PORT Adelaide is going back to the future with a modification to its home jumper for next year.

The classic white number panel, worn continuously by the club in the SANFL since 1952, and prominent on its original AFL home guernsey from its entry in 1997, will return next season.

Member feedback helped inspire the return to the number panel, with surveys of Port Adelaide's membership in the past two years showing overwhelming support for its return.

Port Adelaide chief executive Keith Thomas said the permanent return of the number panel to the Power's home jumper is a subtle nod to the club's history.

"The number panel is part of our traditional SANFL jumper," Thomas said.

"You could always tell a Port Adelaide player running away from you after he broke your tackle in the SANFL, and no doubt in the first decade of our AFL team.

"It has been on the guernsey for 28 of our 36 SANFL premiership years, and also for our 2004 AFL flag."

Port Adelaide's traditional colours are black and white, but it was forced to come up with a different design when admitted into the AFL in 1997.

The club's SANFL team, the Port Adelaide Magpies, still wear black and white.

Thomas said the club's fan base overwhelmingly wanted the alteration to the playing strip to return permanently after it was trialled in games against archrivals Adelaide in the past two years.

"We've worn this design in Showdowns for the last two seasons – our players love wearing it and our supporters love seeing it out there," Thomas said.

"We ran two surveys in 2015 and 2016 to see whether our fans were in favour of the idea, and we saw at least 85 per cent of our fans give it the stamp of approval.

"Consultation with our supporters is important in these decisions, but we also believe it helps our jumper stand out more against clubs like St Kilda, Carlton and Collingwood – which have predominantly dark backs to their jumpers."

Port Adelaide first wore a white number panel with numbers in 1910. Picture: portadelaidefc.com.au