Jackson Trengove. Picture: portadelaidefc.com.au
While he didn’t have a career surrounded by glitz and glamour like a Luke Hodge or Gary Ablett Jnr, Jackson Trengove left an impact.
His impact would definitely be felt at Alberton for a long time, and is still felt today.
In Port Adelaide’s darkest moments, the key defender stuck by the club.
“You wouldn’t really want to leave this football club when it is down the bottom,” he said at the time of re-signing in 2011.
Trengove’s re-signing would be a big show in confidence and hope in the future, despite Port recording its worst year on record.
He would also go on to win the club’s best and fairest, the John Cahill Medal.
Only a year later, the player he shared the award with, future Port captain Travis Boak would sign a contract extension to remain at the club as well.
Trengove would become pivotal as Ken Hinkley’s revolution of Port Adelaide guided the club to the finals in both 2013 and 2014.
He was ever reliable in 2014, with Port dropping out of the top four toward the end of the home and away season correlated with him being missing from the side through injury.
After an injury-interrupted 2015, Trengove would becoming a ‘Mr Fix It’ as Patrick Ryder missed the following season due to the Essendon supplements saga and Matthew Lobbe going down with injury.
He would go into the ruck and compete week in, week out to fill a void left by two missing ruckmen.
It changed in 2017, with Trengove being moved into the forward line as a second tall forward.
His final game for the club isn’t what it should’ve been.
It should’ve been going out on his own terms, with the fans adoring him from the stands at Adelaide Oval.
Instead, his final match was a thrashing at the hands of the Adelaide Crows in the Showdown.
He wouldn’t be recalled for the rest of the season, including, surprisingly, missing the elimination final loss to West Coast.
He’d join the Western Bulldogs as a free agent at the end of that season.
Yet, unlike many others who depart Port Adelaide, he was left forever in the hearts of the Port faithful.
Upon his return with the Bulldogs in 2018, Trengove was cheered off the oval by the Port supporters and showed his appreciation back.
Only 33 games in three seasons, it didn’t work out at the Bulldogs, but his impact at Port Adelaide will be felt forever.
A player who always put the club first and plenty off the field first as well.
About Author
