PORT Adelaide once had Warren Tredrea so worried three years ago that midway through watching one of their worst losses, he contacted the AFL.
Later that night, Tredrea was stunned to talk to AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou and was briefed on plans that were being hatched for the stricken club.
Tredrea, who captained Port's only AFL premiership team in 2004, revealed the conversation at Wednesday night's annual AFL Hall Of Fame function.
Full coverage of the Hall of Fame
He was inducted along with his long-time Adelaide rival Andrew McLeod, Carlton star Anthony Koutoufides, Richmond great Matthew Richardson, Western Bulldogs favourite Brad Johnson and Carlton and Perth captain Ern Henfrey.
During Tredrea's on-stage interview, it emerged he texted AFL media manager Patrick Keane at quarter-time of the game and that led to the conversation with Demetriou.
It was round 20 in 2011, Chad Cornes' last game for Port, and they trailed 6.5 to 0.1 against Collingwood in a night match at a half-empty AAMI Stadium.
Port had massive financial problems and would win just three games that season.
Tredrea had retired a year earlier and was at the game as a radio commentator.
"It was pathetic - it was hard to watch as a former player," he said.
"I knew the club had some issues financially and for me, it was just rock bottom.
"He (Demetriou) told me some stuff that they were looking at doing with the club."
Three years later, the Power are transformed.
They are top and have turned their new Adelaide Oval home into the "Portress".
Off the field, they are also much stronger under chief executive Keith Thomas and president David Koch.
"To a certain extent, because of the financial issues, we lost sight of where we were going," Tredrea said.
"So realistically, it was probably a blessing in disguise that the club was so bad that they were able to go through, refinance, give it a chance and build their business."
During Wednesday's function, Tredrea received a congratulatory message from Power veteran and his former teammate Kane Cornes.
"I said to him 'keep living the dream, you're going well'," Tredrea said.
"They have a young list ... they'll get sore, but they've had a brilliant start.
"It's a 400 metre race and at 150 they're leading, they're in a really good position."
This year's hall of fame was a massive night for SA football with the Tredrea and McLeod inductions.
Tredrea said it was even more meaningful that he became a hall member alongside McLeod, one of the AFL's greatest indigenous players.
But Tredrea admitted they were not always friendly with each other.
"We didn't know each other - he thought I was aloof, I thought he was arrogant," he said.
"Then we got to know each other and became good mates.
"He's a good fella, even though he did play for the opposition."
