Adelaide Footy League club Portland Thunder vows to keep fighting amid on-field struggles

It’s been beaten by an average of 32 goals this season and forfeited its reserves last round – but this Adelaide footy club is “trying its guts out” fighting for its future.

An Adelaide Footy League team facing a serious battle against low player numbers and huge losing margins has vowed to keep fighting for its future.

Portland Football Club has been beaten by an average of 32 goals per game in its A grade division three matches so far this season and on Saturday was forced forfeit its B grade match.

It comes after the Thunder elected to sit out last year after failing to retain enough players to put two senior sides on the field following the COVID-19 shutdown.

President Ron Chapman, who took on the role this year, said Portland and its people were “fighting like hell” for the future of the club.

Portland players walk from the ground following a hefty defeat to Flinders Park in round one. Picture: Sharon Chamings

“We’re trying our guts out,” Chapman said.

“After last year it was always going to be difficult but we’re lucky enough to have some loyal players.

“We haven’t gone out and opened the purse to chuck money at players, that’s for sure.

“And It’s taken some very good work from our football director Ashley Cranwell to secure the services of our coach Craig Smith, who also played for Riverside and Ethelton in his day.”

It was just six years ago the Thunder were competing in the highest level of the Adelaide Footy League, division one, following a second tier flag in 2013.

Portland, which was formed in 1997 from a merger of the Alberton United, Ethelton and Riverside football clubs, has been on a steady decline since.

It has been more than 600 days since its last A grade win, with heavy defeats to Flinders Park (219 points), Gaza (193 points) and Golden Grove (171 points) in the opening three rounds.

The scoreboard from Portland’s round one loss to Flinders Park did not make good reading for the Thunder. Picture: Sharon Chamings

However, they were tough early season fixtures as the Reds and Kookaburras were last season’s grand finalist and Gaza has shown it should play finals.

Chapman said the club could have approached the league to drop down to another division but chose not to.

“It’s hard enough to get there (division three) … we knew this would be a tough year and a year we have to consolidate,” he said.

“The philosophy we have is we’ll be stronger and more competitive in the second half of the season because the players will be fitter and match-hardened.”

Life member Peter Wareing, who also serves on the committee, said the club’s battle for both senior and junior players partly related to its location in Port Adelaide.

The Thunder are based nearby several large western suburbs clubs, including Port District, North Haven, SMOSH West Lakes and Rosewater.

“We have an area issue where the demographic of our area is mainly industrial and commercial,” Wareing said.

Action from the Portland v Flinders division three Adelaide Footy League clash at Flinders Park. Picture: Sharon Chamings

“The people who do live there are generally older than me – and I’m a fossil.

“It’s difficult to get the kids that walk around after school who live around the corner.”

Wareing said the club had reasonable senior numbers in pre-season but had 16 injured players unavailable for last Saturday’s matches and fell short by a few players, forcing the B grade forfeit.

“We’re hoping like hell to get things back on and fill that team,” he said.

Wareing and Chapman called on anyone involved with the club past or present to come and help out, with restarting the junior program a big focus.

The Thunder travel away to tackle Modbury in their next match this Saturday.