Essendon and Port Adelaide player Che Cockatoo-Collins.^[20] The next day, Port Adelaide signed Phillips, Brisbane defender Indy Tahau and ‹See Tfd›Collingwood 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]

Port Adelaide Football Club (AFL Women's)

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Senior list								Coaching staff
1 Janelle Cuthbertson (c) 2 Ebony O'Dea 3 Ange Foley (vc) 4 Piper Window 5 Abbey Dowrick 6 Molly Brooksby 8 Ashleigh Saint 9 Maria Moloney 10 Indy Tahau (i) 11 Caitlyn Wendland 12 Hannah Ewings (i) 13 Jasmin Stewart 14 Justine Mules 15 Julia Teakle 16 Shineah Goody 17 Ella Boag 18 Olivia Levicki		19 Alex Ballard 20 Sachi Syme 21 Amelie Borg 22 Lauren Young (i) 23 Alissa Brook 24 Hannah Dunn (i) 26 Madeline Keryk 27 Gemma Houghton 28 Cheyenne Hammond 29 Matilda Scholz 30 Teagan Germech 32 Jasmine Simmons 35 Kirsty Lamb 43 Georgie Jaques 44 Katelyn Pope Jo Miller						Head coach Lauren Arnell Assistant coaches Daniel Caire (assistant coach) Sam Virgo (assistant coach) Cam Sutcliffe (assistant coach) Dave Reynolds (development coach) Braedon Talbot (development coach) Legend: (c) Captain(s) (vc) Vice-captain(s) (i) Inactive player Updated: 28 July 2024 Source(s): Port Adelaide AFLW

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
Year	Ladder	W–L–D	%	Finals	Chairman	CEO	Coach	Captain	Best & Fairest	Leading Goalkicker(s)
2022 (S7)	17th	1–8–1	70.6	DNQ	David Koch	Matthew Richardson	Lauren Arnell	Erin Phillips	Hannah Ewings	Hannah Ewings, Jade de Melo, Gemma Houghton, Brittany Perry	4
2023	15th	2–7–1	75.1	DNQ	David Koch	Matthew Richardson	Lauren Arnell	Erin Phillips	Abbey Dowrick	Gemma Houghton	16

Best and fairest

Season	Winner	Runner–up	Third–place	Ref.
2022 (S7)	Hannah Ewings	Erin Phillips	Abbey Dowrick	[24]
2023	Abbey Dowrick	Gemma Houghton	Matilda Scholz	[25]

Corporate

Administrative positions

• Chairman: David Koch^[26]
• Chief executive: Matthew Richardson^[26]
• Football operations: Chris Davies^[27]
• Board members:
  • Kevin Osborn (deputy chairman)^[26]
  • Cos Cardone^[26]
  • Darren Cahill^[26]
  • Holly Ransom^[26]
  • Jamie Restas^[26]
  • Andrew Day^[26]
  • Kathy Nagle^[26]
  • Christine Zeitz^[26]
  • Rob Snowdon^[28]

Sponsors

Current major sponsors

• GFG Alliance^[29]
• KFC^[29]
• MG Motor^[29]

References

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

External links