HE has dedicated more than 40 years of his life to football in the district including around 30 at the Port Adelaide Football Club, and despite the era of success, John Settre is yet to taste a premiership that he’s happy to call his own.

But if his gut is anything to go by, 2019 could be the year the long-time Magpies team manager finally gets his wish.

Settre, 73, was involved in various roles in the former Port Adelaide Junior Football Association in the late 1970s before becoming team manager of Port Adelaide’s under 19 side in 1984 – a position he held until 1990.

The father of Adrian Settre - who played 121 SANFL games for Port Adelaide between 1988-1998 kicking 105 goals - never saw his son play league football until the 1990 decider in which Adrian booted three vital goals in the win over Glenelg.

"I've dedicated my life to helping out other teams and that meant I had to miss watching my son play in the Magpies league team," he told portadelaidefc.com.au.

John Settre decided then to step away for a while to enjoy watching his son, the 1988 Reserves Magarey Medal winner.

But by 1997 he was back at Port Adelaide working as the Reserves team manager under then coach Gary Tredrea, father of Power legend Warren Tredrea.

It wasn’t until 2011 that he stepped up to the role for the league side, and while the responsibilities have diminished somewhat since, Settre still takes great pride in his voluntary work.

“Being the team manager still means a lot to me,” he said.

“I’ll be at Alberton three days per week. I organise the vans and the gear, I roster the staff on or off and make sure the players and coaches have everything they need.

“I no longer do player registration or contracts but I don’t care, I could be the janitor and I’d do it with pride because of how much I love the club.”

Made a life member in 2000, Settre also sits on the committee that decides who should be made life members or elevated into the club’s hall of fame.

A dedicated club man, the North Haven resident thinks 2019 could finally be his year to celebrate a premiership, after near misses in 2014 and 2017.

“We haven’t had the team that has had the edge. We had the opportunity in 2014 to win the game and didn’t,” he explained.

“In 2017 it was the same. We spent ten minutes in our forward line and couldn’t score and if you ask (then coach) Chad Cornes he’s probably still pulling his hair out.

“This year I feel like it’s a closer team. If you listen to them talk, to me, and I’ve heard all the Port Adelaide sides for a long time, they’re a family.

“And, that means a lot. I feel like they’re the ones that are going to get there.

“The boys from my son’s day, the George Fiacchis and Tim Ginevers, they still catch up, they’re like brothers still to this day and you can’t undersell how important it is to be close.”