WATCH: Why Port Adelaide picked the colours teal and silver to start AFL journey

“Obviously, that strategy is now working.”

EDITOR | August 7, 2024 - 11:38am

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The hope of appealing to a younger audience was one part of Port Adelaide's decision to don the colours teal and silver, with the South Australian club having to move away from its traditional black and white tones due to "obvious reasons" when joining the AFL.

Ahead of the club's inception into the AFL with a license for the 1997 season, key Port Adelaide powerbrokers were tasked with finding a new moniker and colours given the existing standing of Victorian giants Collingwood.

While already having an estimated 200,000 fans planned for their AFL entrance, newly-minted Power also planned to attract the next generation of football fans in South Australia with Port Adelaide.

Inaugural CEO Brian Cunningham told the AFL Team Builders podcast that the club's decision to pick the colour of teal was a decision to potentially lead the market for younger locals and women.

"We were looking 10-15 years down the track, (asking) what would our support base look like?" Cunningham said.

"We wanted a young supporter base. We also knew 50 per cent of people who went to the footy are women. We knew we had to appeal to a younger population and women, which is part of the reason why we chose the colours that we chose.

"Teal is a great colour, it's a very attractive colour. Kids like it, women like it, it's fashionable. Silver, as well, was a colour not being used in the AFL.

"Our plan was to keep the 200,000 support base happy but also build in the future with a younger support base. Now, when you look at us coming across the bridge to Adelaide Oval, we have a really young supporter base.

"Obviously, that strategy is now working. I'm really proud of that. It was also a reflection of Port Adelaide, we're a sea-side