Under the guidance of their famous fathers, Jackson Mead and Trent Burgoyne will look to make their own mark at Port Adelaide
Darren Mead and Peter Burgoyne have guided their sons Jackson and Trent on different paths to Port Adelaide. Now, like Darren and Peter in 1997, their sons will start their journey at Alberton together.
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Darren Mead and Peter Burgoyne started a journey at Port Adelaide together, playing in the Power’s inaugural game against Collingwood in 1997.
Now they start another one, this time as proud fathers guiding their sons Jackson and Trent on their own path at Port.
“I’m really proud, he’s done the hard work and now he’s here,” Peter said of son Trent who became a Port Adelaide player as a father-son selection in Friday’s rookie draft.
Darren, a tall defender and three-time Magpies premiership player, saw his son, a strong inside-midfielder, who can push forward, officially unveiled by the Power on Thursday, after the club matched Sydney’s bid for the father-son prospect at No. 25 in the national draft.
“Last night was pretty special, even though after the first night we knew it was going to happen” a proud Darren said after the family shared what Jackson describes as “one of the best moments” of his life together.
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“The amount of players who actually get to this level is pretty small, the percentage is pretty low.
“We’ve always said as much as that is your dream, there’s other things in life as well.
“To then actually go through the process, year by year, to see it start to come at 15-16, to then get to this stage, it’s been an exciting journey, for sure.”
Jackson and Trent are close friends after starting at Henley High together in year eight and playing junior footy at Woodville-West Torrens.
But their paths to Alberton have been vastly different.
“There’s been some tough times, a few tears here and there to be honest,” Peter said after Trent played just three quarters of footy in 2019 after ongoing hamstring injuries.
“It’s been tough, he hasn’t played much at all but he’s been resilient, he didn’t chuck in the towel once.
It was an emotional night in the Mead household as Jackson Mead became our second ever father-son draftee 👠#weareportadelaide pic.twitter.com/NkK2RsyoIq
— Port Adelaide FC (@PAFC) November 29, 2019
“I’m really proud of him for doing that.
“He’s got two brothers coming through – Jase, 16 and Rome, 13 -and hopefully they can take that from him, being mentally strong and sticking in there.”
But the lack of exposure didn’t put off recruiting manger Geoff Parker and his team, with the club snapping up the 18-year-old, whose grandfather Peter Snr and Uncle Shaun also played for Port, after no rival club picked him on the opening two nights.
“It’s a weight off my shoulders because of the year I’ve had with injury, it was good to get on the list,” Trent said.
“Obviously it’s been a pretty long year and a pretty long wait but I’m just happy to be here now.”
Peter played 240 games for Port and his advice for Trent, who boasts speed and neat foot skills, was simple.
“He just said ‘soak it in, if you get your opportunity, just work hard’,” Trent, who revealed he is right to resume training, explained.
Darren, who coached Jackson at junior level, is continually to help his son tinker and improve his game.
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“Pete would be the same with Trent and his boys, you’re just trying to give them some advice, some life situations for them and to help perfect their game a little bit better,” Darren said.
“It’s different playing and coaching.
“When you actually sit back and look at it differently, you can start to pick up some little things they really need to work on.
Jackson’s journey at Port Adelaide was more obvious, finishing 2019 as one of South Australia’s and the Eagles’ best-peformed midfielders.
It doesn’t matter now what’s happened, it’s all about the journey in front of both draftees.
“He’s got to get to work now, nothing is guaranteed,” Darren said of Jackson.
“He’s got to get out there and dot the ‘i’s and cross the ‘t’s and get it all going.”
Jackson, who said it is an honour to carry on – and enhance – the Mead name, also wants to forge his own path
“I don’t want to be known as Darren Mead’s son for the rest of my life,” he said.
Peter agrees, saying “It’s up to him (Trent) now”.
Originally published as Under the guidance of their famous fathers, Jackson Mead and Trent Burgoyne will look to make their own mark at Port Adelaide