The rivalry's origins go back to the early 1880s, when Port Adelaide finally ended Norwood's run of six consecutive premierships.

Just as the more faithful amongst the tribes of the East feel it incumbent on them to pay a periodical visit to Mecca, so do lovers of the king of winter games feel it almost an essential duty on their part to journey to the Adelaide Oval on the Queen's Accession Day, in sunshine or rain, to witness a trial of strength between those great and old rivals the Port Adelaide and Norwood clubs.In 1960, Norwood would bring Port Adelaide's own run of six premierships to an end, defeating them by 27 points in the preliminary final.

[3] During early 1990 the SANFL decided to wait three years before making any further decision in regards to fielding a South Australian side in the VFL until it could be done without negatively affecting football within the state.

Frustrated with lack of progress, Port Adelaide held secret negotiations in the town of Quorn regarding entering the VFL in 1991.

During the 1990 preseason, Port Adelaide played a practice match against Geelong at Football Park in front of 35,000 spectators.

[5] When the knowledge of Port Adelaide's negotiations to gain an AFL licence were made public, the rest of the SANFL and many other people across the state saw it as an act of treachery.

SANFL clubs made an application to the Supreme Court of South Australia for an injunction against the bid, which Justice Olsson agreed to.

After legal action from all parties, the AFL finally agreed to accept the SANFL's bid and the Adelaide Football Club was born.

[7] However, a licence did not guarantee entry and, although a target year of 1996 was set, this was reliant upon an existing AFL club folding or merging with another.

The final game of the 1884 season held on Saturday 30 August was essentially a playoff for the premiership as it guaranteed the winner top spot on the association ladder.

[8] The first premiership-deciding match in a major Australian rules football was held on Saturday 5 October 1889 in South Australia.

Norwood led the match for the majority of the day, but Port Adelaide's five-goal-to-two final quarter allowed them to win by 11 points, claiming their fourth premiership in a row.

Norwood, who had finished the home-and-away season in third place, was desperate to beat Port Adelaide in the preliminary final in order to prevent the Magpies from bettering its run of six consecutive premierships set from 1878 to 1883.

during the dark of night, Haydn Bunton Jr and John Vickers went to Black Diamond Corner in Port Adelaide and painted it red and blue.

[14] The game was close all the way through, and Norwood was leading by two points deep into time on when Trevor Growden gave Scott Hodges a free kick in the north-west pocket of Football Park.