Travis Boak in the words of Ollie Wines, Sam Powell-Pepper and Jason Horne-Francis ahead of his 350th game

Travis Boak will become the first ever Port Adelaide player to play 350 AFL games on Sunday. But his influence off the field may be just as great, his teammates write.

If you ask people what Travis Boak is like, there’s some themes that are constant.

A desire to be the best he can be, and get everything out of his body, in footy but not being defined by it in his day-to-day life.

Always willing to help and be a good person, and take somebody under his wing.

This has been a hallmark of his time at Alberton, since he walked through the doors after being drafted with the fifth pick of the 2006 Draft.

Current teammates who have been with him since he became captain, who lived with him and are now being taken under his wing talk about the Boak they know and his influence on them and Port Adelaide as he prepares to play his 350th game of his incredible career.

Travis Boak is chaired from the field after his 300th match by teammate Ollie Wines (left) and Sam Powell-Pepper (right). (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

OLLIE WINES

229 GAMES FOR THE POWER SINCE HE WAS DRAFTED IN 2012

When I first met Trav after being drafted he hadn’t been announced as captain yet but I just always knew he had this presence within the group and predicted that he was going to be the next leader of the club.

The way he wrapped his arms around not just me when I came to Alberton but all the players from that day forward and obviously before that, he has almost shaped the club and the culture where now almost any player comes in and they feel really welcomed and a part of what we do.

I think that stems from what Boaky has done and created.

When I first came, having someone from interstate and especially country Victoria was so beneficial. Our upbringings and everything like that have been similar in ways – he is from Geelong, I am from Echuca. We are country boys so I think for him it was a big move to move interstate and as it was for me.

He hasn’t just helped me, I know his mum Chicki helped my parents a lot in those first couple of years when there was some hesitation with it all and uncomfortability at times.

He has always been someone to lean on and ask questions of.

I wouldn’t be the only one to say that out of the boys, I think with particularly those who come from interstate he has always had us over and always had us over for dinners and made us feel really welcome since day one.

He sets an example off the field for us to live up to, whether it is around your friends and family and what you do in the community. That probably sticks out in my mind the most about him.

Boak and Wines celebrating a win in 2021. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

He wants to be a good person before he is a good footballer and part of that is what he does for the Childhood Cancer Association. He has always put his hand up and put himself before others and that role model is what a football club needs and what society needs.

I have almost learnt more from Boaky off the field than on the field of how to be a good person, how to be a good family member. I think that is so important and he reflects that in how he lives his life.

On the field he had this knack to step up at big moments. He kicked so many big goals, particularly his first couple of years when he was a younger captain.

I remember his last year at AAMI Stadium some of the goals he kicked and to lead us to the first couple of finals campaigns under Ken when someone had to step up and kick a goal to win a game it was him and I still have memories of him with his buzz cut and black Adidas boots kicking goals at AAMI Stadium and yeah for whatever reason they will always stick in my mind.

The longevity he has got out of his career through the commitment to his body and him finding ways to keep healthy and keep fit and do things throughout the off-season that no-one else will do has been incredible.

I think no-one puts more time or money into his body to stay in the shape and keep playing football at the age he is.

I think in this modern day game there are not going to be many players, if any, who reach 350 games again. It is such a tough game and he has maximised everything in his career to get to this point. It is probably his biggest strength finding ways to keep improving at this age.

I think he is able to portray what it is like to be a professional AFL footballer who plays 350 games but at the same time he is also looking to improve himself and get good leanings from these younger guys.

When it comes to ‘GOAT’ status at Port Adelaide among AFL players, I see it is a bit of a throw-up between Robbie (Gray) and Boaky.

For what Boaky has done, from where the club was at when Boaky took over as captain and the culture he has built within our playing group that is passed on from year to year and will continue to be passed on after his career is incredible and I think combined with what he has done on the football field as a player the combination of his individual accolades and how he led this team and this club is incredible.

SAM POWELL-PEPPER

139 GAMES SINCE HE WAS DRAFTED IN 2016. LIVED WITH BOAK

He has been a bigger brother for me.

When I came over from WA he took me under his wing straight away.

I lived at his house for a number of years and learnt a lot not just about footy professionalism but more being present and having that family and camaraderie. He looked after me and I will be forever grateful for that.

As a person I learnt so much on how to be present and being together. We did everything together, we would go the movies together, we would go to dinner together, just having that bigger brother was really helpful for both my personal life and footy.

When it comes to footy he is one of the most professional players I have seen. He has been around for so long, 350 games talks for itself.

If you don’t know him he comes across as “oh it’s Travis Boak”, I always looked up to him before I started playing and meeting him he was just like me.

He likes to joke around, loves a laugh and doesn’t take things too seriously. We had a lot of laughs over the years living together, he is a pretty funny bloke too.

Powell-Pepper and Boak lived together. (Photo by Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

I don’t know if I should say he is funny though, it will get to his head!

Even though we don’t live together any more we speak every day, we train and that at the club but he is just around the corner so we see each other when we can.

I have the two little ones so I am pretty flat out but we like to watch Survivor so we brief each other when we come back into the club and he always sends me texts when something crazy happens on there.

It is just that brotherly connection, we don’t have to speak every day or see each other every day to know that we are close.

My two little girls love uncle Trav because they get to go over and swim in his pool. Frankie is always wanting to go over to his place and swim in his pool. Even when he is down south or on a trip away he lets us jump in his pool so the kids are very grateful for that. He is really good with kids, he is good uncle Trav.

He has done so much for Port Adelaide, he was here in the lowest times and he is still here. Without him the club probably wouldn’t be where it is. I don’t want to make too big of a statement but I think he is a lot of the reason why the club is where it is today.

What he does with younger players shows how he is such a caring and supportive person. These are young players who have just come onto the scene yet and he just does it for the love of the game and the people they are as well.

He sees a lot in people like when he was a young person and I know the boys they are really grateful for that as well.

With the stuff he does off the field, it is just part of him being an amazing human being.

He doesn’t do it for his brand or attention he does it because it is just in his heart and I think that is really special and just shows the person who he is.

JASON HORNE-FRANCIS

25 GAMES FOR PORT ADELAIDE SINCE HIS TRADE FROM NORTH MELBOURNE. IS CURRENTLY BEING MENTORED BY BOAK

My first conversation with Trav was my first day at the club.

He just asked how I was going, welcomed me and then said he’s here for me whenever I want and he is here to make me the best player I can possibly be.

That was really memorable and probably why I have such a strong connection with him now because he welcomed me with open arms when I first came.

We just love having him around here, he is really energetic for his age.

But he brings a lot of maturity to the group and a lot of experience which we love.

He has just been a really good role model to everybody at the club, especially us young boys coming through.

Boak is mentoring Horne-Francis. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

The process he follows with his recovery and how he looks after his body is something that we all strive to do.

For me preparation was the main thing what I wanted to work on getting into the AFL system and he is the best prepared human so having him by my side and for a lot of the other boys at the club to have him to look up to as the ultimate professional has been huge.

He took Connor (Rozee), Zak (Butters) and Mitch (Georgaides) to America one year and then me the next.

I think it shows just how good of a person he is. He is willing to go out of his way to help others reach their potential.

We are really appreciative of what he has done for all of us.

I think his best trait is just how caring he is and how much he is willing to help others.

He just helps others before he can help himself really and he always goes out of his way to teach things to younger people like myself.

He has also been a role model to the people on the outside as well to young kids and everyone.

For us, he is not just a teammate. He is like a brother and best friend.

Originally published as Travis Boak in the words of Ollie Wines, Sam Powell-Pepper and Jason Horne-Francis ahead of his 350th game