PORT Adelaide vice-captain Shaun Burgoyne says Warren Tredrea was the obvious choice to lead the Power in 2008.

The club put off making a decision on the captaincy until Tredrea had completed the pre-season, but when the 29-year-old capped off an impressive summer with a three-goal bag against Fremantle, the players did not hesitate in re-appointing him for a third-straight year.

“Tredders is our clear leader,” Burgoyne said on Wednesday.

“The main thing was that he got his body right and was fit and ready for round one, which he is.

“The way he leads on and off the field is great and he performs pretty well every week, so in everyone’’ eyes he is the clear leader.”

This time last year Tredrea was preparing to make his comeback from major knee surgery with SANFL club the Port Adelaide Magpies.

Now one year on, the Power’s games record holder has regained full fitness and has wowed fans and teammates over the pre-season with the return of his leap and speed.

“If we get the Tredders of old back with his good body going around it will be sensational,” Burgoyne said.

“But we just want him out there playing each week and doing his role for the team. We need everyone playing their role whether it be the captain, vice-captain or 22nd player on the bench.”

Coach Mark Williams, who ratified the playing group’s decision to re-appoint Tredrea, said he expected the 29-year-old to be a “lot better” than last year.

“Warren and I had discussed openly the issue of whether he’d be captain or not and it was all based on the facts of would be he fit? And would he be able to present himself for every game?” he said.

“Right now we think he can. He’s showed so much better form, running ability and agility this year than he did for most of last year.

"He'll be moving back towards what we know of his best play. As you get older, as a player, do you get worse or better? You see other players around the league like Robert Harvey, who is still running around and doing OK and Tredders is years off of that age.

I think as long as he can keep himself away from injury, he’ll do really well."

Tredrea, who is just seven games-shy of breaking Matthew Primus' record as the longest-serving captain at Port Adelaide, said things were "significantly different" for him than at this stage last year.

"The majority of the team has done the majority of the pre-season so we're prepared and I'm included in that," he said.

"You always have doubts when you come back from injury, but in terms of since I've come back- it's been a slow progression that whole time.

"I’m obviously moving a lot better than I did when I first came back."