Port Adelaide’s Jackson Trengove still has role to play at Power, but may seek bigger role elsewhere
PORT Adelaide free-agent utility Jackson Trengove will work through his end-of-season review before making a call on his AFL future.
JACKSON Trengove is this year’s sequel to the Hamish Hartlett chapter at Port Adelaide - and most probably with a different ending.
Trengove, 26, will leave this week’s end-of-season player reviews - as Hartlett did a year ago - knowing he has options elsewhere in the AFL. The most obvious are at the Western Bulldogs and Carlton.
Unlike Hartlett, Trengove does not have a long-term contract to pin to his locker at Alberton. And as a restricted free agent, Trengove will find better opportunities - and more tenure - at a rival AFL club.
Trengove’s manager, Tom Pretoro, told The Advertiser on Monday: “Jackson will get through the review (on Tuesday) and then reassess.”
Trengove remains one of the major focal points of the Power’s dramatic exit from the top-eight final series by the two-point loss to West Coast in extra time of the elimination final at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night.
In question is whether coach Ken Hinkley erred in not having Trengove’s experience and versatility to deal with the Eagles’ attack and defence. He preferred three-game forward Todd Marshall to work a tandem with Charlie Dixon in attack; he backed Tom Clurey and Dougal Howard in defence.
The external expectation - after Trengove was overlooked at selection for the Power’s last four games - is the utility will take up free agency. The compensation draft pick handed by the AFL to Port Adelaide would fall into the second round - and possibly vanish if the Power makes a free-agency play on Brisbane midfielder Tom Rockliff or Geelong forward Steven Motlop.
Hinkley’s senior assistant Matthew Nicks on Monday dismissed the growing criticism of the Power match committee not playing Trengove against the Eagles. He also insisted there is still room for Trengove at Alberton, even if the program appears to have moved to a new generation of players such as Howard, Marshall, Billy Frampton and Jesse Palmer.
“We played our best 22,” said Nicks. “And they have been our best 22 for the past month.”
Nicks did not debate club president David Koch’s post-game remarks that the “jury is out” on Hinkley’s preference for youth in the knock-out final.
“It may have been taken out of context,” Nicks said of Koch’s post-game speech. “His comments on our youth ... externally there will be questions about selection; when you lose games, there always is.”
Nicks accepted Trengove’s right to look at his options beyond Alberton.
“A player has to keep his options open,” Nicks said. “But (Hartlett and Trengove) are two of our leaders - two of our important players in our group.
“We are in the same boat now with Jackson (as with Hartlett last year). Although Jackson was not selected in what we thought was our best 22 (against West Coast), he is still a super important part of our group.
“The way he has handled himself in the past two weeks off field; the way he has gone about his football on-field, we can’t ask for him to have done it in a better manner. And he will continue to be one of our strongest leaders.”
michelangelo.rucci@news.com.au
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