Jackson Trengove’s move to Western Bulldogs a win for his footy and family

IT’S been a very happy homecoming for Western Bulldogs recruit Jackson Trengove with the former Port Adelaide big man and his partner returning to Victoria and family ties.

Western Bulldogs recruit Jackson Trengove with his twins, Isaiah and Zalia, partner Stephanie Mustica and daughter Sophia. Picture: David Crosling

IT’S been a very happy homecoming for Western Bulldogs recruit Jackson Trengove.

After 153 games with Port Adelaide since leaving his home in Strathmore in Melbourne’s north as a 17-year-old, he’s back living in the suburb of his childhood.

He and his partner Stephanie have kids themselves now, including delightful 18-month-old Sophia and two-week-old twins Isaiah and Zalia.

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It’s nice to be home.

“It was good to get back to where I grew up — mum and dad are around the corner,” Trengove told the Herald Sun.

“Steph’s mum and dad are able to come down (from Cobram) as well. You see the smile on my sister’s face when she takes Sophia for the day.

Western Bulldogs recruit Jackson Trengove with his new twins, Isaiah and Zalia, partner Stephanie Mustica and daughter Sophia. Picture: David Crosling

“We really missed that in Adelaide, cousins playing with each other. I think deep down we knew we had to come back at some stage. The timing was right and it all worked out.”

After the birth of Sophia in 2016, Trengove felt the pull of home keenly.

He felt it again last year when he and Stephanie received the news they were expecting twins.

“Ken (Hinkley) knew my situation, obviously family and wanting to come back at some stage,” Trengove said.

“Although it was hard at times, in probably the last three weeks when I was in and out of the SANFL and still playing pretty good football and still should have been playing (AFL) ... there was a bit of unease.

“But after that, it’s just getting on to the next thing: what’s next?”

That “what next” was finding a Victorian home. There were several suitors, but the Bulldogs were the obvious choice.

Stephanie said Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge had a lot to do with it.

“They just clicked,” Steph said.

“Just his honesty,” Trengove added of Beveridge.

Jackson Trengove with Sophia before his 150th game. Picture Sarah Reed

“I got on really well with Kenny Hinkley, I just had a good connection with him … Bevo’s the same. He really cares about his players.

“The amount of times he’s asked about the twins, if Steph’s all right, if we’re going all right. He sees his players as people, not just footballers, that’s one of the seasons I wanted to come here.”

Trengove said he also felt a natural connection with the football club.

“You’re part of a community, there’s houses right behind us, similar to Port Adelaide,” he said.

“It’s a community-based football club that thrives on the people around them. I enjoy that vibe.

“And I believe in the playing list. We’ve got some really good young players here and I think we can push back up the ladder, hopefully this year.”

It appeared to most that the 197cm swingman was coming to the Kennel as a defender after the retirements of Bob Murphy and Matthew Boyd — and then Dale Morris went down.

Jackson Trengove wins the tap against Mason Cox.

But the early signs are he will be asked to play a forward/ruck role. Trengove said he’s “open to anything”.

“I don’t think there are many players that are left as a sole position (player),” he said.

“I expect at some stage this year I might start forward and then end up back, or vice versa.

“You just have to have that mindset of wherever you go, just compete as hard as possible and continue to grow your craft in all different areas.”

He may be the ultimate swingman but Trengove has refrained from offering advice to his new captain Easton Wood, who this season finds himself a defender-cum-forward.

“Some days it’s really going to work for Woody and he’s going feel like he should have been a forward for 10 years,” Trengove said.

“And there’s going to be other days where he finds it really hard and he can’t quite get into it or you think, maybe I should be down back. And that’s just about backing yourself and backing the team.

“You’ve just got to go back to being able to help the team in whatever role you’re playing.

Jackson Trengove in action during the JLT Community Series. Picture: Michael Klein

“It’s not always going to look pretty on the stats sheet or to other people, but as long as you’re playing your role … the boys appreciate that more than anyone.”

Amid the joy of parenthood there are daily challenges and the busy parents have not been immune to those.

But the Dogs’ new No.8 (Stewart Crameri had the jumper last year) said the club had gone beyond to accommodate the needs of a young family.

“You come to a new club and you sort of want to do everything, but to have the club’s support with the babies and just be able to be really honest with them in conversations if I needed to go (has been appreciated),” Trengove said.

“There were a couple of times there where I wasn’t sure when the babies were going to come so we were flicking around games and the camp; I stayed back in Melbourne just in case.

“I didn’t have to stress about anything, it was worry about Steph and the babies and football will take care of itself.”