THE Port Adelaide Football Club is delighted to welcome EnergyAustralia as a new joint major partner under a multi-year deal connecting one of Australia’s leading electricity and gas retailers with one of Australia’s most successful sporting organisations.

The partnership – announced at a spectacular launch today at the redeveloped Adelaide Oval – marks the first time EnergyAustralia has joined an AFL club as a partner demonstrating the confidence it has in Port Adelaide’s growth and direction.

EnergyAustralia’s commitment to Port Adelaide will not only see its striking green logo appear on the front of the Power’s home guernsey in the AFL but also on the front of the iconic black-and-white jumper worn by the Magpies in the SANFL.

Port Adelaide Chairman David Koch said the club was proud to partner with such a highly regarded and successful national company.

“The Port Adelaide Football Club is delighted to welcome EnergyAustralia as our new joint major partner,” Mr Koch said.

“As a club we not only play on the national sporting stage but also on the national corporate stage in order to achieve our core vision of winning premierships and being a major contributor to our community.

“A new partnership with EnergyAustralia less than twelve months after announcing our partnership with Renault gives our club great commercial credibility with two major national brands on our AFL guernsey for the first time ever.

“The most pleasing aspect of this partnership with EnergyAustralia is that it extends well beyond the football field.

“Sure the partnership provides us with financial strength and stability to continue to evolve our football program in the pursuit of sustained on field success but most significantly it will allow us to continue to expand our industry leading community programs.

“The community program that EnergyAustralia is particularly keen in helping us support is the Power to End Hunger program. EnergyAustralia is very passionate about working with us to achieve our ultimate goal with Foodbank to end hunger here in South Australia.”

Mr Koch said the club had been in discussions with EnergyAustralia for several months and it was clear throughout the negotiations that both organisations shared the same philosophies and values.

“By the time we were having all our meaningful conversations regarding the partnership EnergyAustralia had already done their due diligence on the Port Adelaide Football Club and what we stand for,” Mr Koch said.

“What they liked about us was our never ever, give up attitude, our involvement in the community and our united Member-driven philosophy.

“It was clear to us that they wanted to partner a club that not only shared those same philosophies but also held integrity in the highest regard. They felt we were the perfect fit for them and we felt they were the perfect fit for us. We could not be happier that they have partnered our club moving forward.”

Mr Koch said another highlight of the partnership was that EnergyAustralia would also partner the Magpies in the SANFL competition.

“All throughout our discussions it has been clear that EnergyAustralia want to embrace the whole of the Port Adelaide Football Club – the Power in the AFL and the Magpies in the SANFL – which is a powerful ingredient of our One Club culture,” Mr Koch said.

“For the first time the Port Adelaide Football Club will have the same logo of a joint major partner on the front of our home Power guernsey in the AFL and on the front of our famous black-and-white guernsey in the SANFL. We think that is pretty special.

“EnergyAustralia are partnering the Magpies because they not only want to be associated at the elite level of football with the Power but also at the grass roots level with the Magpies to assist with the development of our younger players from local communities,” Mr Koch said.

EnergyAustralia’s General Manager Sales and Marketing, David Hamilton said Port Adelaide’s outstanding young talent, committed leadership group and its unwavering allegiance to its local community were among the reasons why EnergyAustralia had chosen to sponsor the club.

“We are proud to be partnering with Port Adelaide – we are two organisations with similar visions, values and cultures,” Mr Hamilton said.

“As a leading Australian energy retailer, we put our customers at the heart of everything we do, we value team work, and we are always finding ways to improve and support local communities through our actions.”

EnergyAustralia first entered the South Australian energy market as TXU in 2003 and now services over 2.7 million business and residential customers and operates a 5,533MW portfolio of generation assets in South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales.

The company is a joint-venture partner in Waterloo and Cathedral Rocks wind farms in South Australia and is currently seeking approval to build the 123MW Stony Gap wind farm.

EnergyAustralia employs 1500 staff across South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales.

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey , the world's leading questionnaire tool.