Jack Trengove, former Melbourne, Port AFL player, guilty of drink driving

A former AFL footballer’s premiership win turned sour when he was caught drink-driving after the victory, a court has heard.

Former AFL footballer, Melbourne co-captain and Port Adelaide player Jack Trengove crashed his car and blew more than three times the limit after a premiership win, a court has heard.

In the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Wednesday, counsel for Trengove pleaded guilty on his behalf to one count of driving with a prescribed concentration of alcohol.

They also pleaded guilty to one count of driving without due care.

Lisa Randall, for Trengove, said her client was “extremely embarrassed” to have crashed into a tree on Tynte St, North Adelaide, about 8pm on September 12 last year with a blood alcohol reading of 0.17.

The incident followed Trengove’s win, alongside his Prince Alfred College Old Collegians teammates, in the Adelaide Football League’s 2021 grand final the previous day.

It also came two days after he took home the league’s prestigious Keith Sims OAM Medal as its best and fairest.

Ms Randall said Trengove, 30, had suffered “the wrath” of his pregnant wife for his foolishness – but Magistrate Jack Fahey said it could have been much worse.

“If he is ashamed, his shame is well-founded,” he said.

“He is indeed fortunate that no one else was involved … in my view, what he did was irresponsible and dangerous.”

Former AFL footballer Jack Trengove. Picture: Keryn Stevens.

Trengove did not attend court in person on Wednesday because he was in Sydney on business.

“I don’t know if Your Honour is aware but he was the captain of the Melbourne Football Club, so this is extremely embarrassing for him,” Ms Randall said.

She said Trengove had “been drinking all day” prior to the incident and “did the right thing” by going home, only to “make the foolish decision” to heed his teammates’ call to rejoin them.

No one else was involved in the crash, she said, which had written off the car and resulted in an instant 12-month loss of licence.

She said Trengove waited at the crash scene for police to arrive and fully co-operated.

“His wife is a doctor and is expecting (their child) … he has received the wrath from her for having such an inconvenient licence (situation) for the family,” she said.

Mr Fahey noted Trengove’s lack of prior offending, co-operation and the “significant financial” cost incurred by the loss of the car.

He recorded convictions, imposed a 12-month licence disqualification – backdated to the day of the crash – and fined Trengove $1100.

Born in Naracoorte and educated at Prince Alfred College, Trengove played for Sturt in the 2009 SANFL grand final and has received an All-Australian honours.

Named that year’s no. 1 draft pick, alongside Tom Scully, he was recruited by Melbourne and went on to finish in the club’s top five best and fairest.

In 2012, he served as its co-captain with Jack Grimes – making him the youngest captain in AFL history – but injuries saw him delisted in 2017.

Trengove signed with Port Adelaide as a free agent, and now plays for Prince Alfred Old Collegians.

Trengove signed with Prince Alfred Old Collegians in 2019. Picture: Brenton Edwards.

Trengove won the Keith Sims OAM Medal in 2021. Picture: Brenton Edwards.