OUTGOING Port Adelaide CEO, Keith Thomas has used his last speech in the role to urge the club and its supporters to stay the course in its pursuit of success.
Mr Thomas finishes in the role this week after more than nine years.
Since his appointment in August 2011, Mr Thomas has a significant list of achievements including appointing Ken Hinkley as coach and Travis Boak as captain, overseeing the One Club strategy to reunite the SANFL and AFL arms of the club, moving the club’s home games to the redeveloped Adelaide Oval, helping it surpass 60,000 members for the first time.
He was also instrumental in taking the club to China to play for premiership points and guiding it through its 150th Anniversary year, made more challenging by the global pandemic.
Yet in true Keith Thomas style, he was humble, instead choosing to praise Chairman David Koch, who he said had invested an enormous amount of time and effort into the club and always set a “high bar”.
“David and his board have always encouraged us to play the bigger game,” Mr Thomas said.
“I would like to thank them for their support and for having the courage to keep investing in our future.”
Mr Thomas also acknowledged the contribution of the previous Chairman Brett Duncanson for not only giving him the opportunity to take on the role but for helping guide the club out of its darkest hour, with falling crowds, memberships and on-field performances.
“The great irony is that having spent the last nine years rebuilding our capabilities as a club, this year we have been ravaged by a global pandemic,” he said, paying tribute to the many staff the club had lost as a result of COVID-19.
“Many members of our team who are the heart and sole of this club, have had their careers cut short and my heart goes out to those outstanding Port Adelaide people for all they have given this club.
“The effort of our team was extraordinary. Not only did we survive, but in many ways we improved as a club.”
Mr Thomas described the chase for an AFL premiership as a climb up Mount Everest. He said the club in 2020 had reached a position close to the summit and it was a relentless task that required the whole club to “stay the course”.
“The greatest challenge of all is winning AFL premierships. We’re not talking about a walk to Mount Lofty, winning an AFL premiership and building a system capable of sustained success is like taking on Mount Everest.
“This year we’re 20 feet from the summit, we’ve been here before – so close we can smell it.
“We’re going to need to do this together, this last 20 feet. As Kenny has told us, as a club we have to stay the course.
“It’s a relentless, selfless and thankless task but the prize is worth it, it’s life changing.
“It’s the reason this club exists. The expectation of success is unconditional.”
He closed by thanking the club and its supporters for taking him and his family in, and accepting him as one of its own, despite a playing career of over 300 games with SANFL rival Norwood.
“To the Port Adelaide family, thank you for taking us in,” he said.
“We’ve had a ball and loved every minute. Thank you very much.”
