THE PROMISE of an extra $1.5 million in 2015 from a revised Adelaide Oval deal hasn't completely softened the blow of Port Adelaide's $2.5 million loss in 2014.
The Power posted the AFL's fourth-highest home crowd average attendances last year (44,364) as they surged to their best finish since 2007, falling three points short of eventual premier Hawthorn in the preliminary final.
Port also made significant gains in off-field revenue but it wasn't enough to return to profit, chairman David Koch confirmed at the club's AGM on Friday night.
Koch said a $2 million increase in football department spending combined with an unsatisfactory deal at Adelaide Oval contributed to the loss, but he echoed what CEO Keith Thomas told AFL.com.au in December and declared the Power would be back in black this year.
"Our view as a board is, yes we produced a loss, but we put basically the equivalent of that loss into the football department," Koch said.
"[And] remember a stadium deal is the life blood of any footy organisation.
"This year we'll receive an extra $1.5 million out of Adelaide Oval ... it's been a really good result all round.
"I'm going to stick my proverbials on the line ... in 2015 the Port Adelaide Footy Club will be profitable."
After announcing the loss to a packed Port Club, Koch detailed the club's continued plan to win back the respect of the AFL and played a 2014 highlights package, which was met by raucous applause.
He played down the financial loss by insisting certain factors that caused it were necessary for the club to continue its development towards on-field success and off-field sustainability.
"All of that (the highlights) that makes us all really proud comes from a lot of build-up, a lot of investment in your business," he said.
"It is investing in the game-day experience to be the best in the country, it is playing a brand of footy that not only gets results but gets the biggest increase in television audiences of any AFL club in 2014.
"As Gillon McLachlan told me, we are the hottest brand in AFL footy at the moment.
"Investment comes before sales and that's why that figure at the start ($2.5 million loss) looks scary but the good news is about to come."
