On March 30, 1997, Port Adelaide took to the MCG to face Collingwood in our first ever AFL game. Next year, in Round 11 at Adelaide Oval, we return to the field wearing our 1997 away guernsey, the one that started our AFL journey, but this time with your name on it.
The backstory
Our road to the national stage was far from simple. Port Adelaide is the only traditional suburban club to enter the AFL competition from outside Victoria. Port Adelaide’s first AFL bid in 1990, led to the formation of a composite team from South Australia, the Adelaide Crows. The SANFL then held the licence for South Australia’s second AFL team and initially recommended a second composite team be admitted. The AFL knocked that back and said the only option was Port Adelaide.
Port Adelaide arrived on the national stage because people believed in us when it would have been easier not to. Our members and supporters have been the foundation of our club for more than 150 years, and it was your support and passion that ensured we rightfully took our place on the national stage. Our entry to the AFL was built by the people of Port Adelaide and this guernsey is a way to be one of them again.
The guernsey
Designed by Macron, the jumper has a black body, teal and white flashes across the left chest, a teal yoke and the traditional white number panel on the back. For the first time on a Port Adelaide guernsey since 2000, the retro AFL logo returns, just as it appeared in our earliest seasons. The players will also wear special retro shorts with teal and white striped detailing. The names of our inaugural AFL squad from 1997 will also sit proudly on the guernsey.
Make history
This is only the third time in our history that Members have had an opportunity to place their name on an official Port Adelaide guernsey, after 2013 and 2014. Every purchase includes:
- Your name on the guernsey worn against Collingwood in Round 11
- Your own copy of the 2027 ’97 Away Member Guernsey
- One custom display box
- A gift certificate, if you’re buying for someone else
It’s $279 for 2027 Members, or $379 for non-Members, which includes a three-game membership.
Got questions? Check out our 2027 Member Guernsey FAQs here.
Thirty years ago, we successfully fought for our rightful place in the AFL. Now it’s your turn to be part of the story.
To take your place in our story, please click here.
