Two years since the Port Adelaide Football Club signed a ground-breaking reciprocal partnership with the prestigious Hong Kong Football Club, HKFC’s historian and Port Adelaide member Denis Way looks back on the partnership so far.
China. The Middle Kingdom. A place far away… It could’ve been the moon, and for Port Adelaide, it virtually was.
For Port Adelaide, the prime three-hectare playing fields and three-storey club house of the Hong Kong Football Club, framed by mountains encircling Happy Valley Race Course, provided an ideal launch pad to a larger world.
A cross-code leap of faith
The local Auskick programme and Dragons AFL club sought access to the HKFC’s pitches.
So the fostering of children’s sports, community outreach, a century-plus heritage and absence of attitude – virtues shared by the Hong Kong and the Port Adelaide football clubs – entered the equation.
And so a cross-code leap of faith was taken.
Three Port Adelaide personalities flew to Hong Kong for the 2013 Grand Final weekend, managed an Auskick clinic at the HKFC and were the guests of the Dragons at the Grand Final Luncheon in a Wanchai hotel.
With two weeks to go, the Power remained in contention for the premiership.
This raised the question: Who could be spared?
My suggestion to Port Adelaide’s head of membership Matthew Richardson was of the benefit of teaching children a special skill – handball. Perhaps utility Brendon Ah Chee might be the solution?
Matthew’s response was enough to make a dedicated Port man’s jaw drop:
“Would Russell Ebert do? I’ll ask him.”
A minute later, and a 392-game champion of South Australian football was packing his bags.
Aerial view of the HKFC complex, showing the club house on narrow Sports Road with tennis courts on the roof and swimming pool on the 2nd floor podium. The multi-storey building at right is the HQ of the Hong Kong Jockey Club. [pic: HKFC]
Even great men fumble
The Great Man led Tom Jonas and Tom Logan out of Chek Lap Kok Airport late on the Thursday night before the Hawks-Freo grand final.
A van awaited, the driver (who spoke little English) was called Bobby, and he was certainly unaware he was in the presence of Port Adelaide royalty.
The trio ran an Auskick clinic next day, which was photographed by the South China Morning Post, Russell was interviewed and the story appeared on the Saturday morning.
After the 90-minute clinic we set off for the Chairman’s Bar where an historic ceremony had been set up.
The HKFC executive were waiting: the chairman, committee members, general manager, more cameras… Russell had brought to Hong Kong the precious originals of the reciprocal partnership agreement, signed by Keith Thomas.
But he stopped dead. His face turned white.
I saw Russell Ebert play many times between 1968 and 1971 before I moved to Hong Kong.
I never saw him drop a mark. I never saw him fumble a ball. This was how he would have looked if he had. It wasn’t a pretty sight.
“I’ve left the papers in the hotel.”
The rolling lawns of the Hong Kong Football Club first played host to a Port Adelaide Auskick clinic in 2013 [pic:HKFC]
How Port Adelaide members can experience the Hong Kong Football Club
So how do Port Adelaide Football Club members benefit from this partnership?
Firstly, you have to be visiting Hong Kong; residents do not qualify.
Simply present the following at the counter in the HKFC lobby:
- A signed Letter of Introduction on PAFC letterhead
- Your valid PAFC Membership card
- Your passport with immigration stamp proving you’re a visitor
- Your credit card for imprint as payment guarantee.
You may then use the HKFC facilities for a maximum of 15 days and run up an account which can be settled on departure by cash or credit card, the latter incurring a 5% surcharge.
Check out https://www.hkfc.com.hk to see how superb these facilities are.
To assist in a smooth registration process, members are advised to request Port Adelaide’s membership team to inform the HKFC in advance of their travel plans.
At the HKFC, you will find yourself in friendly territory. In its first two years, the reciprocal partnership has proved a great success. HKFC has been the venue for Port Adelaide international business lunches and one board meeting so far, while the clubs recently held their annual AFL Grand Final Luncheon in the HKFC’s vast sports hall.
Some of the state-of-the-art facilities at the Hong Kong FC [pic:HKFC]
International partnerships
Here are some of other international clubs which enjoy individual reciprocity with the Hong Kong Football Club:
- Oxford and Cambridge Club, London
- The Yale Club of New York City
- The Club Abu Dhabi
- Tanglin Club, Singapore
- Royal Brunei Yacht Club
- Baguio Country Club, Philippines
- Wanderers Club, Johannesburg
- Royal Bangkok Sports Club
- Port Adelaide Football Club
