PORT Adelaide's 140-year home at Alberton is a contrast of well-preserved heritage and an expansive demolition site as the club ramps up construction of a new high-performance centre for its AFL and AFLW teams.
A large section of demolition work was completed this week on the Power's Allan Scott Headquarters, paving the way for work to start on the new facility's foundations, which will be completed by Christmas.
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The club is planning to have a "state-of-the-art home" for its teams, including a new indoor training centre, pool, and a second outdoor training space, with the project to be completed by August next year.
Chief executive Matthew Richardson said the redevelopment would give the club's athletes, coaches, and staff the greatest chance of performing at their best.
"The new high-performance centre will include significantly upgraded men's changerooms plus gymnasium and rehab facilities to cater for our AFL and AFLW teams," Richardson said.
"The development includes an expanded indoor training area incorporating kicking and skill development space.
"Optimising the use of this elite facility to support local junior sport and recreation is an important outcome from this development.
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"There is no point making the investment we are to see these world-class facilities sit idle most evenings.”
Community basketball and soccer clubs will benefit from the new facilities, which will also allow the AFLW team to host night matches in 2023 under new lights.
Richardson said the redevelopment would preserve the soul and heritage of the club's Alberton base, which has been its home since 1880.
"As our club has grown to suit the needs of the community and expanded to become the only genuine community football club to have earned elevation into the AFL competition from outside of Victoria, our roots and where we come from remains a critical part of who we are," Richardson said.
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"We've seen significant expansion of other AFL club facilities, with many of them including sites which have no heritage connection to the clubs. That's not Port Adelaide.
"Who we are and where we come from is important to us, and it always will be."
The work already completed has seen Port establish new social facilities, including a bar and kitchen, function space, and viewing deck.
An expansive museum puts the club's proud history on show, including its 37 premiership cups, which are housed in a trophy cabinet made from jarrah pylons salvaged from the Port River wharves, which inspired the club's iconic guernsey.
Redevelopment of the Fos Williams Family Grandstand was completed in time for the club's first AFLW home game this year, with the team enjoying industry-leading AFLW changerooms, matchday facilities, media boxes and interchange benches.
The men's program will soon move into these facilities ahead of pre-season and during the latest phase of the redevelopment.
The $30m project has included significant funding from the federal government, the AFL, and the office of recreation and sport, as well as money raised by the club and its benefactors.
