Trent Cooper Inducted into Hall of Champions
04 Sep, 2022
Trent Cooper’s amateur football career started in 2000 with Curtin Uni Wesley where he went on to become one of the club’s most decorated members over 15 seasons and 203 games.
In his debut season, Trent won the club’s Best & Fairest award and went on to coach the club’s League side for the following five seasons.
Trent was able to steer the club into finals every year at the helm of the League side, making an appearance in two Grand Finals and finishing minor premiers once. He played a pivotal role in the club moving back into A Grade in 2006.
As a player/coach during this period, Trent won the WAAFL B Grade Fairest and Best three times in 2002, 2003 and 2005 as well as being awarded as the B Grade Leading Goal Kicker in 2005.
Trent’s dominance in the competition earned him state honours where he represented WA in 2002 and 2003. He was selected in the All-Australian side and won the Tetley Medal as WA’s Best Player in 2003.
After stepping down from the League Coach role in 2006, he was still committed to coaching and took on the vacant A Colts position while also continuing to play in the club’s League side.
He became a member of Curtin Uni Wesley’s Team of the Decade (1996-2005) and took out the club’s Player of the Decade award in 2006.
Trent then went on to win the WAAFL E Reserves Fairest & Best in 2009 along with being crowned Curtin Uni Wesley’s Fairest & Best before retiring the following year after winning the E Reserves Premiership in 2010.
2009 also saw his first official role on the committee as he was approached to be Football Manager – a role that he committed himself to fully over the next four years.
In 2011, Trent took a more serious venture back into coaching with the A Colts. He managed to make the Grand Final in his first season back at the helm and then was able to go one better the next year, coaching his side to the premiership in 2012.
Trent became a Life Member of the club in 2012 and then made the move to the WAFL to coach at Swan Districts before returning to Curtin Uni Wesley in 2017 to coach the League side for two seasons.
Trent is currently the Head Coach of the Fremantle Dockers AFLW side and has been in the role since 2019.
Achievements
- 15 Seasons – 11 Finals – 5 Grand Finals – 2 Premierships
- 12 Seasons coaching (including 7 seasons as player/coach)
- 203 Games
- 2x Club Fairest & Best 2000, 2009
- 4x Club Most Meritorious Award 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004
- Tiger’s Team of the Decade (1996-2005) – Coach/Ruck Rover
- Club Player of the Decade (1996-2005)
- 1x Best Clubman 2006
- Club Life Member (2012)
- 3x WAAFL Fairest & Bests (B Grade) 2002, 2003, 2005
- Leading Goal Kicker (B Grade) 2005
- 2x WA State Team Representations 2002, 2003
- All Australian / Tetley Medallist (2003)
- AAFC – All Stars Representative (2002-2004)
- E Reserve Fairest & Best 2009
