The Adventures of Marko Porto in China (Port 82 - 42 Gold Coast)

China is the biggest Pandora’s Box Port could have possibly opened. If just an insignificant part of the Chinese buys into footy, there would probably be more people playing it in China than those living in Australia. The game would never be the same again!

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There is so much talk about Port’s game in China – and the game itself is probably the least interesting subject of all! There is also the Magpies losing another game. Hence, I feel compelled to follow that famous teaching of Jack the Ripper: “let’s do this piece by piece.” Today, the focus is on the journey of Port Adelaide into China. This is what I believe to know about it.[1]

Port’s Chinese Adventure began in the end of 2013, and it is part of an overall effort to save the club, which includes the “One Club” initiative; and the move into the new Adelaide Oval. [2] If the idea sounds like madness today, I can only imagine how it was 5 years ago; especially considering that Melbourne FC had tried it, and failed, a few years before.

The Chinese praise “patience” as a noble virtue, and Port Adelaide certainly took such a teaching by heart. The club took the endeavor aiming at the long run, with the goals widely opened; i.e., without a certain idea of what would come out of it. The only desire was to find a stream of resources that would help the club to keep playing AFL football. Although the image of Marco Polo seems fitting, because of China, Port could also be compared to Juan Ponce de León’s search for the Fountain of Youth.

Since then, Port has been working slowly to settle its feet on safe Chinese grounds; learning, one step at a time, what can be done, what must be done, and what cannot and must not be done. The next step only becomes clear after completing the past one, but every step makes the next a bit easier. For instance, now it is clear that Port can only succeed, if the league, and the sport as a whole also succeed. They are all intertwined and can only win together. Besides, it is China. For obvious reasons, the adventure became way bigger than Port Adelaide; even though Port Adelaide is the keystone of the whole enterprise.

This is also why Keith Thomas suggested past weekend that Port should (could?) play two consecutive games in China, instead of one. Such a possibility doesn't look that crazy to me. A practical way of achieving that, respecting the aspects I have mentioned above, could be playing two double-headers in back-to-back weekends.[3]

AFL would have four teams in Shanghai for two rounds: Port Adelaide; Gold Coast; and two invitees. The Suns would put two home games on the table; we would get two away; and the other two teams would play two games each - one home (v Port), and one away (v GC). The invitee clubs would rotate on a 7-year cycle by state: [4] 

Year 1 (Vic/NSW) - Saints, Giants

Y2 (Vic/WA) - Carlton, Freo

Y3 (2 Vic) - Demons, Bombers

Y4 (Vic/NSW) - Pies, Swans

Y5 (Vic/WA) - Dogs, Eagles

Y6 (2 Vic) - Tigers, North

Y7 (2 Vic) - Cats, Hawks [5]

This way, there would always be one team from South Australia (Port), another from Queensland (GC), and at least one from Victoria. Crows and Lions would miss the party entirely, while every other team would play only 2 games in China in 7 years.

Victorian constant presence would appease AFL, Melbourne’s media, and the Victorian government. The perennial presence of Gold Coast warrants the possibility of two double-headers, since Port can only play away games; besides, it would recognize the club’s initiative to host the first AFL games overseas, while giving another reason for its existence as part of the league. On Port’s presence? Please…

This also would allow a full week for Australians to promote their country to the Chinese; meanwhile, the Chinese would be able to promote their own country to the visitors. Even more important for an outsider observer, it would also help bridging even more the relations between both Eastern Giant nations. Why not? Legend says football is able to bring people together even if for a brief moment; to stop wars! [6] The stories legends tell may not be real, but real legends are certainly true.

DÁ-LHES, PERA! [7]

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Notes:

[1] Feel free to correct me, please!

[2] I know the feeling. Grêmio was on the verge of bankruptcy in 2005. We were on the second division (relegated in 2004) and had only 5 players in our roster. The promotion was a miracle! Grêmio won the “Battle of the Afflicted” (the final match of the season was fittingly played at the ‘Stadium of the Afflicted’ in Recife), away, scoring the winning goal with only 7 players on the field, while the opposing team missed two penalty kicks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSGz9a-KhUM

[3] Playing two rounds in China would actually be less demanding than playing one. The schedule could go as follows: play Thursday/Friday in AUS; travel to CHN; play Sunday; stay there during the week; play Saturday; get back to AUS; and have a bye. Those four teams would play against each other in three consecutive weeks. There could even be a trophy (Shanghai/China Cup) to the team with the best record on those matches.
[4] There would be 28 games in that 7-year span; all different from one another. 

[5] Both the teams and the state split are merely suggestive,
[6] Details can be found here: https://africasacountry.com/2015/10/when-pele-played-in-nigeria-during-its-civil-war-did-he-really-bring-a-ceasefire

[7] “Get them, Pear!” (in Portuguese) “Power” would be "poder", in Portuguese; but the best translation for Port's AFL nickname would be "Força" (“force”), due it's connection to electricity. A "Força de Porto Adelaide" would be the team's name in Portuguese. For instance, the name of a former soccer club in Porto Alegre linked to the Power Company was "Força e Luz" (“Power and Light”). Its stadium still exists. It is known to the fact that Grêmio has built its member's pavilion as payment for a player in the early 60's. It helps that Aírton the "Pavilion" became one of the greatest forwards in Grêmio's History.