He said: "To our supporters and sponsors, we apologise for that and we will keep delving away to try and produce 22 players that want to compete on a weekly basis. We have to delve really deep into the psyche of our club to understand why we produce these kinds of results."
It was refreshing to hear such unfiltered thoughts from a 36-year-old rookie coach before he gets media-managed and back onto the safer ground of cliché. There was no spin or deflection - but a hint of the ruthless edge that was his trademark as a player.
Primus' decision to drop both Chad and Kane Cornes is further evidence of his willingness to make hard calls. His close friendship with Chad and long-term relationship with Kane hasn't clouded his thinking.
It sends an incredibly powerful message to the playing group: reputation means nothing. The slate has been wiped clean for every Port Adelaide player, and if you don't compete as strongly as the coach wants, he'll pick someone who will.
As a player, Matthew Primus was a natural leader but his pathway to the AFL was more challenging than it might seem. Despite being the grandson of Geelong legend Reg Hickey and playing five reserve games for the Cats, he was overlooked by them and he moved to Adelaide to play for Norwood in the SANFL.
He was then drafted by Fitzroy, where he played 20 games in their final year in the competition before moving to Port Adelaide in 1996. A short time later he became a dual All Australian ruckman who would roam the field like a schoolyard bully looking for any sign of weakness.
He would seize any opportunity to physically and verbally intimidate; playing against him was always a great challenge. He had a really hard, competitive edge and he used his body like a battering ram to clear a path for his teammates.
Travelling through Ireland with him in 2002, it was easy to get a sense of how much respect his teammates had for him. Even though the round-ball game of Gaelic football wasn't ideal for him, he remained a great presence both on and off the field. Some people work hard at being a leader, while people like Matthew Primus have a natural influence over others.
Primus has taken over the reins at Port Adelaide in difficult circumstances. The dominance of the Adelaide Crows in the marketplace has put the Power in dire financial strife, struggling to attract enough support to compete.
Their new coach has spoken often about wanting to create a new culture to open the way to a new era of success. As an ex-South Australian, it's hard not to consider Port's history as the Magpies in the SANFL, where it was arguably the most successful senior football club in Australia with its 36 premierships.
The Port Adelaide Magpies were hated with an intensity beyond anything I have ever seen. The old Port fans would have loved and embraced Matthew Primus' ruthless approach as coach; in fact, despite the challenges ahead, they may well have found the perfect man for the job.
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL
