Port Adelaide's greatest player, Warren Tredrea, has thrown his considerable influence behind Matthew Primus to win the AFL club's coaching job.

Tredrea, who announced his retirement on Tuesday, became the third high-profile Port identity to lobby for Primus to be appointed fulltime coach.

Power captain Dom Cassisi and retired onballer Josh Carr have also openly supported Primus' bid.

Primus is Port's caretaker coach for the remainder of the season following the departure of Mark Williams three weeks ago.

Primus wants the fulltime job from next year and had all the qualities to succeed, Tredrea said.

Flanked by Primus as he confirmed the end of his decorated 255-game career, Tredrea said his former skipper was "the most influential person I have seen".

"You have got to be a hard, strong decision maker, someone who's ruthless in their approach both on and off the field, sets standards and lives by them," Tredrea said.

"There is probably an added thing for us that we need someone that has maybe got a bit of a profile with our supporters.

"The guy sitting next to me is doing wonderful things."

Tredrea replaced Primus as Port captain in 2006 and was always envious of his former skipper.

"One bit that I always wanted to emulate but I never ever could was when Matty said 'let's go boys' everyone jumped on his back and went," Tredrea said.

"He just had that feeling about him."

Tredrea, who turns 32 in December, has not played since round seven due to an ankle injury which was the "final straw" for his career.

"I had pretty much made the decision the day I went down," he said.

Tredrea said the injury was perhaps a "blessing and a bit of a sign" as it came amid a personal battle with the AFL's off-field demands.

"Mentally, I was struggling early in the season," he said.

"I was loving playing, I was loving training and I was loving competing but everything else which came with AFL footy - the focus, all the bits and pieces - I was just getting to a stage where I had almost had enough.

"My form was pretty good and I was still enjoying the playing aspect, but all the extra stuff, the meetings, all the bits you have to do to be the whole package footballer, that was a struggle."

Primus' club-endorsed youth policy crystallised his retirement.

"The direction we are heading is not a direction for a 31-year-old or 32-year-old to be selfish ... our club is in a direction different to where I am," he said.

"And I was always going to retire at the end of this year, when I injured myself it brought it on even quicker."

Tredrea retires as Port's games and goals record holder, with four club champion awards and four All Australian jumpers.

He was acting captain in Port's 2004 premiership and also led the club's goalkicking in seven seasons.

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