Warren Tredrea has signaled he has recovered from the knee injury and subsequent surgery which derailed his 2006 season, with a strong performance playing for the SANFL Magpies at Norwood Oval on Thursday night.

Speaking at the Power’s Good Friday training session, where a large crowd turned out to watch the boys in the last training session before the round two clash against the Kangaroos, Tredrea said he pulled up sore but was satisfied with his performance.

“I pulled up sore, but that was to be expected, missing footy for nine months,” Tredrea said. “The good thing is the knee is feeling great.

“I had a lot of friends talking down the fact that I was playing in the SANFL, but I had more nerves than I’ve had in a long time and I felt like a 28 year old ‘kid’ coming back.

“It (the performance) was pretty good. I kicked pretty well. But there’s a lot to improve on. My marking was a little bit off, but field kicking in general was OK. I guess the main thing was to get through four quarters unscathed and come away with a win.”

Tredrea, who kicked seven goals and was involved in three others, said he appreciated both the support and optimism of his Power teammates.

“I think pretty much all the boys were there so I thank them for the support they showed me, as well as all the coaches and a few of the staff as well,” he said.

“I didn’t expect to kick seven goals. Chad Cornes text me before the game and said I was going to kick six. I thought he was kidding himself, but to come away like that is a bit of a positive.”

Tredrea confirmed that despite initially being disappointed with the decision to have him return through the SANFL, it turned out to be a positive move.

“In hindsight it (the return through the SANFL) was probably the best thing and I’m glad we went down that road, and I have to thank Mark for that,” Tredrea said.

“Reality says that when you haven’t played for nine months you’re not going to be as sharp as you should be. Obviously AFL is a big step up from SANFL, but to get a game and get some form to build the confidence and to start feeling good about myself and start feeling back to normal is exactly what we were hoping for.”

Despite the strong performance Tredrea is not convinced he will be leading the team in next Sunday’s Showdown. In saying that he confirmed the excitement around the team was certainly a motivating factor for him.

“I will sit with Mark over the next four or five days and discuss it,” Tredrea said.

“I’m confident that I’ve done enough work to play and I’d love to be out there next week, but the decision will be made by Mark, the coaches and the fitness staff. If I need to go back and get an extra game so I come back in the best possible shape then that will be the best thing I can do for myself and the club.”

“Sitting and watching in Perth last week, makes you want to get back as soon as you can. It’s the most exciting time at our club that we’ve been in for a long long time. We’ve got some established players but also some very very talented young guys that want to make their mark as soon as they can.”

MEANWHILE, the Power thanks the hundreds of supporters that got along to its Good Friday training sessinon at Alberton. It has become a tradition at Port Adelaide, with Thunda Power giving out Easter Eggs, the players signing autographs after training and the Adelaide Supporter Group putting on a BBQ (red meat free) for the supporters.