HOLD ON for dear life.

That was the simple advice in a text message from outgoing Port Adelaide Chief Executive Keith Thomas to his successor Matthew Richardson on Friday morning.

Chairman David Koch announced Mr Richardson would take on the role at the club’s annual Best and Fairest Awards night at the Adelaide Convention Centre on Thursday night and the pair fronted a press conference the following day.

Mr Richardson has been at the club since 2001 starting as Marketing Manager of the Magpies in the SANFL and then progressing to CEO from 2004 to 2009.

In 2009, Mr Richardson joined the Power as General Manager of Marketing and Consumer Business and was promoted in 2017 to Executive General Manager.

He described his elevation to CEO as a privilege and honour, saying Mr Thomas had made his new job easier by leaving the club in such a good space.

Mr Richardson said his predecessor had provided valuable advice throughout their nine years working together, and none more so than a simple message he had received earlier.

“He sent me a text this morning and it was just ‘hang on for dear life’,” he said.

“I appreciated that but I’m sure I’ll still be in really regular contact with Keith.

“He’s a really important part of the Port Adelaide Football Club. He has been and always will be moving forward.

“Port Adelaide has done some amazing things over 150 years. The challenge for us as the current custodians is to create an era of greatness in the AFL for Port Adelaide and Keith has played a major role in setting that up for us so I couldn’t be more grateful.”

In 2010 Mr Richardson headed up the club’s strategic campaign to unite Port Adelaide as One Club, bringing the Magpies in the SANFL and Power in the AFL together.

This led to the official reunification of the Port Adelaide Football Club which was a catalyst to the club’s record 60,000 plus members in 2015.

Reflecting on his achievements, Mr Richardson put many of them down to Mr Thomas’ leadership.

“I’ve got enormous shoes to fill if you think about where the club was at in 2011 when Keith walked in,” he explained.

“The things that have happened since that point – there’s been so many competing forces. There was one club, there was getting to Adelaide Oval, reinvesting in the football program, bringing Ken in, Darren Burgess came in and we talked a lot about making sure that when we got to Adelaide Oval we got there in great shape and with momentum.

“That’s all on Keith. Football at Adelaide Oval changed football in this city forever.

“Commercially we didn’t shoot the lights out so we had to look at ways to grow our business and China came along and we were the first western team to play for points in China.

“And I think about the challenges behind the scenes to get that up, it’s been incredible.

“To think about where our club is positioned right now, to have the great fortune of being able to follow Keith – I don’t think the club is as united as it is. Our football program is in great shape, our members are as connected and engaged as they’ve ever been and then commercially, we’re really strong – I couldn’t be more thankful.”

The press conference was wide-ranging. Here are some of the key take outs:

Matthew Richardson on COVID-19:

“One of the things that COVID has done is that it has allowed us to sharpen our focus on what’s absolutely most important here at Port Adelaide and it’s a pretty simple formula. We’re here to win footy, have members that love us and partners that are connected to that and if we do those things well, it’s going to be pretty exciting.”

Matthew Richardson on whether the club’s future in the SANFL:

“We’re a foundation club of the SANFL, it’s really important to us, I know it’s important to the football program when you look at the challenges that the players that weren’t able to play in the AFL this year had to encounter, but clearly there are some issues that need to be worked through. Are there COVID restrictions next year on AFL teams and those types of things, but those things will be worked through in time. We’re really confident that we’ll be in the SANFL again next year and for many years to come.”

Matthew Richardson on wearing prison bars in Showdowns going forward:

“It’s definitely a priority. As we’ve said all year, it’s important to our people and again COVID has taught us all that the connection with our members and supporters, anything we can do to strengthen that connection can only strengthen the game. We can all understand the AFL’s had some major challenges this year and we’re respectful of that. We’ll be picking up that conversation in the coming weeks and as we’ve said all along, it’s important and what we’re asking for is really reasonable.”

Matthew Richardson on being confused with former Richmond player Matthew Richardson, and the Tiger star’s twitter suggestions this morning.

“The guys told me about it this morning and I liked it. It has come up before and it’ll probably come up a little bit now. I’m not sure if we’ve been able to get the trade done, was it a fourth-round pick for Dusty (Martin). I’m not sure he’s come back on that but it was a bit of fun.”