Not many footballers’ idols are 83-year-old men. But then, not many footballers’ grandfathers are among the greatest goalkickers Australian rules football has ever known.
Luke Trainor is a key defender and now a Tiger, two things that in his family are almost heretical.
Richmond draftee Luke Trainor with his dog Boots, the grandson of Geelong and North Melbourne legend Doug Wade.Credit: JOE ARMAO
Luke’s grandfather is Doug Wade. One of the greatest full-forwards the game has seen, from an era when Richmond were a team, like Collingwood, loathed by those who didn’t love them.
Only four players – Tony Lockett, Jason Dunstall, Gary Ablett snr and Lance Franklin – have kicked more goals than the 1057 Wade did playing for Geelong and North Melbourne.
His name loomed over the game for generations as a prolific full-forward and mustachioed presence on fledgling football TV shows.
Richmond draftee Luke Trainor, with his grandfather, Geelong and North Melbourne legend Doug Wade.
There was a sweet synergy to the fact that when Luke’s name was called out, Doug was there, laughing and yukking it up on shaky camera footage on Zoom, reminiscent of the early World Of Sport days.
It made it hard to avoid the fact that, as much as this was Luke’s day, joining the Tigers as a schoolboy footballer from Brighton Grammar, it was greater than that. It was a day of football history.
Richmond drafted not only a talented player at pick 21 in the national draft; they recruited a story. They drafted romanticism as well as a player.
Not only is Luke Trainor’s grandfather one of the game’s greatest goalkickers, his aunt, Gabby, is on the AFL Commission, and his dad Anthony worked at length at Collingwood and North Melbourne. His uncle worked at North for decades, and his grandfather and great-grandfather were both presidents of North Melbourne.
Of course Luke grew up a North boy, which, growing up bayside and attending Brighton Grammar, made him more than a little conspicuous.
Richmond draftees (L-R) Luke Trainor, Harry Armstrong, Josh Smillie, Sam Lalor, Jonty Faull and Taj Hotton pose for a photograph during the 2024 AFL Draft at Marvel Stadium on November 21Credit: Getty Images
The game that tries hard to embrace romance in football applies thresholds for family connections with draft picks, but Trainor going somewhere other than North was as jarring as Ed Richards – of the Lou and Ron Richards-Charline Pannam dynasty – not playing at Collingwood.
But they are concerns for others. Having been strongly pursued by Sydney, in a breath and the stroke of a keyboard, Luke became a Tiger.
“I was a North fan all my life but I am a big Tiger man now, I’m rapt to be at Richmond,” Luke said.
“I am so happy to be at the Tigers and can’t wait for Monday.
“He [Doug] has always been my idol growing up. I don’t get to see him as much with him living in Geelong, but he has always given me great advice and support and looked after me.”
Carrying the family history, Luke said, was a joy – not a burden.
“He would say a few things when I was younger and in the last few years when it got more serious he would give me more advice. Normally it was to remember the game is fun and to enjoy it and never forget the reason you play the game is because it is fun. And I absolutely love the game.”
It wasn’t always that way. Luke cried at his first Auskick game and demanded to be taken home. It was an outlier moment – after that, he didn’t have a ball out of his hands.
Carrying the family’s heritage ensured recruiters would look at Trainor but his strong intercept marking, and as his dad Anthony admits, his white-line-fever competitiveness, made certain they took more than a passing interest in him.
He only latterly moved to defence having played all his junior football as a midfielder and forward. It was at Vic Metro that he was moved back – and he played his best football. That created a chicken and egg conundrum of whether he was ready to play football of that quality or whether the move brought it out in him. Doug, the forward, would say he was ready.
“When Luke kicked the winning goal (from the goal square after receiving a 50-metre penalty to help Vic Metro win the national championship) Doug said ‘you should have said you don’t want the 50 and gone back and kicked a 50 torp for the goal’,” Anthony laughed.
“Doug says he gets the football from his side of the family, but I think it is from our side.”
Wade is yet to persuade Luke, whose kicking is elite among draftees, to opt for the torpedo, but he is considering it.
“I think I might have to learn the barrel if I am 60 out to get a bit of a taste forward.”
Wade would be pleased – though he is already thrilled.
