The Port Adelaide club attempted to enter an AFL team in 1991, but were stymied by legal action which resulted in the Adelaide Crows, a new club, entering the competition. Finally, the Power entered the competition in 1994, setting up an intense home-town rivalry with the Crows.
The intra-city rivalry is caricatured to be partly socioeconomic, with the strongly working-class Power contrasted with the middle-class Crows.
The club has performed creditably in its first years in the competition, and is widely regarded for its strong character. They have not yet, however, won a premiership, a fact that Crows supporters never tire of reminding the Power of.