Porter was educated at Scotch College where he took up rowing. In 1974 he stroked that school's first VIII.[1] Porter joined Melbourne's Mercantile Rowing Club in 1975 from where he did his senior club rowing initially in maiden and junior heavyweight crews but then from 1976 as a lightweight.[1]
Porter made the 1976 Victorian men's lightweight four which contested and won the Penrith Cup at the Interstate Regatta within the Australian Rowing Championships.[2]
In Mercantile colours he raced in a junior eight at the 1975 Australian Rowing Championships finishing second. In 1976 he won the national lightweight four championship title and in 1977 the national lightweight eight title.[1] He won another national lightweight eight title at the Australian Rowing Championships in 1978.[1]