Port Adelaide follows up AFL in China with Four ‘n Twenty pies to Shanghai

AFTER taking Australian football to China, the Port Adelaide Football Club is adding meat pies to its agenda in Shanghai

Chinese students Ying Zhou, Jo Huang, Ninghuai Wu, Jinsong Li and Yisu Wang on Gouger St with Four ‘N Twenty Pies. Picture: Calum Robertson

FOOTBALL, meat pies, kangaroos and Holden cars, the 1970s Holden’s television commercial declared as the fabric of Australian life.

The Port Adelaide Football Club has taken one Australian icon to China with AFL football in Shanghai and is now working on the second with pies.

Four ‘N Twenty is moving its sponsorship dollar from national exposure on Port Adelaide’s game-day shorts to international opportunity in China.

The Australian baker is hitching its ambitions overseas with professional basketball in the US with the Philadelphia 76ers – on the back of Australian point guard Ben Simmons’ presence in the American NBA market – and following the Power into China.

Australian meat pies are on sale for the first time in an American sports venue with the Four ‘N Twenty deal at Philadelphia.

And the striking absence of meat pies at the AFL game in Shanghai this year will be corrected with Four ‘N Twenty taking its produce to the Port Adelaide-Gold Coast game next season.

But the major emphasis from Four ‘N Twenty is a two-year sponsorship deal to bankroll Port Adelaide’s “Power Footy” program in Chinese schools. Currently in 15 schools in Shanghai, the Australian football development program is to be in 50 schools – and involve 100,0000 Chinese students – by the end of next year.

Port Adelaide’s China Engagement general manager Andrew Hunter told The Advertiser the shift in sponsorship profile from Four ‘N Twenty highlights the benefits of the AFL club entering an international market.

“Fulfilling a business ambition – along with a sporting dream – is not impossible in China,” Hunter said.

“We have given an Australian company another reason to be involved in our club.

“We have presented opportunity to Four ‘N Twenty to introduce two major parts of Australian culture – football and meat pies – to more than 100,000 young Chinese people.

“The Chinese are curious to the outside world. And (Club president) David Koch’s ambition for Port Adelaide to be the key to ‘opening the world’ to the Chinese through sport is achieving more and more for both Australia, the AFL and our football club.”

Port Adelaide’s sponsorship profile will change again next season with French car maker Renault ending its major sponsorship with the Power after five years in the AFL.

Port Adelaide chief executive Keith Thomas recently commented on the search for a new major backer telling members: “We are working busily to replace Renault .... These are big partnerships and the pool of suitable candidates is invariably relatively small, but we are in several active conversations. Hopefully, we will have (an announcement) before the start of the JLT pre-season series (in February).”