Jack Trengove to step away from footy ahead of 2025 season

A former AFL captain and SA footy champion has made a major call on his future ahead of the 2025 local season.

A former AFL captain and local SA footy star has made a call on his future ahead of the 2025 season.

Jack Trengove, who captained Melbourne in 2012 and 2013 before playing for Port Adelaide, Prince Alfred OC in the AdFL and Kybybolite in the Kowree Naracoorte Tatiara FL, has made the decision to step away from footy.

A superstar midfielder, Trengove dominated at the local level, joining the Old Reds in 2020 and winning two flags in four years with the division one club before taking hometown Kybybolite from bottom spot to within a kick of a premiership in 2024.

The now 33-year-old had experienced a number of injuries throughout his career before playing at the community level and said he wanted to avoid pushing himself too far.

Former Melbourne captain Jack Trengove has decided to step away from footy ahead of season 2025. Picture: Scott Barbour/Getty Images

“It’s probably something I’ve been thinking about for a bit,” Trengove said.

“I’m conscious of playing for the sake of playing and not running my body into the ground, having had a lot of injuries throughout my career.

“I’ve got other things in my life I want to pursue – work has gone to another level and my wife (Sarah) and I are expecting our first baby as well.”

“I highly doubt I’ll play another full season, whether I play a game here or there I’m not sure but I’m going to enjoy watching from the sidelines.”

A highly touted prospect out of Sturt, Trengove was taken with the second pick in the 2009 AFL Draft and would impress through the middle for the Demons to eventually become the youngest club captain in VFL/AFL history at 20 years old in 2012.

Trengove won the D1 B&F with Prince Alfred OC as well as two flags (2021, 2023). Picture: Brenton Edwards

A number of injury setbacks would eventually see an end to Trengove’s AFL career in 2018 after 86 games with the Dees and three with the Power however and he would join Prince Alfred OC in 2020 after winning Port Adelaide’s SANFL best and fairest in 2019.

Trengove hit the ground running in division one of the Adelaide Footy League and became arguably the best player in local SA footy, winning the Keith Sims OAM Medal in 2021 as well as premierships in 2021 and 2023 before moving to hometown club Kybybolite in 2024.

He and Bradley would remarkably take the Tigers to top spot in the KNTFL before falling agonisingly short of winning the club’s first premiership in 50 years.

Kybybolite lost to Mundulla by 12 points in last year’s KNTFL grand final. Picture: Brenton Edwards

“If I think back to when I first started to play footy and the reasons I played it was to enjoy the game with my mates.

“I was one of the fortunate ones to get a chance to play at the top level and live out a childhood dream and obviously there are ups and downs in pro sport but I learned a lot about myself through those challenges.

“I’ve been very fortunate to win a couple flags with my mates at PAOC and then go back to where it all started and play with some other mates at Kyby, so I’ve ticked a lot of those boxes and I’m pretty content with my career.”

Trengove said he would also pursue marathon running outside of football after spending time training with Olympic runner and Comm Games gold medallist sister Jess Stenson (Trengove).

Jack and sister, Jess at the 2022 New York Marathon. Picture: @jess_tren

“Our whole family did a lot of long distance running growing up and obviously Jess has achieved some incredible feats.

“I ran in the New York marathon a couple years ago and caught the running bug – I enjoy the mental and physical aspects of pushing myself to the limit.

“If I listened to my sister I’d have a really hard crack at it but I just want to pursue it at my own level and my own pace.”

Trengove will compete in the Canberra Marathon next week.