Port Adelaide’s 2004 AFL Premiership captain Warren Tredrea has been inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame at a ceremony at Melbourne's Crown Palladium.

The club’s all-time AFL leading goalkicker and third national-level captain became the club’s 11th inductee into the highest roll of honour in the national game, joining such former club players, coaches and administrators as Haydn Bunton Senior, Craig Bradley, Nathan Buckley, Russell Ebert, Geof Motley, Bob Quinn, Gavin Wanganeen, Fos Williams and Allan Robert Charles McLean.

Tredrea rose through the ranks of Port Adelaide’s SANFL junior development programs en route to his League debut in 1996 - a season which included playing in the club's 1996 premiership win over Central District.

He was taken by the club as one of its zone selections upon its elevation to the AFL for the 1997 season and made his debut against Essendon in the Power’s first game at Football Park that same year.

Playing out the rest of the season with the Magpies in the SANFL, Tredrea would draw significant attention a year later in 1998 when he booted eight goals against Carlton at Princes Park – a club AFL record that still stands today.

That starring performance notably ended when he dislocated his kneecap late in the game.

He was part of the Power’s rise to national superiority in the early 2000s and was the club's centre half forward in each of its minor premiership-winning seasons.

With captain Matthew Primus injured at the end of 2004, it was Tredrea who acted as Port Adelaide’s first premiership skipper in the history-making win over the Brisbane Lions.


Now a premiership captain: Warren Tredrea lifts the 2004 cup

He would become captain in his own right in 2006 and maintain that role for three seasons, including in the club’s 2007 grand final appearance, before retiring due to injury early in 2010 after an impressive return to form the preceding year.

With his unique strong kicking style, Tredrea established himself as the master of Port Adelaide's forward line for over a decade and, like fellow hall of famers Craig Bradley, Gavin Wanganeen and Nathan Buckley, was able to realise his prodigious talents as a junior footballer for the club in the SANFL on the elite stage.

The 35-year-old was Port Adelaide’s AFL games record-holder up until last year when fellow 2004 premiership player Kane Cornes took over the mantle.

A four-time John Cahill Medallist as the club’s best and fairest player and a former recipient of the AFL Coaches’ Association’s Champion Player Award, Tredrea also played representative football for both South Australia in the obsolete State of Origin competition, and Australia in the International Rules series against Ireland during his career.

Tredrea told portadelaidefc.com.au he was honoured to be recognised in the Australian Football Hall of Fame, but to simply live the dream of playing football for his club on the national stage was his sole aspiration when his career started in the mid-'90s.

"There are no guarantees when you come into the AFL system and for me I just wanted to get my name on a locker, so to finish with a SANFL premiership and an AFL premiership is something special to me," Tredrea said.

"To do it all at the one club carries a bit of significance.

"Russell Ebert obviously played a year at North Melbourne and Gavin Wanganeen started at Port, went to Essendon and then came back – but everyone remembers their achievements as Port Adelaide players.

"With other great names you see even in the club’s own Hall of Fame like Williams, Bradley and Motley, you appreciate the significance of what's happened tonight.

"It’s really humbling and I’m rapt that it’s happened."

With little time to reflect on his achievements while they were happening, Tredrea, now in his fourth year out of the game, is better able to appreciate the significant milestones of his career.

But there were experienced lived during that time which made immediate impressions, no less than being the on-field leader in the club's historic first AFL flag and starring in what he still describes as the most significant game in the club's history - the 2004 preliminary final win that booked Port Adelaide's first grand final appearance at the MCG.


Black and white blooded: Tredrea playing for Port Adelaide in the SANFL in 2007

"While you’re playing and living every kick, mark, training session and pre-season you do get caught up in the competitive bubble of the modern game, but towards the end of it you can sit back and enjoy footy for what it is and I’m glad I was able to have that appreciation for it," Tredrea said.

"Everyone knows the 2004 flag is the big one, but the week before – the prelim – was the most satisfying win.

"We’d spent two years before trying to get to the grand final and been unsuccessful and to go through that was tough.

"The grand final probably takes care of itself a little bit on the day, but to get there you need to win that preliminary final, for me that’s the most satisfying moment."

Today, Tredrea mentors Adelaide-based players and has established himself as one of the leading sports commentators in South Australia in both radio, print and television.

His career looks set to continue down the media path, although he revealed to portadelaidefc.com.au he has occasionally entertained a return to the game in football administration.

"I enjoy the media stuff at the moment, and there’s a really unique opportunity to do the news and get my footy fix through that," Tredrea said.

"When you’re involved in footy for so many years, you still need to get your fix and I’m lucky to have that through writing in the paper and doing radio as well.

"Where does it go to from here? Who knows.

"I’d always dreamed of one day being a footy director or something like that, but it’s something I’ve rarely thought about to be honest, particularly with three young kids."

The Port Adelaide Football Club congratulates Warren Tredrea on his induction into the Australian Football Hall of Fame.

Warren Gary Tredrea record of achievement
Games Played AFL: 255 games
Games Played SANFL: 26 games
AFL Goals: 549 goals
SANFL Goals: 33 goals
AFL Premiership captain and player (2004)
SANFL Premiership player (1996)

AFL pre-season premiership player (2002)

Port Adelaide Football Club SANFL League player (1996-2010)
Port Adelaide Football Club AFL player (1997-2010)

Debut: Round 2, 1997 v Essendon, Football Park
Draft: Zone Selection, 1996 AFL National Draft

Port Adelaide Football Club captain (2006,2007,2008)
Port Adelaide Football Club life member (2005)

South Australian Football Hall of Fame (2012)

4x John Cahill Medallist (2001,2004,2005,2009)

John Cahill Medal - 2nd place (1999,2002,2003)

2x Most Improved Player (1998,1999)
8x Port Adelaide AFL Leading Goalkicker (1998,1999,2001,2002,2003,2004,2005,2009)
4x All-Australian (2001,2002,2003,2004)
International Rules (2001,2002)
State of Origin – South Australia (1998,1999)

Club AFL records
Career goals (549 goals)
Most goals kicked in a game (8 goals, 4 behinds; Round 7, 1998 v Carlton at Princes Park)
Highest score kicked in a game (8.4 (52); Round 7, 1998 v Carlton at Princes Park)
Most goals in a season (81, 2004)

Port Adelaide’s Australian Football Hall of Fame Inductees
1. Haydn Bunton Senior (also Fitzroy, Subiaco) - inducted as player 1996, elevated to Legend 1996
2. Russell Ebert (also North Melbourne) - inducted as player 1996
3. Bob Quinn - inducted as player 1996
4. Foster Williams (also West Adelaide and South Adelaide) - inducted as coach 1996
5. John Cahill (also Collingwood) - inducted as coach 2002
6. Craig Bradley (also Carlton) - inducted as player 2006
7. Allan Robert Charles “Bob” McLean - inducted as administrator 2007
8. Geof Motley - inducted as player 2008
9. Gavin Wanganeen (also Essendon) - inducted as player 2010
10. Nathan Buckley (also Brisbane Bears, Collingwood) - inducted as player 2011
11. Warren Tredrea - inducted as player 2014