Gold Coast SUNS assistant coach Matthew Primus has been recognised as one of the greats to play and coach in South Australia after he was inducted in to the SA Football Hall of Fame on Tuesday night.

The two-time All-Australian began his senior career as a ruckman with Norwood in 1994 before playing 157 AFL games for Port Adelaide and Fitzroy.

He captained the Power between 2001 and 2005, but injury prevented him from playing in the 2004 grand final win over Brisbane.

Primus was an assistant and senior coach of Port Adelaide between 2006 and 2012 and has been an assistant with the GC SUNS over the past two seasons.

The Geelong native ended up in the City of Churches in 1994 when he was first brought across from Victoria by Norwood, where he won a Best and Fairest the year after.

“To come over here, go to a great football club, the Norwood Football Club, get a terrific opportunity to turn in to a good young player by some great senior players, an outstanding administration at the football, gave me a great opportunity to get a chance to get back in to the AFL through Fitzroy,” Primus said.

He was taken at No. 2 in the AFL National Draft in 1995 and spent a year with Fitzroy before the club merged with Brisbane. He was picked up by expansion side Port Adelaide and returned to South Australia playing 137 games with Power.

“It’s funny how the world works, sort of thing; my first SANFL senior game with Norwood was against Port at Alberton, and we won, which probably didn’t happen too many times.

“Two years later I’m playing for the Port Adelaide Football Club in their first year in the AFL. That club taught me so much about being a great young man; how to not only be a footballer, but also a terrific person off the field.”

Primus currently looks after Gold Coast’s midfield group and he told the audience in attendance at the Hall of Fame dinner about his experience coaching in a non-traditional football state.

“It’s a great challenge up there. It’s a totally different environment to a footy state.

“Really enjoying coaching a young group of guys up there.

“We’ve probably given a glimpse this year of what we’re able to achieve.

“I think in the future, us and Giants are certainly going to be up around the mark there and it will be determined by the future years how good we’re going to be.”

Primus was one of 10 inducted on the night, including former Port teammate Chad Cornes and Adelaide high-flyer Tony Modra.