China game will leave no red ink for Power, says Keith Thomas

UPDATE: Port Adelaide is confident its push into China will continue well beyond next month’s Shanghai clash against Gold Coast, especially with the Power set to balance the books.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbulls looks on as China's Premier Li Keqiang chats to Port Adelaide's Chen Shaoliang. Picture: David Gray (AAP)

PORT Adelaide chief executive Keith Thomas has revealed the ground-breaking adventure with a premiership game in China next month has AFL Commission endorsement for just this season.

But Thomas is confident the Power’s guarantees for covering every cost in the $4 million budget for the May 14 clash with Gold Coast will ensure the Shanghai adventure is not a one-off match.

Port Adelaide this week will mark the one-year anniversary of signing a memorandum of understanding with Chinese backer, Shanghai tycoon Gui Goujie, by announcing a consortium of new financial backers to its “China Strategy”.

The Power’s budgets for the Shanghai game were put in balance on the back of new corporate support flooding into Alberton after hosting China Premier Li Keqiang at the SCG in the AFL season-opener a fortnight ago.

“That was a strong statement (from the Chinese government) that they have noticed us – and they support us,” Thomas said.

“The game will cost $4 million – and our agreement with the AFL Commission was to break even with no support from the AFL. We believe that will happen.”

Thomas expects the clash with the Suns – which is to be reviewed by the AFL Commission before there will be a commitment to more games in China – will deliver “new money” to the AFL and rival clubs, not just Port Adelaide.

But after noting new revenue from Adelaide Oval was not enough to keep pace with the AFL powerbrokers, Thomas says China is “a transformational moment for the club (and its business model).”

“There is nothing (else) I can think of that can generate this interest,” Thomas said.

Thomas noted the opportunities in China go beyond Port Adelaide – and Gold Coast. This was emphasised last month by the Adelaide Football Club signing a sponsorship deal with China Southern Airlines after the Power stayed with Cathay Pacific.

China Southern was compelled by a State government agreement to work a sponsorship with an SA-based sporting franchise after entering the Adelaide market.

“We can’t have two (Chinese airlines) and we have Cathay Pacific,” Thomas said. “So it has spilled off to another AFL club.”

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