the VFL. In his stead, Russell Ebert became coach in 1983. During his five years as coach, Port Adelaide made the finals three times, and achieved a win rate of above 55%. John Cahill returned as coach from the 1988 season, winning the premiership that year. He won a further five premierships, totalling a record-equalling ten over his coaching career. Two key events of the late 1980s were attempts by the VFL to further expand outside of Victoria and financial difficulties in the SANFL. In 1989, seven of the ten SANFL clubs were recording losses and the combined income of the SANFL and WAFL had dropped to 40% of that of the VFL. During May 1990, the SANFL clubs unanimously accepted a SANFL proposal to not enter a club from South Australia until 1993. Weeks later, Port Adelaide, suffering from a mixture of ambition and frustration, started secret negotiations with the VFL in the town of Quorn for entry to the competition in 1991. When knowledge of Port Adelaide's negotiations to gain an AFL licence were made public, the other nine SANFL clubs called a crisis meeting to discuss options. Plans were made to kick Port Adelaide out of the SANFL should they succeed, and to prevent them from using Football Park as a home ground. SANFL clubs urged Justice Olssen to make an injunction against the bid, which he agreed to. During these meetings, an option was discussed to make a counter offer to the AFL. On the 16th of August, the SANFL officially launched a submission for a composite team. After legal action from all parties, the AFL agreed to accept the SANFL's bid to enter the composite team, which was named the Adelaide Football Club. During December 1994, Max Basher announced that Port Adelaide had won the tender for the second South Australian AFL licence on the condition that a merger take place between two existing AFL clubs to keep the league at the club limit imposed by the AFL in 1993. As such, the licence would not be made available until at least 1996, and was not guaranteed. With the merger of the Brisbane Bears and looming, the club was advised on 21 May 1996 by the AFL that they would take part in the 1997 AFL season. 1997–2010: AFL entry, Mark Williams and club debt Following confirmation of their entry in 1997, the club began