Port Adelaide champion Warren Tredrea has announced his retirement.
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The four-time Power Best and Fairest winner and four-time All-Australian will not return to the playing field after injuring his ankle against Essendon in Round 7.
The Port Adelaide legend will be farewelled with a lap of honour at this Saturday’s match against Hawthorn at AAMI Stadium.
The club will also hold a testimonial dinner for Tredrea in late October.
Tredrea, 31, played 255 games and kicked 549 goals for Port Adelaide in the AFL, after debuting as an 18-year old in the club’s second ever AFL match, in 1997.
He came to the club direct from the Port Adelaide SANFL side as part of the club’s initial AFL list.
Tredrea says that it’s an absolute privilege and honour to have played his entire career at Port Adelaide and he is proud to be a one-club player.
“I grew up very much a Port Adelaide person with my father Gary playing in the SANFL with the Magpies,” Tredrea said.
“All I ever dreamt about as a kid was to play one game for Port Adelaide. To now have my name on the locker and to have captained this club is truly a great honour.”
Tredrea says he was fortunate to be involved in an exciting transition period for the Port Adelaide Football Club involving many highlights.
“I was lucky enough to play in our final SANFL premiership in 1996 and our first AFL premiership in 2004, so I had the best of both worlds,” said Tredrea.
“The biggest highlight early was to play alongside some of my boy-hood idols in the SANFL such as Hodges, Smith, Fiacchi and Delaney to name a few. And then of course to hold up the premiership cup on the national stage in 2004 is a moment I will cherish forever.”
Port Adelaide senior coach Matthew Primus says that Tredrea has been the club’s greatest player in the AFL by a long way.
“During our successful era from 2001 to 2005, I’ve lost count as to how many games Tredders would have won us off his own boot playing in the toughest position on the ground,” Primus said.
“He’s been such an outstanding role model both on and off the field for our younger players. What he’s been able to achieve with his body over the years is quite amazing.
“Tredders prepares himself like no other player I’ve seen and his leadership around the club has been outstanding.
“The Port Adelaide Football Club has been around for over 140 years and I’ve no doubt he’ll go down as one of the greatest players this club has ever produced.”
