Tredrea is the Power's greatest

[Ford Fairlane]

It seems all the speculation over his form and future has people forgetting that Warren Tredrea is on the eve of his 200th game. So let's pay a tribute to Warren G Tredrea, the Warrenator, the man Choco calls the greatest Power player ever. Recollections, pics, thanks, add what you want.

Our greatest player, says Williams
Article from: The Advertiser
ANDREW CAPEL

June 15, 2007 02:15am

WARREN Tredrea is the greatest Power player of them all.

The statistics say it and so does the club's only premiership coach, Mark Williams.

Tredrea holds just about every Power record, including most games, most goals, most best and fairest awards and most All-Australian honours. He also is its only premiership captain, having filled in for Matthew Primus when Port won its historic flag in 2004.

The only major individual honour missing from his CV is a Brownlow Medal. He was hot favourite in 2004 but finished a distant 10th behind West Coast's Chris Judd.

"Tredders will go down in history, certainly in his first 200 games anyway, as the best player that's ever played for the club," Williams declared. "And to be the first Port Adelaide player to play 200 (AFL) games is very, very special." Williams, the first South Australian to play 200 VFL-AFL games (at Collingwood and Brisbane), described Tredrea as "one of the outstanding players of the AFL over his time".

He claimed a remarkable 80 per cent of Tredrea's matches had been "first-class" and would have "dragged us over the line and caused us to win".

"He can make something out of nothing to turn a game," Williams said.

"Not too many power forwards can run like he can, have the ability to mark - he's a wonderful contested mark - and pick the ball up off the ground like he can.

"He is a big guy who can really run and the way he's been able to play as a small (because he is so good below his knees) and a tall really makes him stand out."

Williams said Tredrea had changed the way key forwards play because of his outstanding running ability. "To be groundbreaking in areas is something pretty special," he said.

The Power coach said Tredrea's burning desire to be the best had helped him overcome four knee dislocations which might have ended the careers of others.

"Any one of them could have knocked him back and cost him his career but his wonderful determination and willingness to work hard under pressure to get back to his top-class standard has been one of the attributes that we all admire," Williams said.

This was never more evident than when Tredrea dragged himself from his sickbed hours before the knockout first semi-final against Essendon in 2003. He not only played with a severe case of the flu but was among the best afield with 19 disposals and three goals in the Power's 39-point win.

"To drag himself out of bed and produce a performance like that will go down in club history," Williams said at the time.

At a hulking 194cm and 97kg, Tredrea has come a long way from the skinny wingman his dad Gary feared would not even make it at SANFL level.

"He was a 6ft 1in (186cm) wingman, a lanky, loping sort of player and I thought 'gee, to play SANFL he's probably not quite quick enough', Gary Tredrea, who played 19 games for Collingwood before joining the Magpies and later West Adelaide, said.

But in the 12 months following his All-Australian selection as a wingman after the Australian under-18 championships, Tredrea grew 8cm. The rest is history.

 

[Sandola]

Leaping into the crowd was also very good, but I can't find that one.

What a day! What a champion!

 

[Groove]

Congrats wazza, its been great watching you over the years.

 

[ClintEastwood]

Absolute bloody champion.

Thanks for the memories Tredders - let's hope there are many more to come.

 

[Spadge]

im sure im not the only one that will say how much they admire tredders

i can safely say he has been my favourite Power player since he played game number 1
i used to follow him when he first started out for the port maggies and even then it was evident to me that he would be a superstar.

200 games is a great milestone and i hope he can push on and get that up to 250 or more!

 

[finbarr]

Happy 200th big unit.

 

[PAFC66]

Happy 200th big unit.

LMFAO

 

[5um0F1]

well we will be up tomorrow so see a milestone, go Treddas and may more yet to come, I want to see the 300th

 

[BWST]

Wazza is my favourite......i have two or three others alongside him. Wangas.

But its not a Wangas thread.

Wazza and Wangas.......Powers Greatest.

Go hard in your 200th Wazz. Its ours.

 

[Lightning_Rod]

 

[morethanagame]

Thanks Tredders.... and effing awesome 200th!!

I've always had a soft spot for him ever since 1997 -- I was a kid at one of the autograph sessions or family days at Alberton and there were huge crowds scrambling around players like Wanganeen. And at the back was this scrawny kid whose autograph no-one wanted...

Anyway, I asked my Dad who he was and all he said was "Trust me, don't just get his autograph -- get a photo with him too, he's going to be a champion."

 

[tribey]

 

[PJ Power]

A shot that encaptures our three superstars

 

[ClintEastwood]

"Robbie looks good enough to eat!"...................."No way....I once ate a rookie THIS BIG!!"
"I bet I can woof him down before you!!"
.
.
.

 

[snap-shot]

Happy 200th big unit.

Is this picture still going around?


Anyone that has seen/viewed/posted this picture owes me $5


Finbarr - I'll be collecting soon.

 

[ClintEastwood]

Is this picture still going around?

Are you still going around? Wow - hi there

 

[Portmanteau]

I've always had a soft spot for him ever since 1997 -- I was a kid at one of the autograph sessions or family days at Alberton and there were huge crowds scrambling around players like Wanganeen. And at the back was this scrawny kid whose autograph no-one wanted...

Anyway, I asked my Dad who he was and all he said was "Trust me, don't just get his autograph -- get a photo with him too, he's going to be a champion."

Liken dis one?

Our hero on the right...

 

[tribey]

Liken dis one?

Our hero on the right...

You just know Warren still tells the story of how he rubbed shoulders with teh greatness that is Maxwell Tix.