Trent Burgoyne, son of Port Adelaide premiership star Peter Burgoyne, looms as mystery prospect ahead of AFL draft
Fifteen years ago, Trent Burgoyne was on the MCG as Port Adelaide celebrated its 2004 premiership. Now he is a father-son prospect with plenty of intrigue ahead of next month’s draft.
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He was in the middle of Port Adelaide’s premiership celebrations on the MCG after his dad starred on grand final day.
But Trent Burgoyne – the son of Power flag winner Peter Burgoyne and nephew of Hawthorn champion Shaun Burgoyne – is looming as a mystery prospect ahead of next month’s AFL national draft.
The Power have first access to Trent, 18, as a father/son selection and they are understood to be very keen on the smooth-moving wingman/half-forward from Woodville-West Torrens.
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A quandary for other clubs who weigh up a potential bid for him is they do not have a lot to judge him on this year.
In fact, Trent played just one half of football this past season due to issues with his left hamstring.
He has torn that hamstring four times in about 12 months, including twice in 2019, missing the Eagles’ under-18 premiership this year and last.
But when the Henley High student has played, including in 12 games for Woodville-West Torrens in 2018, he has shown scouts flashes of brilliance and shades of his dad’s talent.
There has been some scepticism from rival recruiters about whether Port might have asked Trent, who is a member of its father/son academy, to sit on the sidelines during the back half of 2019, so he could fly under the radar.
Trent was on show for scouts on Saturday when he was one of 24 players testing at the SA draft combine at Prince Alfred College.
He reckons he tested all right but is not confident about getting drafted because he has had limited feedback from clubs and barely played.
“I held myself back a bit, coming off a bit of injury, but the body’s fine,” Trent tells The Advertiser.
“I’m just putting my hand up and showing what I can do, and the footy I played last year I think was good enough to get me into this position.
“Port haven’t really said much to me and there’s no guarantees.”
Peter, who played 240 games for Port from 1997-2009 and was named in the Indigenous Team of the Century, gave Trent some advice before the screening, which included agility, vertical leap and sprint tests.
“He just said … you haven’t played all year, so show them what your attributes are and be humble and work hard,” Trent says.
People tell Trent he has his dad’s kicking style.
“But I’ve got him covered for pace, that’s for sure,” Trent says with a laugh.
Trent has seen some of his dad’s highlights and is old enough to have watched him play.
But most of Trent’s memories of Peter are from replays of matches, including Port’s 2004 grand final win over Brisbane.
Peter collected an equal game-high 25 disposals in that game and they were on the dais together during the celebrations.
“You can see me running up on the stage and people ask me ‘do you remember it but not a chance’,” Trent says.
“The fact I’ve been on the MCG at such a young age, not a lot of kids get to do that and I’m very privileged.”
Trent would be grateful if any club drafted him but going to Port, where his grandfather, Peter Sr also played, would be extra special.
“It’d be unbelievable,” he says.
“I’d like to continue that legacy at the club.”
Port is also eyeing another father/son prospect – Jackson Mead.
Mead, whose dad Darren was the Power’s inaugural best and fairest, attended the national draft combine and made the All-Australian under-18 team after the national junior titles.
Port as selections 10, 29, 63, 64, 65, 68 and 83 in the draft but this will change in the trade period.
Others to test at Saturday’s combine included Glenelg Magarey medallist Luke Partington, who finished third (21.2) in the yoyo test, behind Eagles Luke Beecken (21.3) and James Rowe (21.3), fellow Tigers premiership player Brad Close, West Adelaide’s Elliot Dunkin and Crows top-up players Tom Hutchesson and Jy Farrar.
Hutchesson (7.87 secs), Sturt’s Jed McEntee (7.91) and Norwood’s Cole Gerloff (8.02) were the top three in the agility testing.
North Adelaide’s Harrison Magor (2.84 secs) won the 20m sprint and Sturt’s Mihail Lochowiak (75cm) the standing vertical leap.
Eagles youngster Michael Frederick – the twin of Port rookie Martin Frederick – was handed a late invitation after being best on ground in the club’s under-18 premiership.
Last year’s SA combine featured the likes of Callum Wilkie (St Kilda) and Darcy Fort (Geelong), who were both drafted.
“History says there’ll be some hidden gems here,” AFL talent guru Kevin Sheehan says.