Many players in elite sport know when it’s time to give it away. Legendary Australian Test cricket captain Ian Chappell told his brother, Greg, when he decided to retire that “you will know”.
We are not quite at the halfway mark of the AFL season yet, so it’s somewhat premature to be writing players off who are in the twilight of their careers.
But you don’t need to be a Rhodes scholar to recognise that time is ticking for some of them.
Carlton veteran Heath Scotland has already announced his retirement after a fine career of 268 games with the Blues and Collingwood due to a season-ending injury.
Others that could be in their final seasons include Western Bulldogs veterans Daniel Giansiracusa and Robert Murphy. It hasn’t been announced yet, but Gia will certainly pull the pin once 2014 comes to an end. He has had limited game time so far, playing as a sub in most matches and actually fulfils an on-field coaching role – which is where he will certainly end up permanently next year.
Murphy plays like a magician or a ballet dancer. It’s exquisite to watch him at work, but so far this season he doesn’t seem to have been as effective as past years, and maybe Father Time is catching up. He deserves to make that decision considering what a fine servant he has been for the Dogs for 15 seasons.
Matthew Boyd is in the same boat, but all three of them can’t go at once as the Dogs have many young players and very few in the middle bracket of age or experience.
Coach Brendan McCartney didn’t offer star midfielder Daniel Cross another contract at the end of last season, which was a brave call. It was probably the right one, even though Cross has been excellent so far for Melbourne.
The Bulldogs have numerous young midfielders that needed game time, so someone out of contract of that ilk had to make way. It would be even braver if he did that at the end of 2014 to Boyd or Murphy.
Adam Goodes is an all-time great, so the Swan will be allowed to retire when he wants. That could be this season, as he starts to battle with injuries that he managed to avoid for the first 13 years of his stellar career. It will be the end for his dual-premiership teammate Ryan O’Keefe though, who hasn’t played since Round 4.
O’Keefe is an example of how quickly age and weariness can get to you. He was best on ground in the 2012 premiership, then played every game in 2013 to finish top five in the best and fairest.
Matthew Pavlich featured in this column a fortnight ago, and probably has one year left in him, especially if the Dockers don’t win the flag this season. If they do, it would be a fitting end and he deserves to go out on top.
Durable West Coast ruckman Dean Cox also deserves to go out on top. But Cox won’t get to 300 games this season unless the impossibly unlikely occurs – that the Eagles play all finals, draw the grand final and get to a replay. Even finals are very doubtful for West Coast at the moment.
That means Cox will have to go on to get to the 300 game milestone, and having currently played more than 100 in a row, he should be able to continue in 2015.
The two oldest players in the competition are Essendon’s Dustin Fletcher and North Melbourne inspiration Brent Harvey. They are very good chances at this stage of playing next season. Fletcher will turn 40 next season and play his 400th game, unless the Dons play one final and he doesn’t miss another match this year, which his playing history tells us won’t happen.
Harvey is still playing well at the age of 36 but, as outlined with Ryan O’Keefe earlier in the article, you can lose it quickly. Harvey incredibly still has his most important commodity – pace. Having played 371 games he can’t be ruled out of passing Michael Tuck’s longstanding games record of 426.
You would think St Kilda star Lenny Hayes is in the last year of a glittering career, and should make a formal announcement in the last month of the season.
His skipper, Nick Reiwoldt, has been superb so far this season, but his knee is still playing up, so he could be a fifty-fifty proposition to go out on his own terms. The body is also starting to let down Richmond stalwart Chris Newman on a consistent basis.
There are others that may also be at the end, and they may make their own decision or be told as the season comes to a close. It’s sad and tough, but it happens to everyone and as they will all be recognised and remembered fondly.
Gecko
Guest
Hawthorn were humble enough to take Stewie Dew and Brian Lake at the end of their careers. Worked out OK.
Axle an the guru
Guest
I dont think Freo want OKeefe by the sounds of it, they seem to think they are good enough?
