Port Adelaide great Bruce Abernethy expected to run against Warren Tredrea for board position

Port Adelaide champion Bruce Abernethy is set to take on Warren Tredrea for a spot on the club’s board – 11 years since he was ousted from the Power when David Koch arrived.

Port Adelaide great Bruce Abernethy is running against Power premiership captain Warren Tredrea for a spot on the club’s board.

Abernethy, who won seven SANFL premierships in 190 games with Port Adelaide from 1979-92 and was on its board from 2005-12, was poised to contest the members-elected director position before nominations closed on Wednesday night.

Tredrea, the Power’s all-time leading goalkicker, confirmed his application last week.

Abernethy told this masthead he had been thinking about running for 12 months after conversations with people he trusted.

“I’ve been on the board before, I enjoyed being able to have input into my football club and giving something back to the club that I got so much from,” Abernethy said.

“I wish Warren all the best and I’m sure he reciprocates.

“We’ll leave it up to the members, who are the most important people in our footy club.

“It’s great they’ve got options, not just two of us, I think there’s half a dozen at least.”

Abernethy was on the club’s board from 2005-12 before being ousted as part of an AFL-demanded renewal in late 2012 that included the arrival of David Koch as Port chairman. 

The re-emergence of Abernethy could reduce the chances of Tredrea, a vocal critic of Power coach Ken Hinkley, winning the candidacy.

Past players have usually prevailed in Port Adelaide’s members vote so having two going head-to-head could dilute their support.

The vacancy has arisen because Kathy Nagle’s three-year term as members-elected director is complete.

Long-time Channel 7 sports presenter Bruce Abernethy (right) is trying to get back on Port Adelaide’s board. Picture: Supplied

Nagle, the chief executive officer of Western Hospital, is renominating and may benefit from votes being split between Abernethy and Tredrea when the election is held early next year.

While Koch has publicly supported Tredrea for standing, the club is understood to have privately held some concerns about him running.

Tredrea, who played 255 games for the Power and captained its 2004 flag, made headlines in April when he called Hinkley’s position untenable after a 1-2 start in the last year of his contract.

That same month, the 2004 premiership skipper accused Koch of gaslighting him because the chairman said Tredrea had a “new podcast to promote”.

Tredrea tried to immediately join Port Adelaide’s board at the start of this year to fill the AFL-appointed position vacated by Darren Cahill, only for Koch to knock him back.

Koch’s reason was not wanting to choose one club legend over another and instead urged Tredrea to stand for members voting.

Abernethy’s anticipated run for the board position comes 10 months after telling Triple M: “Tredders is going to get in all day, every day in the members’ vote”.

“The ex-player always gets on in the members’ vote, it’s as simple as that,” Abernethy said.

“The members have a passion for that person and so be it.”

Abernethy and Tredrea are both members of Port Adelaide and the South Australian football halls of fame.

Along with his decorated Port career, Abernethy also played 112 VFL/AFL games for North Melbourne, Collingwood and Adelaide.

Abernethy said in February that you did not need past greats on club boards, “you need the best person”.

Bruce Abernethy won seven premierships at Port and was on its board from 2005-12. Picture: Sarah Reed

“I don’t care whether that’s an ex-player, an ex-player from somewhere else, a businessman, an accountant, a marketing person, HR – what’s the best person for the slot you need,” he said.

Abernethy said the more ex-players got involved off the field, “unfortunately there’s a greater understanding of what goes on behind the scenes”.

Koch told FIVEaa last week that it was “absolutely terrific” that Tredrea was nominating.

“We encourage all of our legends of the club to run for the board in the member-elected (position) as Gavin Wanganeen did and George Fiacchi did,” Koch said.

“We’ve got a long history of our champions coming onto the board and they really do add a lot of value.”

Koch did not believe the members endorsing Tredrea would be a vote against Hinkley.

Port Adelaide re-signed Hinkley in August until the end of 2025.

“A vote for Warren is a vote for his football expertise,” Koch said.

“For Kathy Nagle, it’s a vote for her expertise, particularly in that risk-management and people and culture issue, which has gone so well for us as a club.

“For our members, we want a really strong field of candidates that bring a number of qualifications and experience to the board table.”

Warren Tredrea has already confirmed he is running for Port Adelaide’s board. Picture: Russell Millard Photography

If elected, Tredrea would be expected to rein in his public opinions on the coach and Power hierarchy.

Koch said every board director and member-elected nominee had to sign off on a charter for behaviours, values and beliefs.

Tredrea would join the likes of Mark Ricciuto (Adelaide), Luke Darcy (Western Bulldogs) and Jimmy Bartel (GWS) in juggling footy media and board commitments.

The former Port Adelaide skipper is a FIVEaa expert commentator who also has his own podcast, The Big Deal.

Abernethy remains a long-time sports presenter for Channel 7.

“Mark Ricciuto is another classic example in a similar (media) position – a terrific board member for the Adelaide Crows who understands what it means to be a director,” Koch said.

“It’s a fine line and Mark treads it beautifully.”

The Power’s other member-elected director is ex-Port Adelaide football operations manager Rob Snowdon, whose three-year term runs until the end of 2024.

Port Adelaide members will vote between January 25 and February 7.

The club’s annual general meeting is on February 9.

Originally published as Port Adelaide great Bruce Abernethy expected to run against Warren Tredrea for board position