Mike Sheahan says Port Adelaide’s AFL bid in 1990 Divided SA footy
Port Adelaide’s bold bid to join the AFL split South Australian footy. The journalist who broke the story reveals how the AFL played the situation to its advantage and why he admired the Port leadership. DIVIDED PODCAST: LISTEN TO EPISODE 2
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Award-winning football journalist Mike Sheahan says he’s not shocked Port Adelaide’s decision to join the AFL in 1991 divided a state forever.
Sheahan, who broke the story about Port Adelaide’s dealings with the AFL on July 29, 1990, said the league needed a South Australian presence in the competition in 1991.
“I wasn’t surprised the state were divided over that, because there was hardcore Port Adelaide and then the rest,” Sheahan told The Advertiser’s DIVIDED podcast series.
“The league wanted to bring this to a head, they had Port Adelaide on the line. They knew there was interest from Adelaide but Adelaide was sort of doing it on their terms.”
A $4 million license fee was deemed too much for the SANFL to pay to enter a composite side into the new national competition in the late 1980s
“That was a big asking price, particularly with what the SANFL was able to bring to the table,” Sheahan said.
“I would have the same view as (Max) Basheer and (Leigh) Whicker, why are we paying for bringing South Australia into your competition and having to pay for the privilege.”
When Port Adelaide stunned the state with their bid 30 years ago, the rumoured licence fee figure was only $1 million.
“That was a master strategy from AFL House to say ‘we will be happy to have Port Adelaide’, but probably the SANFL’s view will prevail but we will attract Port Adelaide with the lower fee and if Adelaide wants to come in they would have to shell out $4 million,” Sheahan said.
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Sheahan thinks the Port Adelaide bid put the SANFL into a no-win situation.
“Had it unfolded on the terms that Max Basheer and Leigh Whicker wanted, I reckon Adelaide would have come in on their terms in 1993,” he said.
“This was clearly fast-tracked what Port Adelaide had done became public knowledge.
“I always thought there was resentment from the football establishment (SANFL) that they had been hurried on this and they didn’t come in on their terms.
“That was a vibrant competition the SANFL, they didn’t have to worry too much about making money or getting people to go to the football they thought they had the whip hand until they learned about how advanced Port Adelaide was.
“So I would think the establishment in Adelaide didn’t have much affection for Port Adelaide, apart from the fact they brought a lot of money in and were successful.”
The Fox Footy host said the AFL wanted the Port Adelaide license bid out in the public arena to draw a reaction from the football public.
“The strategy might have been well let’s bring it to a head and see what turns out,” he said.
“I think they (AFL) were happy to have it (Port Adelaide bid) out there.
“After re-reading the story, I think I was pretty well briefed (by the AFL),” he said.
Sheahan added he wasn’t surprised the club from SA to reach out to the AFL was Port Adelaide.
“I knew of the Port Adelaide image, the successful team, didn’t give a stuff for anyone else in the state, just kept winning premierships,” he said.
“I remember (Bruce) Weber and I remember admiring his bravery taking the decision what he thought was in the best interest of his footy club and standing firm on it.”