I have to admit I was gutted by the news Jack Trengove had been delisted by the Demons last week.

Jack Trengove a true hard luck story

I understand that in AFL, and all sports for that matter, there are countless “hard luck” stories.

But Jack Trengove’s journey has been a particularly difficult one. He may well go down as one of the unluckiest AFL players of the last decade.

Jack Trengove had the world at his feet when he was taken at pick 2 in the 2009 AFL Draft. The Dees also had pick 1 which they used on Tom Scully. The Tigers took a bloke by the name of Dustin Martin with pick 3.

But this is not a Jack Trengove bashing article. Nor is it about pick 3. In hindsight anyone can look back at drafts and scrutinise picks.

The way Trengove handled himself throughout tough times at Melbourne has been nothing short of phenomenal.

You cannot say the same about the way he has been handled by the Demons however.

Sink or swim

The Demons made a big error when they announced Trengove as co-Captain with Jack Grimes in the lead-up to his third season of senior footy in 2012.

Trengove captained his first game for the Demons at just 20 years of age. Becoming the youngest VFL/AFL captain of all time.

It was a big stuff up. With a lack of senior players around him for guidance (the Demons had shipped off the likes of James McDonald two years prior) Jack Trengove understandably appeared to struggle with the burden of being Captain. His form dropped off and the Demons finished the season in 16th position ahead of development clubs GWS and the Gold Coast Suns.

The following year would prove to be even worse. Trengove was hampered by injuries in the pre-season and again struggled to recapture his best form as the Demons managed a horrendous two wins for the year.

Injury and years on the sidelines

Jack Trengove’s biggest challenge would come early in the 2014 season. After being dropped to the VFL, he suffered an injury to the navicular bone which would see him miss the next two years of football.

It was a brutal blow for a young player with so much potential.

Yet Trengove never moaned or felt sorry for himself. He was always upbeat and despite the many obstacles he faced never gave up on a return to AFL.

You're more than welcome to start healing now! Here is to a healthy left hoof and getting back stronger than ever #roadtorecovery #onthemend ? A post shared by jack trengove (@jtren9) on Oct 29, 2014 at 1:59pm PDT

After over two years on the sidelines Trengove returned to footy in mid 2016. It was a truly incredible achievement for him to be able to get back on the park.

Last week’s announcement of Trengove’s delisting appears to be a sad end to a career that promised so much.

Will Jack be back?

The question now is, are there any other clubs out there that would take Jack Trengove?

He is only 26 years of age and has plenty of footy smarts and has been through a hell of a lot.

You just have to look at Geelong’s Daniel Menzel to see that it is possible for players to have an impact after a horrendous run with injuries.

Trengove’s manager Adam Ramanauskas is not ruling out a return.

Ramanauskas told The Advertiser that Trengove “definitely wants to play football.’’

“He’s only just been given the tap on the shoulder so he needs a little bit more time to suss things out a bit,’’ Ramanauskas said.

So where could Trengove go? Obviously club’s focus on team balance so much these days. Any team that is short on midfield depth could potentially do with a Jack Trengove.

Then there is the South Australia connection. Could a return to his home state breathe some new life into Trengove’s AFL career?

Should no playing opportunities present themselves, I think he would make for a fantastic Assistant Coach at another club. I would love to see him stay involved with footy.

All the best to Jack Trengove. I’m sure one way or another he has plenty of footy left in him.

by Mike Lynch – contributor