Caleb Tregenza was born a decade after his father, Simon, hung up his AFL boots with Adelaide.
But that hasn’t stopped the 15-year-old from reliving some of his Dad’s highlights.
“I never saw Dad play properly, only in a few Slow Downs,” Caleb said.
“But there’s YouTube clips of him playing, so I watch a bit of his footy through that.
“He’s always watching every training and game of mine and always gives me plenty of advice.”
Simon was the youngest Crow on the field when Adelaide played its first AFL game in March, 1991.
He went on to play 106 AFL games for the Club, before injuries forced him to retire at the end of the 1999 season.
Now, Caleb is hoping to follow in his footsteps as he takes part in the Crows’ Next Generation Academy and father-son squad.
The half-back is one of 17 youngsters who are part of the group, which includes players from Indigenous and multicultural backgrounds, as well as father-son prospects.
The rising stars were at Crows headquarters on Wednesday for a skills session with Crows forwards Izak Rankine, Josh Rachele and Shane McAdam.
They also completed a nutrition session with Club dietician and 2017 AFLW Premiership player Georgia Bevan.
Speaking to AFC Media, Caleb said the NGA and father-son program was helping fast track players’ development.
“It’s always been a dream of mine to continue that legacy,” Caleb said.
“There’s never been pressure from Dad, he just wants me to do the best I can.
“We’ve been learning lots about the off-field stuff and meeting the players and learning a bit more about the Club, which is really good and it’s great to be around the Club.”
The Crows Academies was formed in 2017 and, since the inception, there have been 52 players from the program drafted onto an AFL list.
Adelaide has drafted two NGA graduates - James Borlase and Tariek Newchurch - while three father-sons have also been picked (Ben Jarman, Jackson Edwards and Max Michalanney).
SANFL and Academies Manager Jarrod Meers said the in-club experience allowed potential draftees to experience the ins and outs of an elite club environment, work with Crows players, coaches and staff to help prepare them for a possible future as an AFL player.
“Each time the Crows Academies boys come into the club we try to provide a different development angle for them,” Meers said.
“To have our AFL forwards spend some time with the boys was not only engaging but also provided them with an insight into how Izak, Shane and Josh go about their craft.
“On the back of how well 2022 Crows Academies graduate Max Michalanney has equipped himself at AFL level, we also have got some real exciting NGA and Father Son players developing at club level in the SANFL Talent Pathway.
“We look forward to seeing how these boys progress ahead of their respective draft years.”
