PORT Adelaide could be over the worst of its financial woes with AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou confident the club had already bottomed out.
Demetriou met with both South Australian clubs and South Australian National Football League (SANFL) management on Wednesday with the Power's predicament one of his key agenda items.
Port Adelaide lost $1.4 million last year for a total debt of $3.5 million and approached the AFL for financial support in March.
"Being the second team in a market is always a challenge and that’s what happened with the Fremantle Football Club too," Demetriou said.
"Port Adelaide needs help and I’ve got no doubt they will continue to strive and be a strong football club for many, many years to come.
"I don’t think there’s more pain to come. I think the pain has been inflicted and now it’s time to start talking about the recovery. I’m pretty confident they’re going to get there."
Central to Port Adelaide's future revenue gains is its deal with AAMI Stadium, which is owned by the SANFL.
Demetriou said the SANFL had confirmed it was willing to evaluate the match-day arrangements it had with both Port and Adelaide, and expected both clubs to soon benefit.
"That’s what we’re trying to achieve with the stadiums in Victoria," he said.
"I think there’s going to be a win for Port Adelaide out of that and probably also a win for the Adelaide Crows and that’s important."
Demetriou said it was important for all parties to source a sustainable solution to the Power's cash crisis, rather than look for a quick fix.
"We’re all committed to getting this done and it’s more important to get it done than to get hung up on a time-frame," he said.
"This will not be a band-aid. We’re trying to come up with a package that takes this football club into the future with some certainty so they can plan accordingly."
The stadium debate in Adelaide has swelled following news the Football Federation of Australia has declared AAMI Stadium unsuitable to host World Cup games in any future bid.
Planned refurbishment of the venue has been put on hold following the state government’s decision to withhold the bulk of its $100 million funding upgrade.
Demetriou did not meet with the South Australian Cricket Association during his brief visit, but would not rule out the possibility of relocating future games to Adelaide Oval – a more central and easily accessible venue.
"We will act with the SANFL as one to do what’s best for football," he said.
"Adelaide Oval is a wonderful stadium and has a great following in this state. But we’ve got a long way to go and a lot more work to go [before we can look at that]."
