Port premiership stars George Fiacchi and Tim Ginever want flag drought broken as they ramp up celebrations for 150th year
Two ex-Port players hope a pattern with the ‘nines’ continues as the Magpies aim to break a 20-year flag drought. The pair is also behind bringing back an old tradition for sponsors ahead of the club’s 150th anniversary.
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If Port Adelaide fans are looking for a lucky sign five days out from the SANFL grand final they should cast their thoughts back to how good the ‘nines’ have been for the club.
The Magpies claimed flags in 1939, 1959, 1979, 1989 as well as in 1999 and eight-times premiership star Tim Ginever reckons the flavour might just continue in 2019.
Port is aiming to break a 20-year premiership drought – when it battles on Glenelg in this year’s grand final at Adelaide Oval on Sunday.
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Its last grand final triumph was an eight-point win over Norwood in 1999.
The club made SANFL grand finals in 2014 and 2017, only to go down to Norwood and then Sturt by four and one point, respectively.
Ginever, who captained Port’s 1994, 1995 and 1996 flag-winning teams, says it has been too long between drinks for the Magpie faithful.
“The nines have been pretty good to us,” Ginever says.
“We won 1939, 1959, we won 1979, 1989 and 1999 – so the nine’s are good to us.
“We’ve fallen so close in the past couple.
“It’d be great to reverse that result and get a victory for ourselves and really celebrate our club.”
Ginever was at Alberton Oval last week with former teammate and good friend George Fiacchi – both are helping bring back a sponsorship raffle ahead of the club’s 150th anniversary celebrations next year.
Businesses can buy raffle tickets for the sponsorship draw for $1000.
The winner will then have its name printed on Port’s black and white prison bar guernseys which will be worn by the SANFL team in 2020.
The raffle is set to be drawn at the end of next month.
The winner and have it worn by SANFL players for the entire 2020 season.
Fiacchi, who featured in seven of the Magpies’ flags, said the club hosted sponsorship draws during his playing days.
But it stopped in the early 2000s and Fiacchi wanted to bring the tradition back for the club’s milestone celebrations.
“Tim and I have jumped on board to give the guys a hand and get some businesses in – see if we can get a McLaren Vale Foodland or Seaton Hotel like we did in 1994,” Fiacchi says.
“We are trying to reconnect with our supporters, our members, old sponsors and just try to bring everyone back and make them feel part of the 150th year.
“This guernsey will be iconic in our 150th year and it will live on forever and everyone will see the logo.”
Fiacchi was hoping Port would replicate the 1992 grand final, in which it beat Glenelg by 56 points.
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“Our supporters and members need it (a grand final win),” Fiacchi says.
“One thing I noticed about the team this year is they actually want it (a premiership).
“So fingers crossed.”
The sponsorship draw forms one part of the club’s celebrations for its 150th anniversary.
Other plans include building a $1 million interactive museum at the club, issuing a leather-bound book chronicling Port’s history and upgrading Alberton Oval.