DAN lONERGAN
Guest
Hi tom, Yes bad omission from me about Browny. It goes without saying though. Judd also in that boat. I think I take time with my articles. Maybe I don't do it enough. Thanks for the feedback.
Gecko
Guest
In other articles, it has been suggested that Harvey could play a season or two up forward when he's too old for the midfield. The same should be true of Ryan O'Keefe. I'm amazed that O'Keefe can't even get a game up forward for the Swans, but with Mitchell and Rohan also competing for a spot up forward, O'Keefe at the end of 2014 should 'do a Chapman'. His best chance might be at a middling club like Carlton or Essendon (and if Walters and Ballantyne continue to struggle with injury, he could even be a good fit for Freo's premeirship tilt).
Nick Inatey
Guest
Yes, but 110 point thrashings probably exposed the lack of depth in replacements and possibly an overemphasis on regeneration. He should never have got rid of Chapman or Corey.
Balthazar
Guest
Michael, I know you have a warped view of Fremantle and are generally a troll but on what planet is Freo struggling in the congested possessions side of things? You said (present tense) that he'd be Freo's best player. He simply wouldn't get a game.
Michael huston
Guest
He's perfect for Fremantle. He was our best tackler and amazing in the contested possessions. He would've done huge things for Freo.
Aransan
Guest
Clubs need a good spread of experience and ages in their lineups, they don't want to lose a number of players in a short sequence of seasons. I think you would find that it requires an increasing commitment from a player late in their career to perform at a good level. They will know when the time has come because they can either no longer make that commitment or continue to play at a good level. The time to retire is before then. Another sign of a player coming to the end of their career is if they are having to front the tribunal more than previously.
johno
Guest
Hah, O'Keefe would be lucky to clean Pav's boots after a game
TomC
Roar Guru
Plenty of non-Victorians mentioned, Aw. But it is a little sad that Browny's career is to end with a whimper, out of sight and out of mind. It's a pretty bad omission. But to be honest I often get the impression Dan's articles are written in a hurry.
Michael Steel
Roar Pro
I believe that this why Chris Scott has done so well at Geelong. He has been upfront in letting players know that there time is up. This year evergreen Paul Chapman and latecomer James Podsiadly were moved on. They are still good enough to play AFL football and play many good games, but in the coaches thoughts maybe not up to continual big performances in September. I'm like a broken record on how the Brisbane Lions wanted to shed a few players after the third premiership but only Marcus Ashcroft retired. Yes they made the fourth grand final, but some oldies hung around for one grand final too many. I think that is a decisive factor in Chris Scott's decisions. Geelong are still a force and when he started coaching them they were considered an aging team on the slide. And as I see it, by shedding Chappy and Jpod this allow the club the opportunity to recruit the next Chappy and Jpod and not miss out.
TheCunningLinguistic
Guest
Surely you jest? O'Keefe is a good, nay, very good player. But he'd be Fremantle's 'best player'? No chance!
Andy_Roo
Roar Guru
As far as Sydney players are concerned I think Lewis Roberts-Thomson will probably retire at the end of this year. Rhyce Shaw is another who may be in his final season. Ryan O'Keefe is still a quality player and may look for a trade next year. I think Adam Goodes still has another year, maybe even two in him. He has had a limited pre-season this year but is still having an impact and getting better each week.
Aw
Guest
You don't think Jonathan Brown deserves a mention? Triple premiership players gus. Pull your heads out of your Melbourne bubble asses.
mwm
Guest
I totally agree with you on R OKeefe. Even as a swans fan I'm amazed at how fast he has gone downhill in the swans pecking order. If we are being honest goodes himself would struggle next year.
Michael huston
Guest
On O'Keefe, he's still got AFL life left in him. If he was at Fremantle, he'd be their best player. Unfortunately, Sydneys game plan has completely evolved and he can't keep up with it.