A 58-year Port Adelaide fixture calls time on his craft

When Alfie Trebilcock first walked through the doors

When Alfie Trebilcock first walked through the doors at Port Adelaide, Russel Ebert was just beginning his own storied journey with the club. That was 1966, and Trebilcock had no idea the association would stretch across nearly six decades, eleven premierships, and countless pairs of football boots.

Trebilcock, the club’s longtime boot-studder, will oversee his last home game this weekend as the Power take the field. His meticulous work—reshaping and preparing footwear for generations of players—has been a quiet constant amid the noise and change of modern AFL.

Over the years, he has watched players come and go, but his role remained steady. From the leather boots of the SANFL era to today’s high-tech moulds, Trebilcock adapted without fuss, earning the respect of everyone from reserves hopefuls to club captains.

His contribution was never about headlines. It was

His contribution was never about headlines. It was about the small details—the right stud pattern for wet conditions, the perfect fit for a debutant’s nerves, the repair job that saved a favourite pair. Players often credited their footing to his eye, though Trebilcock would simply shrug and get on with the next task.

At 82, he has decided it’s time to step away, though not without a sense of gratitude. “I’ve been lucky to do something I love for so long,” he said this week, reflecting on a career that began before the club’s move to the national competition.

Saturday’s fixture at Adelaide Oval will mark the end of an era, with the club planning a tribute for the man who has outlasted countless coaches, administrators, and even the boots themselves. For Trebilcock, it’s simply about being there one last time—watching the players he helped, one stud at a time, run out onto the ground he calls home.