Farewell to Queen Victoria Market’s last remaining footy store

Farewell to Queen Victoria Market’s last remaining footy store

Since Market Sports opened its doors in 1990, it cemented itself as Melbourne’s premier AFL merchandise store. However, after its lengthy residency inside the Queen Victoria Market, the beloved store has now shut up shop.

To footy fans, it was heaven; to globetrotters wandering through the market, it was a place from where they could take home a slice of Australia; and for the shop’s owners, Neville and Selma Port, it was their livelihood.

However the store, located at 123-129 Victoria St within Queen Victoria Market (QVM), closed its doors on January 14 after 35 years of business. 

 

Neville and Selma were originally from South Africa and arrived in Australia in the 1980s with the dream of setting up shop at QVM.

 

They purchased Market Sports in 2010 after spending more than 25 years operating a sporting goods stall within the market. But since the pandemic, the chances of the store surviving became increasingly slim as customer trends changed and QVM management developed a five-year strategy to support the market’s “recovery” and “revitalisation”.

As part of this strategy, QVM management set a target for hospitality to make up approximately 18 per cent of the total market mix. Hospitality currently accounts for eight per cent of all trade.

The premises that Market Sports operated from on Victoria St was identified as one of the sites to be transformed from retail to a hospitality space, which meant the business would have to relocate or close. 

Neville Port was “devastated” by this. It was not just a loss to the market but to all of Melbourne, according to Mr Port, as it was one of the last remaining official AFL merchandise stores.

The business owner was proud of his loyal customer base, many of whom came from interstate and would go out of their way to stock up on footy paraphernalia and clothing.

However, he noted that operating the business became increasingly difficult over the past five years due to rising rent and rates, which made it harder to stay afloat.

The first blow came during the pandemic in September 2020, when Neville and Selma had to close their stall within the market, which they had run alongside their shop on Victoria St.

In the years that followed, they had hoped to sell the store and retire, with the peace of mind that Market Sports would continue. At one point in 2024, they had an interested buyer, but due to paying rent on a month-to-month basis, they were unable to sell the business and faced the added risk of termination with just 30 days’ notice.

QVM management did offer alternatives, such as an 18-month lease starting in October 2024 and short-term leases at a smaller location, which would have allowed them to sell their remaining stock throughout 2025.

But none of these options were viable, according to Mr Port, due to it being an AFL requirement that the store had street frontage. 

QVM CEO Matt Elliot said, “QVM management is committed to supporting traders and maintaining Queen Victoria Market as an accessible and affordable place to do business.” 

He noted that they have specific support processes for traders experiencing genuine financial hardship, available on a case-by-case basis.

But for Market Sports, an agreement that aligned with the market’s vision and Neville and Selma’s aspirations for the business was never able to be reached.

For more than 30 years, the market was home to the Ports, and while they didn’t get the fairytale ending they had hoped for, it will always remain a special place in their hearts.

Both Neville and Selma would like to thank all the customers who supported their business and allowed Market Sports to prosper for so many years.

“We love you all, and farewell to AFL at the Queen Victoria Market,” Selma said. •


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