Port Adelaide great Travis Boak retires despite chance to make AFL history: ‘The right time'
The 384-game veteran announced his retirement on Tuesday and will finish his career alongside coach Ken Hinkley.
Boak had overcome injury in May to enter a rich vein of form and make a case for extending his career.
Another season would have given the 37-year-old the chance to become the seventh player to reach 400 AFL/VFL games, but the temptation was easily resisted.
'After 19 years at AFL level, it feels like now is the right time to finish my career,' Boak said in a club statement.
'I'm incredibly grateful to have had the career I've had, and at a club I truly love.
'Being a one-club player is really special to me, and it's certainly not lost on me how lucky I have been.'
Drafted with pick No.5 in 2006, Boak ends his AFL career as the club's all-time games record-holder, with all 384 matches played for Port Adelaide.
He is the club's longest-serving captain (2013-18), a three-time All-Australian, a three-time Showdown Medal winner and a two-time club best-and-fairest winner.
The veteran midfielder also represented Australia in the 2014 and 2017 International Rules Series against Ireland.
Lauded as one of the greatest Port Adelaide players, Boak famously turned his back on rival offers in 2012 to remain committed to the club amid turmoil.
Then, Port were propped up by AFL funds, had just won five games for the year, and sacked coach Matthew Primus after just three victories in 2011.
Perennial powerhouse Geelong were keen to snare Boak, a Geelong Falcons under-18 product, but he stayed at the Power.
'The highs and lows are what makes footy exciting, and those moments are what connect a group in a significant and authentic way,' Boak said.
'Port Adelaide fans are loud, passionate and supportive. They demand success.
'And while I haven't been able to help deliver them an elusive second AFL premiership, I can't wait to sit back and watch on as this club does that for them.
'I'll forever be a Port Adelaide person, and I'll forever be grateful for this part of my life.'
Hinkley, who will hand over to assistant coach Josh Carr at the end of the season, lauded Boak for his loyalty during the club's 'darkest days'.
'Coaching Travis has been one of the great privileges of my career,' Hinkley said.
'Travis has been the heartbeat of this football club for 19 seasons.
'When I think about Trav, I don't just see a great player, I see a person and leader who embodies everything Port Adelaide stands for - someone who is selfless, caring, courageous and never satisfied.
'He chose to make his stand with Port Adelaide at the end of 2012 when it mattered most, and we'll all be forever grateful for his commitment to our club.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
a minute ago
- News.com.au
AFL champion Jason Dunstall says Nathan Buckley is ‘missing coaching'
A return to coaching for Collingwood great Nathan Buckley is growing momentum after a strong endorsement from another AFL champion. Buckley on Wednesday morning declared he would take a phone call from Melbourne in the wake of it sacking premiership coach Simon Goodwin on Monday night. The former Collingwood coach said he had a desire to coach again and labelled the Demons 'a compelling case'. 'I would take the call, I would have a chat, but a lot would have to fall into place to leave this position of comfort I have found,' Buckley told SEN on Wednesday. 'It's there (the desire to coach) – otherwise it would be an easy no. I can't lie – when (Tuesday) happened I knew this would all come around again.' Buckley was linked to Tasmania earlier this year and he has been raised for almost every vacant position since his exit from the Magpies in 2021. On Thursday, AFL champion Jason Dunstall said Buckley was 'missing coaching' and expected his return was only a matter of time. 'Bucks would take a call from anyone, I would think,' Dunstall said after being inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame. 'I have a feeling he's missing coaching, he loves it and he's so intense about it. 'I suspect he'll be spoken to by a number of clubs. Next year? I don't know, but he will be in the coaches' box again, I am pretty comfortable of that.' Buckley coached the Magpies between 2012 and 2021 after his 280-game playing career.
