AFL in London: Jackson Trengove powers up for Port

ONE player with an appetite for a contest is Port Power’s Jackson Trengove. The towering defender, who celebrates his 22nd birthday on the eve of the match, will have increased responsibility in the upcoming season, and can’t wait to get started at the AFL European Challenge at London’s Kia Oval on Saturday. “We want to win every game we play and this will be no exception”, he said.

Trengove was taken at number 22 in the 2008 National Draft and has become a vital cog for the Power after being the youngest player in the club’s history to win the John Cahill Medal. At the tender age of just 21, he is already a member of leadership group and is touted by many as a future captain.

“I enjoyed a good season from a personal point of view in 2011 but I was disappointed with my form this season,” he said

“There is no substitute for hard work and preparation.

“That is not to say I didn’t work hard over the last twelve months but I’ll be looking to work even harder again this pre-season to get fitter and stronger so I can play my role for the team.”

Despite whispers that he would return to his home city of Melbourne at the end of the season, he ended the speculation by signing a new two-year deal, highlighting his determination to be part of Port’s renaissance.

“We won’t be putting any limitations on what we can achieve individually or as a group next season,” he said.

“The whole competition is so competitive and any team can beat anyone on a given day.

“Every side wants to play finals football, and we are no exception, but our expectations for 2013 are about developing and improving our young group so we can build for eventual sustained finals success.”

Similar to the Bulldogs, Port players have been active since their season ended in early September.

“We’ve all been doing our own training away from the club, so we all should be ready to go,” said Trengove.

His teammates will also prepare by combining the UK visit with a stopover in Italy.

“Our pre-season officially starts this week in Milan at a training camp which will also get us set for the game,” he added.

More Power: the other Port players to watch

Port will field a young team, bursting with promise. Matt Broadbent enjoyed a breakout season as a goal kicking midfielder and will join forces with attacking on-baller Brad Ebert and mercurial 19-year old Chad Wingard.

Others who pose a threat are Justin Westhoff and Jay Shultz who were a menace for opposition defenders in 2012, kicking 70 goals between them. They are capable of simply ripping the Bulldogs apart if they get their tails up.

“We’ll be looking to try a few things and have a look at what some of our younger and newer players can do,” Trengove said.

“Certainly we’ll be looking to provide an entertaining spectacle for the fans so hopefully that will include a lot of goals, especially for us.

“It’s very exciting to play in front of a new audience. Some of the British fans may have only seen a few games on TV so we’ll be looking forward to showcasing some of the best of our game like high marking, long kicking and hard tackling.”

And when it comes to streakers, Trengove was unsure of how he might react: “Well it will be dependent on whether they are a male or female as to whether I might sneak a peek.”

Also see:

Exclusive interview with Luke Dahlhaus from the Western Bulldogs ahead of their AFL match in London

Exclusive interview with Jackson Trengove from Port Adelaide ahead of their AFL match in London

AFL in London curtain raiser match: Europeans experiencing a flush of AFL footy fever

Learning the lingo: AFL decoded for the London clash

Buy tickets now to the AFL Australian Football European Challenge at Kia Oval in London

(Image: AFL Media)