Port Adelaide’s AFL game in China was a huge success - now to make it better

AFTER originally being sceptical fearing Port Adelaide’s clash with Gold Coast in China would waste a lot of time and money, I’m happy to say I got it wrong.

Port Adelaide’s Travis Boak kicks a goal during the Power’s clash with Gold Coast in Shanghai.

Take bow Port Adelaide. Footy in Shanghai is here to stay.

After spending the week in the China’s financial capital covering AFL’s new venture into Asia – I’m now a believer.

After originally being sceptical fearing they’d waste a lot of time and money chasing the impossible dream – I’m happy to say I got it wrong.

And it didn’t just work - it smashed the doubters out of the park.

A crows of 10,118, financially breaking even and most importantly, smashing the Suns by 72 points. They couldn’t have hoped for more.

I take my hat off to Power Chairman David Koch and CEO Keith Thomas for being bold enough to look outside the AFL bubble to chase their dream and most importantly deliver on it.

While the game turned out to be more one-sided than we all could have hoped for, it was a game like no other.

Sure the rules were the same but the atmosphere inside Jiangwan Stadium on the outskirts of Shanghai was carnival like.

With two marquees packed full of hardened footy fans it resembled more like a day at your local football club when they were taking on a fierce rival than any AFL match.

Whilst Jiangwan Stadium doesn’t compete with Adelaide Oval its playing surface that was supposed to be an issue certainly does.

If the Power wants to grow this game further it must entice a Melbourne based club to make the trip.

And whilst the TV ratings were solid in the usually weak Sunday Mother’s Day time slot, attracting a Melbourne based club will guarantee more exposure for this evolving Asian fixture.

The knockers hoped it would fail – but it didn’t, it won on every level.

Away from game the Chinese cultural experience is amazing.

Its fair to say the 4,500 Power fans that travelled from Adelaide to Shanghai went home happy.

Shanghai is a huge city with 24 million inhabitants - the same population as the entire continent of Australia - and it stops for no one.

Getting around the city has some challenges, especially if you don’t speak Mandarin - but that was part of the experience.

Easily making up for this were helpful hotels with English speaking staff, plenty of things to do like visiting the markets for cheap clothes, shoes and fashion items or checking out the Bund to see one of the worst most iconic city skylines.

Without doubt the food on offer was first class – the Chinese sure can cook - but a hairy crab dumpling wasn’t my favourite dish.

The weather was warm with temperatures ranging from 24-30 degrees celsius. And while there was smog it wasn’t anything like we have seen in Beijing smog horror stories that affect your health.

The pre-game negatively didn’t stop there with many saying a win was the only way Port’s Shanghai odyssey would be classes a success – I disagree.

Sure it was Port Adelaide’s ideal outcome but people were missing a very important point when comparing Richmond selling a home game to Cairns with Port buying one off the Gold Coast.

Richmond was giving up a home ground advantage in Melbourne, whereas Port was buying a game from an opponent while keeping theirs intact – two totally different scenarios.

It cost a colossal $4million to put the Chinese game on.

But as Keith Thomas revealed they have already broken even. With increase sponsorship revenues from 20 new sponsors it will only get better as the financial windfall gains traction.

There wasn’t much Port didn’t think of - they had 4500 seat covers made so fans didn’t have to sit on the hard concourse and they also arranged for their travelling members to use the Camel Bar which quickly became Port fans’ home away from home.

A de-brief will reveal things that can be done better, like the little things of being able to buy a pie or pasty with tomato sauce or having a beer in the crowd.

Building a game from scratch with no infrastructure wasn’t easy.

And as time goes on and trust is built there may not be the need for 1500 on-duty police at the game – such is the Chinese’s paranoia with large crowds.

However the biggest challenge Port will face is how can they fit more people into the game next year? They’re already playing at the only stadia with enough turf to house a game of football.

And no doubt more Power fans will want to experience AFL in Shanghai next year.

These are challenges Port will face and like they did last Sunday – they will conquer them again.

When Justin Westhoff pulled off the impossible kicking a goal of the season contender from the forward pocket – I knew it was meant to be.

So when the final siren rang loud and clear at completion of play the script was written – Port Adelaide has found their home away from home.

It was privilege to be at Jiangwan stadium last Sunday and be apart of history in the making - well done to everyone who made it possible.

The next challenge awaits - How do you make it better?