Dear Members, Supporters and Partners, 

As we conclude our 2025 AFL season, I want to share the highlights of what has been a week of celebration, reflection, and renewed determination for the journey ahead. 

Tuesday night's John Cahill Medal presentation at the Adelaide Convention Centre showcased the exceptional talent within our playing group. Congratulations to Zak Butters on claiming his third consecutive best-and-fairest award – a remarkable achievement that reinforces his standing among the AFL's elite. Averaging 28 disposals across 19 games, Zak exemplifies the competitive character and skill that defines Port Adelaide.  

To all award winners – Mitch Georgiades (runner-up and leading goalkicker with 58 goals), Connor Rozee (third place), Willem Drew (third consecutive Fos Williams Medal), Christian Moraes (Gavin Wanganeen Medal), Esava Ratugolea (Coaches' Award), Willie Rioli (John McCarthy Award), and Jack Watkins (A.R. McLean Medal) – congratulations to you all on these achievements.

Tuesday night also saw us farewell some true champions of our club. Travis Boak's 387-game career will be remembered not just for breaking Russell Ebert's games record, but for his unwavering loyalty during our most challenging period. When he chose to stay in 2012, Travis showed the faith and commitment that epitomises what it means to be Port Adelaide. 

Ken Hinkley departs as our longest-serving AFL coach, having led the club in 297 games across 13 seasons. 

When Ken arrived at Alberton in 2012, we were a broken club, on and off the field. He leaves with a record that speaks for itself: 174 wins, nine seasons with more wins than losses, seven finals series, 15 finals, and four preliminary finals. 

Ken declared his players would "never, ever give up" – and they never did. 

Who could forget those miracle comebacks in 2013 and 2014. Ken made us competitive again. He made us relevant and turned us into a destination club. 

The finish in 2025 wasn't what Ken deserved, but he stayed true to doing the job to the end. 

Ken created an era where Port Adelaide proudly competed and challenged the best in the AFL, often punching well above our weight. At Port Adelaide, we judge success in Premierships and that will never change but this era and the platform it creates for Josh Carr will be appreciated more as time goes by. 

Chad Cornes finishes after an incredible 24 years at Port Adelaide as a player and coach. A superstar player across 239 games, including of course the 2004 AFL Premiership and many would have him in their top 5 AFL players ever at Port Adelaide. Chad returned as a Coach in 2016 and has built an impressive coaching career, always challenging himself and everyone around him to be better. 

Our Club Doctor Mark Fisher retires after 28 years' service to the Club. Dr Fisher started with our medical team in our first year in the AFL, then taking over as Head Doctor in 2011. His care for our players, staff and their families across this time has been extraordinary and we've been fortunate to have such a highly respected sports practitioner at our club for such a long time. 

To other retiring players – Rory Atkins and Willie Rioli – and all departing players, thank you for your contributions to our club. You will always be part of the Port Adelaide family. 

We also acknowledge the departure of Chris Davies, our General Manager – Football for the past 11 years. It's a highly demanding role which is unrelenting and Chris has done an outstanding job for over a decade at our club. We wish him all the best for the future, except for a couple times a year of course! 

This week also brought the sad news of the passing of club Patron, Sir Eric James Neal AC, CVO, at the age of 101. Sir Eric's extraordinary life of service to South Australia and passionate support of Port Adelaide reflected his understanding of what our club means to our community. Our thoughts are with his family during this time. 

Nothing of course would be possible without you – our members, supporters, commercial and community partners. Your support has helped us achieve something truly special: we have broken our all-time membership record with more than 78,000 members. This milestone demonstrates the unwavering loyalty that has been the foundation of Port Adelaide but also the exciting growth of our club. On behalf of everyone at the club, our players, coaches and staff, a massive thank you!

Looking forward, our AFLW team continues building momentum under Lauren Arnell. After a challenging start, our record-breaking victory over Gold Coast at Alberton showcased the talent and potential within our young group. This Sunday we travel to Perth before returning home for consecutive Alberton Oval matches against Melbourne and Geelong. If you haven't experienced AFLW at Alberton, I encourage you to join us – the atmosphere is exceptional, with plenty of family-friendly activities. 

Our AFL program is now focused solely on 2026. Under Josh Carr's leadership, we're transitioning with confidence, knowing that our biggest improvement on-field in 2026 comes from having a healthy playing list again. While some coaching and management positions are being finalised, I'm confident our members will be pleased with announcements coming over the next month. 

From a list management perspective, we've written to the AFL expressing serious concerns about proposed changes to draft bidding systems that could significantly impact our talent pathway. We're advocating for a two or three-year transition period, similar to major American sports leagues, recognising that sudden regulatory changes undermine strategic planning essential to competitive balance. We'll keep you posted on any developments regarding this important matter. 

Despite a challenging AFL season, the spirit of this club was never more evident than in Round 24 when Travis, Ken and Chad took their final bow. What we witnessed that night gives me absolute confidence in our 2026 rebound. 

Thank you for your unwavering support. I hope to see you at our upcoming AFLW matches as we continue building Port Adelaide's future together. 

Best wishes, 

Matthew Richardson