Perth Now
44 minutes ago
- Perth Now
Bernard Tomic calls it quits after falling over on match point
Crestfallen Australian tennis player Bernard Tomic has added another blooper to his reel of lowlights, falling over on match point in an ATP Challenger Tour clash. And that was no metaphor — he actually fell over. WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Bernard Tomic falls over on match point. The former world No.17 had match point and a look at American world No.424 Stefan Dostanic's second serve when he lost his footing and tumbled onto the court as his racquet went flying. Tomic took some time to get up and recompose himself while a nearby supporter could be heard asking if he was OK. Dostanic went on to win the game, take the set to a tiebreaker, which he won, and then claim the match when Tomic retired hurt after losing the first two games of the third set. Tomic, who will be 33 in October, has fallen to 211 in the world. Bernard Tomic fell over on match point. Credit: ATP Challenger It's a far cry from his former Davis Cup teammate Jordan Thompson, who is enjoying the form of his life in the twilight of his career. Thompson, whose battling heroics proved the highlight of the Australian challenge at Wimbledon, is to return to action at the Cincinnati Open after a much-needed injury break. Thompson worked wonders with his beaten-up body to reach the last-16 at the grass-court grand slam, having negotiated two five-set classics and a four-setter even while suffering from a debilitating back injury. His extraordinary run ended with him, almost inevitably, breaking down and being forced to retire against Taylor Fritz. He's since grabbed a crucial month's rest and recuperation following a season in which he's been so plagued by a catalogue of injuries that he had even talked at Wimbledon of possibly quitting for the season. But the indefatigable 'Thommo' will be back in action in the Masters 1000 event at Cincinnati which begins on Friday, after his name featured among eight Australians in the main draws for the traditional star-studded warm-up event before the US Open. He will join Alex de Minaur and Alexei Popyrin, fresh from their encouraging runs to to the quarter-final at the Canadian Open, as well as Chris O'Connell and Adam Walton in the men's draw, while Daria Kasatkina, Maya Joint and Ajla Tomljanovic will feature in the women's. Jordan Thompson has had a month's break following his injury-defying heroics at Wimbledon. Credit: AAP Thompson, whose ranking has dropped to No.44 in the world, will open up in Cincinnati against a qualifier and will be keen to avoid an early exit that could consign him to a place outside the top 50 for the first time since the start of his breakthrough 2024 season. De Minaur, who has a first-round bye, will meet the winner of the Hugo Dellien-Reilly Opelka first-round contest in the last-64 while Popyrin will face a qualifier in his second-round opener. No Australian man has won in Cincinnati since Pat Rafter 27 years ago, and it will be once again the tallest of orders with the game's two biggest names back in the fray. World No.1 Jannik Sinner and No.2 Carlos Alcaraz are seeded to meet each other in what could be another classic final after they shared triumphs at Wimbledon and Roland Garros respectively. Both men gave Toronto a miss, with top seed Sinner ready to defend his Cincinnati crown after beating Frances Tiafoe in the final last summer. - With AAP
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
Hawks ‘all in' on landing superstar duo Harley Reid and Zak Butters
Hawthorn is 'all in' on West Coast's Harley Reid and Port Adelaide's Zak Butters this year, according to Nine's Tom Morris, as the club looks to make a big splash. Reid isn't out of contract until next year, but Morris has previously reported the former No. 1 pick will either sign an Eagles extension or seek a trade to a Victorian club — not go into 2026 on an expiring deal. FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every match of every round in the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. Reid's management has reportedly made a counter offer to West Coast in the vicinity of $24 million over 10 years — a two-year deal until 2027 then a nine-year extension — with the Hawks, Bombers and Cats among the rival clubs most consistently linked to the 20-year old. Meanwhile, Butters isn't a free agent until next year and is expected to see out his contract with the Power, before the Victorian makes a call on his future. However Morris revealed that hasn't deterred Hawthorn from making a push for the superstar midfielder, with the Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera call looming in the background as a potential way in for a Butters trade. 'Hawthorn is all in on both (Reid and Butters),' Morris said on Footy Classified. 'The answer back on Zak Butters so far is no. It's not stopping the Hawks having a crack. They're going to keep having a go. 'In the understanding that, if Wanganeen-Milera gets to Port, maybe there might be half a chance for Butters to go. 'That's one to keep an eye on this trade period.' Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell spoke out about rumours surrounding the club's interest in Reid last month. 'I saw the word obsessed and I went in the next day and I said to a couple of list guys, 'Are we obsessed with Harley Reid?' and then I saw some of the numbers that were getting thrown up and I said 'What is happening here?' And they're like 'just don't even read the papers',' Mitchell said on SEN's Fireball. 'He's obviously a good player but he's contracted to West Coast and he's having a pretty good year. A bit like 'Daysy' getting sat on in his first game back, it's a bit like, 'oh', I mean this 20-year-old is getting sat on most weeks now. He's a good player.' With the largest deal ever seen in AFL history reportedly on the table, Mitchell said the financial side of it would be difficult for the club. 'With our midfield as an example, being pretty workman-like and making sure that we're consistent across the board. If you're putting $2 million into one player, that makes it a little bit more difficult of course,' he said.
