Chad Wingard makes his first appearance as a Hawk while Port Adelaide maintains trade of club champion was smart move
CHAD Wingard has put on the Hawthorn colours for the first time at the Hawks’ base at Waverley — and admits he might have been too comfortable at Port Adelaide. Meanwhile, the Power continues to defend its call to trade the 2013 club champion.
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CHAD Wingard has arrived at Hawthorn conceding he needs the change from his comfort zone at Port Adelaide — and a new attitude.
At Alberton, the Power is continuing to defend the contentious call to trade its 2013 club champion.
Wingard, 25, was presented at the Hawks’ Waverley complex on Friday saying: “It’s a challenge I need. For me to grow as a person and as a player, I’m confident this is the right step for me.
“Being valued and being wanted is a huge thing and I think I felt that from Hawthorn.”
Wingard has signed a five-year deal with the Hawks to the end of Season 2023.
Port Adelaide football boss Chris Davies insists if the Wingard trade had not been done this month the Power still would have lost the enigmatic midfielder-forward by free agency next year — and with less in return.
This conclusion came after Wingard had four end-of-season meetings with coach Ken Hinkley — and a critical session with club chief executive Keith Thomas, who sought a long-term commitment from Wingard who was to fall out of contract at Port Adelaide in 12 months.
“Chad felt he’d got to a position at Port Adelaide where he was a bit complacent and stale,” Davies said. “Ken was asking him to do more and Chad felt he may not be able to deliver.”
Wingard, a two-time All-Australian (2013 and 2015), on Friday made his first public appearance as a Hawk after being one of the three major gains for Hawthorn in the trade period that closed on Wednesday evening. The others were Greater Western Sydney midfielder Tom Scully and Gold Coast defender Jack Scrimshaw.
Wingard did reflect on his uneasy finish at Port Adelaide — where he played 147 AFL games in seven seasons — asking why the Power had not told him earlier of its concerns with his attitude and training ethic.
“It’s been a full on couple of months,” said Wingard, who earlier in the week described his decision to leave Port Adelaide as “the toughest in my life”.
“Now I’m here, I’m excited to get stuck in and work my arse off,” he added.
“I need a new challenge and that’s why I chose the Hawks (after considering three other AFL clubs, including the eager Western Bulldogs).
“I was very comfortable with where I was at (Port Adelaide) and I think that can be a very dangerous place to be.
“I’m looking for continual growth with me and my football.”
Wingard dismissed the suggestion he had lost motivation or inspiration to succeed at Alberton.
“My drive and to be competitive has never changed,” Wingard said.
Wingard maintains he leaves Alberton with “no bad blood” — and with too much being made of his exit interview with Hinkley.
“Nothing outrageous happened in that exit meeting,” Wingard said.
“It was pretty honest, it wasn’t brutal, it was just a pretty honest conversation. Obviously there was things that I need to work on.
“I think a little bit of attitude I needed to work on and come to training with a better mindset.
That’s things that I’m happy to work on, but I suppose I didn’t get told that during the year.”
Port Adelaide premiership captain Warren Tredrea — one of Wingard’s biggest critics of his effort and commitment during the season in his weekly Advertiser column — made a thinly veiled swipe at Wingard on social media on Thursday evening.
Tredrea posted on Facebook a picture of Port Adelaide premiership defender Michael Wilson standing next to the club creed at Alberton.
The creed, written by club patriarch Fos Williams in the 1960s, demands Port Adelaide “weed out” from its inner sanctum anyone “who breeds an atmosphere of non-professionalism”.
Wilson, a member of Port Adelaide’s first AFL premiership team in 2004, is admired by Tredrea for always giving his best to the team while never holding the club to ransom for money on his contract.
Wingard was traded to Hawthorn for young defender Ryan Burton, who makes a homecoming move to Port Adelaide, and first-round draft pick No. 15 — and pick No. 35 that allowed the Power to trade with Brisbane to move up to No. 5 in November’s AFL national draft.
Had Wingard left next season as a free agent, the AFL would have compensated Port Adelaide with just one first-round draft pick.
michelangelo.rucci@news.com.au