JUST 12 months ago Port Adelaide forward Warren Tredrea was preparing for what he thought would be his last season.

Tredrea, who has been ravaged by injury since dislocating his knee in 1998, relinquished the captaincy to focus on his own performance and getting his body right for one last hurrah.

But at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Saturday night Tredrea, having bid farewell to long-serving teammates Brendon Lade and Peter Burgoyne, took the stage as the last man standing from the club’s inaugural squad of 1997.

And he wasn’t there as a relic of the past but as Port Adelaide’s best and fairest winner for 2009.

“I thought I was washed up two years ago, so to win this is a huge honour,” Tredrea said on Saturday night.

“You sit there on three-year contracts early in your career and think life’s good, but this year I thought if it works that’s great and if it doesn’t I’ll retire. I saw three of my teammates [Lade, Burgoyne and Toby Thurstans] who have been sensational blokes, unbelievable footballers and people you call your mates go.

“Realistically I was thinking that was going to be me. There was an element of surprise [in my performance] but deep down I knew I could do it if my body would let me.”

Tredrea, 30, defied age and expectation this season to kick 51 goals and top the club’s goalkicking for the eighth time.

His best and fairest win on Saturday night was the fourth of his career, but his first since 2005.

Coach Mark Williams was the first to admit he thought Tredrea’s best was well and truly behind him.

“Last year we were unsure about Warren’s future and whether he could maintain the standard he’d displayed during his time at the club, but to his credit he just keeps defying logic,” Williams said.

“He keeps coming back and proving everyone wrong. He kicked 51 goals having come off a season where we thought it was going to be tough for him to even get a game and to win the best and fairest just speaks volumes of this bloke.

“He’s certainly been the best player Port Adelaide has produced in the AFL.”

Tredrea, who is on track to become the first Power player to reach 250 AFL games, will start 2010 as the second oldest player on the club’s list behind ruckman Dean Brogan.

He was realistic about the likelihood of him playing on beyond next season and said his main focus was to aid in the development of the club’s developing forward line.

“I’m not going to be around much longer. I reckon I’ve got 12 months in me, but who knows? I might surprise myself again and last longer or I might not last the season,” he said.

“My one particular job is to get Justin Westhoff up and being the key post. I know when Scott Cummings left I had an opportunity to make my career.

“I think Justin’s our man and I want to work with him to get something out of him this year.”