Culture clubs — Port creed meets Bloods’ belief

Port Adelaide captain Travis Boak is in a similar position to former Sydney leader Stuart Maxfield. Picture: Simon Cross. Source: Simon Cross / News Corp Australia

PORT Adelaide is rediscovering itself. And on Saturday, at the SCG, its players, coaches and staff will look at the Swans as the prototype of everything the Power can be on and off the field.

And the critical footnote is how it takes "outsiders" to dust down the answers that already exist in a football club.

At Sydney it was Stuart Maxfield. After six seasons and 89 games at Richmond, Maxfield was cut at Punt Road at the end of the 1995 season and given a lifeline back to the AFL as an uncontracted pick for Sydney in the 1996 pre-season draft.

Maxfield built "The Bloods", the inspiring and lasting culture — derived from the club's history as South Melbourne — that since 1996 has created the AFL's most competitive and consistent football team.

The record of finals in every season but three (2000, 2002 and 2009), four grand finals and two premierships defines Maxfield's legacy to the Swans.

At Port Adelaide it is Travis Boak. After six seasons and 103 games at Alberton, Boak could have set up an auction between Geelong, North Melbourne and possibly Carlton ... or, as the Power's new captain, opted to rebuild a culture that been Port Adelaide's lifeblood for generations.

The comparisons are extraordinary.

When Maxfield arrived at Sydney, the Swans had not played in finals for eight years, was a "basket case" off the field and, after consuming coaches, had prompted Ron Barassi to leave the 3AW radio commentary box in fear Australian football was about to die in Sydney.

The Swans played in the AFL grand final in Maxfield's first season in 1996 with a rookie coach, Rodney Eade.

Sydney captain Brett Kirk, left, and Stuart Maxfield after the 2005 grand final.

When Boak decided to stay at Alberton, the Power had not played in finals for five seasons, was a confirmed "basket case" off the field and, after tormenting coaches, started a new era with rookie mentor Ken Hinkley, the first "outsider" to take charge of Port Adelaide's most senior team since 1950.

The Power's revival has begun … and how much it mirrors Sydney depends on the culture Boak builds.

"Culture … what is culture?" asks former Sydney defender Matthew Nicks who started his AFL career in 1996 as Maxfield began "The Bloods".

"It is an expectation – what is expected of you when you arrive at an organisation. There is nothing up on the wall at Sydney that says, 'This is The Bloods'.

"But you learn what is expected of you from your team-mates – they lead by example. Ask a young player at Sydney what is required and he will not give you a piece of paper that says, 'This is how we do it.'

"Rather he will just point to (captain) Jarrad McVeigh and know they have to do as he does."

Nicks is now at the Power as an assistant coach, developing the club's defenders.

"We have some really good leaders (at Port) who are replicating what the Swans have been through.

"We're just a number of years behind them."

Maxfield arrived at Sydney to show respect for the club's South Melbourne "Bloods" heritage - and noting the need to create from within the critical self-analysis not generated by a rugby league-driven media not caring for the Swans.

"It was developing a culture of everyone having the same ideals; everyone being on the same page and going in the same direction," Nicks said.

"In Sydney there is nowhere near the media backlash you get in Victoria or SA, so you can cruise along.

"So there has to be momentum from within, players driving players. And Stuart Maxfield was a beast, a competitive beast. He was the hard-working engine behind 'The Bloods'.

"He delivered that message that you have to work harder to become better.

"But he was not alone. Brett Kirk did the same. And when Paul Roos became coach (in 2002) he pushed everyone getting on board.

"That is important because a coach has the experiences a player is still to find. A coach knows what you have to do ... but you need players on board, pushing that culture.

"We had a small group who did that - and then it snowballed by weight of numbers. Now it has continued on for year."

Maxfield retired during the 2005 season as Sydney ended its 72-year premiership drought and fulfilled the spirit of "The Bloods".

"And the (culture) has continued on for year," Nicks said.

"Jude Bolton has passed it on to Dan Hannebery who has passed it on to Kieran Jack. It is just expected now."

Boak can wish he can start the same at Alberton - or, rather, rediscover what made Fos Williams pass the Port Adelaide culture to Geof Motley who passed it to John Cahill ....

"Travis is not the only one, just as Stuart Maxfield was not the only one at Sydney," Nicks said. "Boak is the head figure here as captain. When he speaks, everyone listens. But he also has massive support.

"He has Jay Schulz who is more than on board. There is definitely that similar story to Sydney."

Stuart Maxfield, the man who built "The Bloods" theme at Sydney. Source: News Corp Australia

LIKE THE BLOODS, POWER BUYS INTO THE CREED

SYDNEY has "The Bloods" culture. Port Adelaide has "The Creed".

Sydney captain Stuart Maxfield (2003-5) built "The Bloods" theme from within the changerooms. The Creed was written by legendary Port Adelaide coach Fos Williams at home in the early 1960s to serve as a legacy for those who inherited the club's heritage.

"The Bloods" became an admired concept that has driven a leadership-building empire outside of the Sydney Football Club and a book (The Rise of the Swans by Martin Blake).

The Creed was adopted by the Power's marketing department before the club had a team to live the concept – and was, not surprisingly, lampooned by the critics.

But in 2014, when the Power players are living up to Williams' vision, The Creed is difficult to dismiss at Alberton.

"Very much so," former Sydney player and current Power assistant coach Matthew Nicks says. "The Creed basically puts the club's culture into words. It is about the way you should act and that is what we have here now.

"But putting a bit of paper with The Creed in front of someone is different to leading by example or understanding what is expected of anyone at the Port Adelaide Football Club.

"There is no official creed at Sydney, but if they had to, the Swans would be able to write down a number of points on how they are expected to behave.

"The Creed is up in our rooms at Port Adelaide. It is there for our players to look at all the time – and it does mean a lot."

Building a team culture – and having it survive to new generations – is the biggest challenge of Maxfield's vision at Sydney and Williams' legacy at Alberton.

At Sydney, there was the "no dickheads" policy. At Alberton, as young defender Jack Hombsch noted to The Advertiser last week, there is the "no idiots" theme.

"Very much so," Nicks said.

"That is the big one – character. It begins with the recruiting staff asking, 'What are we getting here? Can we coach this player?'

"The head coach will make the final call, but there also will be player involvement. Definitely from (captain) Travis Boak and the leadership is spoken to on big decisions.

"Take Chad Wingard who was a super, super talent. But the question mark was would he be hard and tough enough for this culture.

"Chad would be the first to admit it wasn't when he first got here, but he has developed that by understanding what is required to be part of this group.

"Now we have a player who loves the contest.

"He might not look forward to pre-season training, but he now knows what is required and why he has to do it."

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