Port Adelaide will post a loss of close to $2 million this year, despite the club recording record attendances, membership and a top-four finish.

In a financial result that appears an indictment on the agreement struck at the Adelaide Oval with the heavy involvement of the AFL, the South Australian government and the SANFL, Port's on-field rags-to-riches story will soon be revealed as far from that in an off-field sense.

Port Adelaide will post a substantial operating loss, despite on-field success. Credit:Getty Images

While Port Adelaide chief executive Keith Thomas said he was confident the lengthy review into the new stadium's match-day results would deliver a better outcome for his club, he stressed it could not hope to be successful on the current model.

"The numbers are crystal clear and compelling," he said. "If we can't make a profit in these conditions, then how can we ever be profitable?" Thomas would not elaborate on the exact nature of Port's projected loss which comes off the back of a $2.5 loss the previous year.