THE YOUNGEST skipper in VFL/AFL history, Jack Trengove has acknowledged that assuming the captaincy had been a “massive challenge” in just his third listed season, but he says the benefits have been integral to his game.

Trengove was appointed at the start of the year alongside Jack Grimes as Melbourne co-captains. In the process, Trengove secured his place in the game’s records,jkshdfjkhsjfhjshfjk being handed the captaincy at just the tender age of 20.

But he said that what he learned in 2012 will only help him over what should be a decade-plus career in the AFL.

“The thing that’s changed me the most is just double checking everything that you’re doing personally, because now that you’ve got the captaincy next to your name, everyone is looking up to you,” he told melbournefc.com.au.

“The actions that you portray are what the young guys and other team members are going to follow and do also. So you’re always making sure that you’re doing the right thing personally, and setting the right example for everyone else. 

“It probably has made me grow up and mature a lot quicker and earlier than most 20 year olds, but that’s just a part of it all, and I’ve really enjoyed it.”

Trengove played every match this year – he has totalled 59 from a possible 66 games since his debut in round one, 2010 – but he said leading from the front was tough at the start of the year. 

“Early on in the season, I probably did feel that weight a little bit. It’s hard to tell, because I probably would put that weight on my shoulders, even if I wasn’t made captain at the start of the year,” he said.

“You do put a lot of expectation on your own performance, and going into the season there was a lot there. When I wasn’t living up to that expectation, I was probably getting a bit down on myself, but as the year progressed, I learned to deal with it more and more, and that’s probably through more experience with it all. 

“Towards the back end of the season, I thought I was dealing with it pretty well, but I did put a lot of expectation on myself early on, which I think is a good thing, because it makes you aim high.”

Trengove said he will continue to evolve his captaincy and style of play over the coming years – something he is already relishing.

“If you stop learning, then you’re at a point where you’ve got to stop thinking about playing footy, because no matter how old you are, even if you’re the oldest, most experienced guy at the club, you’re still going to be learning throughout ,” he said.

“There are so many guys around this club who you can learn from – we’ve got a lot of great coaches, assistant coaches and people around the place who have had some great life experiences.

“I’m continually trying to get things out of them to progress my tools in a way to help the team and myself individually in a positive way. I’ll always be learning, for however long my career is.”

Trengove said there had been “certain moments in games” where his leadership had stood up in 2012.

“[If] there’s a ball there to be won, the leader really needs to stand up and win that ball. There’s been a few moments that, as the leadership group, we’ve identified that we were able to do that, and vice versa – there were also a few moments where we couldn’t do that,” he said.

“It’s about identifying those moments and doing everything possible to help the team out and get the momentum going back our way.

“But, off the field as well, there have been a lot of opportunities for us as leaders to grow, and midway through the year, after that big Sydney loss, we had a sit down, and then sort of assessed where we were at. We sat down with a few individuals within the team, and had those tough conversations that need to be had sometimes, and that was probably a turning point for myself as a leader as well.”