Counting down Port Adelaide’s 50 Greatest Players in club’s 150 years: those ranked 10-6

Port Adelaide legend Fos Williams was captain/coach of six flags and won two best and fairests. But where does he rank among the club’s greatest ever players and who else is in the 6-10 group?

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• How The Advertiser’s selection panel picked Port’s Greatest 150

Warren Tredrea holds a significant place in Port Adelaide history as the club’s first AFL premiership captain.

According to The Advertiser panel that has spent the past four months picking then ranking Port’s top 50 stars since 1870, Tredrea is the club’s sixth-greatest player of all-time.

Tredrea, who is on the panel but has sat out in meetings when his name has been discussed, is a four-time All-Australian and winner of a joint club record four AFL best and fairests.

Comparing players and eras has proven very difficult during the selection process, particularly as the countdown approaches number one.

But the other panellists – Port greats Brian Cunningham, Tim Ginever and Bob Philp, club historian Mark Shephard, media manager Daniel Norton and The Advertiser reporter Matt Turner – believed Tredrea’s contribution at the game’s highest level was worthy of such high ranking, given the selection criteria: on-field performances, impact on success, selflessness, longevity, achievements and passion for the guernsey.

The group agreed Tredrea was probably the AFL’s best player in 2004, not far off in 2002 and 2003, and a major factor behind the Power’s rise to premiership contention that culminated with the 2004 flag he captained in the absence of Matthew Primus.

“Warren was outstanding,” Cunningham said.

“I saw every game that he played and it was also all the stuff he did outside of that – he was the most professional player I’ve ever seen.”

Ginever added: “And he played arguably the most difficult position, centre half-forward.”

Tredrea, the son of former Port Adelaide player Gary Tredrea, won a SANFL premiership with the Magpies in 1996, then was part of the inaugural Power squad the next year.

He announced himself on the big stage in an eight-goal, 22-disposal and 17-mark domination of Carlton in 1998, when he was just 19, in a game he also dislocated his kneecap.

Three years on, Tredrea earnt the first of his four consecutive All-Australian honours.

Norton said Tredrea’s marking, clean hands, presence in attack and overall consistency were outstanding.

“I think people forget how good he was,” Norton said.

Tredrea is one of three star Port forwards in the 6-10 group.

The club’s all-time leading goalkicker Tim Evans, who is second overall in SANFL history with 1041 majors, sits in 10th spot.

Magarey Medal-winning full-forward Scott Hodges ranks seventh.

They were difficult to split.

“Timmy made key contributions in big flags, including seven (goals) in the ‘77 grand final, and averages 4.2 goals a game,” Norton said.

Ginever said Hodges was amazing during the club’s run of success during the late 1980s and 1990s.

“When we finished our careers, as players we voted that Scotty was the most influential player on our results,” Ginever said.

Scott Hodges (in front) has been ranked as Port Adelaide’s seventh-greatest player of all-time.

One of the club’s most famous names, Fos Williams, was chosen in ninth position.

There was plenty of debate trying to separate Williams’ captaincy and coaching, but the panel recognised that he led the club to six flags as skipper, including five of the six in a row, and instilled a ruthless, winning mentality into the team out on the field.

“He was a great leader,” Philp said.

“He wasn’t skilful player but he went and got it more than anyone else.

“The wetter and harder it was, the better he went.”

Long-serving defender and former captain Greg Phillips was picked eighth.

“Greg created careers,” Ginever said.

Philp added: “He’s the best centre half-back ever.”

The panel took about a dozen two-hour meetings, including several via video conferencing app Zoom, to choose Port’s top 150 and rank the greatest 50.

The panel has judged everyone on their playing contributions to Port, not what they have done at other clubs, or as coaches or administrators.

Next week we will end the series with the players ranked 1-5.

Originally published as Counting down Port Adelaide’s 50 Greatest Players in club’s 150 years: those ranked 10-6