Crowd of nearly 10,700 watched Port Adelaide battle Gold Coast Suns in Shanghai

A LARGER crowd of nearly 10,700 — mostly Power supporters — watched Port Adelaide defend its title of “AFL Champions of Shanghai” against the Gold Coast Suns in the huge Chinese metropolis on Saturday, drawing the attention of Victorians.

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PORT Adelaide will be back in China next year to defend its title as the “AFL Champions of Shanghai” but there is a Victorian Government push to deliver a new opponent to replace Gold Coast.

The Power again impressed the demanding AFL with a perfect set-up at Jiangwan Stadium and no concerns from the game won by Port Adelaide for the second time.

The crowd of 10,689 — compared with 10,118 last year — and the empty seats will again dominate the post-game reviews of the match that had been labelled a “sell out” with 11,500 tickets.

St Kilda — with strong support from the Victorian State government — is expected to replace Gold Coast if there is the expected approval for a third game in Shanghai next season.

Power supporters Brian and Chris Smith flew up from Wallaroo. Picture: Matt Byrne

The attention driven by a Melbourne-based AFL club will boost the profile of Australian football’s only international match.

Most telling in the official stand on Saturday was AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan being flanked by Port Adelaide president David Koch and Victorian Minister for Trade Phillip Dalidakis rather than Gold Coast chairman Tony Cochrane.

Dalidakis declared at the official gala dinner at the St Regis Hotel on Friday night that his government wanted a Victorian-based AFL club playing Port Adelaide next year — and for the event include an AFLW match.

McLachlan is confident the AFL Commission will endorse a game next season.

Josephine Judge-Rigney of Semaphore Park and Maureen Ng of Osborne at the match. Picture: Matt Byrne

“The game has gone up a level on last year, particularly with commercial interest and local appeal with the Chinese public,” McLachlan told the Sunday Mail.

“We were unlucky today with the weather. But I feel we put down good roots last year and there has been real growth from that base.”

Koch arrived in Shanghai on Saturday after spending the week in London to host Channel 7’s Sunrise show coverage of the Royal wedding.

Southend fisherman Bruce Tedham at the match. Picture: Matt Byrne

Koch insists there will be more games in China.

“It will happen next year, it will,” he told the Sunday Mail.

“We now have different State governments wanting to have their State ‘s AFL teams here with us.

“They are fighting to get their teams to China understanding what this game does for business, politics and sport. We have an event now.”

Of the empty seats, Koch said: “Shame it rained ... We had 10,600 here.”

New SA Premier Steve Marshall, on his first official trip to China, tossed the coin for choice of ends with Port Adelaide’s Chinese backer Guojie Gui.

Mr Marshall described the Power’s presentation of Australian football in China as “pretty amazing”.

“But it is the power of ‘sports diplomacy’ (using sport to open business and political opportunities) that is opening doors for us here,” Mr Marshall said. “I am very grateful the Port Adelaide Football Club has taken the lead with sports diplomacy. It is a very effective way to build relationships in China through sport.”

Premier Steven Marshall at the Jiangwan Stadium in Shanghai before start of the match. AAP Image/David Mariuz

Mr Gui on Friday night signed a new five-year agreement to keep the Power in China until 2023. He told the Sunday Mail he had a strong belief the Chinese would share his interest in Australian football.

Speaking before the game, he said: “Last year, this game (Port Adelaide-Gold Coast), created an amazing memory for the Chinese people and our Shanghai citizens.

“A lot of people asked me for tickets to this year’s game. This tells me Australian football is welcome and well received in China.”

Jack Hombsch leading Power players to celebrate with the crowd. AAP Image/David Mariuz

Of the 6000 Australians who travelled to China, the majority were Power supporters.

Ceduna-based Port Adelaide fans Malcolm and Christine Stott left for Shanghai immediately after the Showdown to clear away their disappointment of missing out on last year’s China game.

“I’d asked the wife last year if she wanted to go to Shanghai thinking she would say no, but it was a yes,” Mr Stott said. “Then we didn’t have our passports. So we said we’d do it next time — and here we are.

“It is fantastic that we are taking our footy to the rest of the world. And I’m proud that Port Adelaide is doing it.”

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Originally published as Crowd of nearly 10,700 watched Port Adelaide battle Gold Coast Suns in Shanghai