Departing Sydney Swans champion Ryan O’Keefe says the competitive fire still burns in his belly, but he’s yet to decide whether he’ll look to play elsewhere in the AFL next year.
O’Keefe, 33, who established himself as a star half forward and midfielder, will be given a lap of honour at halftime of Saturday’s final round game against Richmond at ANZ Stadium.
A dual premiership player, O’Keefe played in three grand finals, won the 2012 Norm Smith Medal, the club’s 2009 best and fairest and received All Australian recognition in 2006.
But he hasn’t added to his tally of 286 games, the fourth highest at the club, since being dropped following round four.
While he still clung to some small hope of playing another senior game this year, O’Keefe accepted he won’t be at the club in 2015.
Although he suggested he would enjoy the challenge of coaching, O’Keefe still felt he had something to offer as a player next year.
“I’ve just got to look at all the options and then I’ll make a decision,” he said.
“That’s just something I want to sit down with my family and see. I don’t want to be rushed into a decision.”
He admitted it had been difficult not getting a chance to play in the seniors for most of the season and hadn’t always seen eye to eye with coach John Longmire on the issue.
“We’ve spoken a lot during the season, we agreed to disagree on a few occasions,” O’Keefe said.
Longmire said it had been a challenge having to consistently tell O’Keefe he was missing out on senior selection, but regarded him as possibly the most professional player he had ever coached.
“He’s been relentless and I’m sure if you looked up the meaning of that in the dictionary you’d find a photo of Ryan O’Keefe,” Longmire said.
O’Keefe seemed philosophical rather than bitter that his stellar 15-year career at the Swans was not ending on the note he had hoped.
He’d wanted to join the Swans 300 game club containing past or present teammates Adam Goodes, Jude Bolton and Michael O’Loughlin.
“I had it pencilled in at the start of the year, but it doesn’t matter,” O’Keefe said.
“When it’s all done and dusted I can be proud of my career at the Swans.
“To achieve what I’ve achieved, I can hold my head up high.
“That (300 games) would have been a bonus but I’m pretty happy with what I’ve done here.
“I think I’ve got everything out of myself at the Swans as humanly possible.”
Bosk
Roar Rookie
In fairness you could probably argue that the way Geelong treated Chapman or Podisadly at the end of last year was not a whole lot kinder. Of course its ironic that they'd love to have Pods & Chappy back in their fowardline next week! Anyway lets just hope O'Keefe wasn't dumped for going the fisticuffs with Franklin because if Longmire decided to side with a bloke who'd defected for the money over one who'd could've easily earned more at another club but decided to stay that would have sent a shocking message to the team's younger brigade.
Michael huston
Guest
Bosk we've been in a struggle to reach the top two all year thanks to our slow start, we couldn't afford to think sentimentally. Longmire knows the fans would rather see the boys win a flag than give a proper send-off to a player. I'm sure if we were lower on the table, and a minor premiership wasn't on the line, we could have afforded to give him a run. But, I will concede, I think not giving him a run as the sub this week was a tad harsh, but Longmire has always been pretty straight forward: if you aren't performing, you won't be picked.
Axle an the guru
Guest
He is spent. No club will gain anything by getting him. If he wishes to play on then he needs to look for a captain/coach roll in one of the state leagues.
Mark
Guest
I'd like someone (GWS, Saints) to pick him up but I don't know how well it'll turn out and it would be sad to tarnish his reputation. I'd also, selfishly, like him to remain a one club player. Best of luck to him in whatever he does though.
Mark
Guest
Short term thinking playing 23 year olds instead of 33 year olds? And I don't think I'd say he bled red and white as he wanted to get out a few years ago. Still one of my favorite players though.
Johnk
Guest
I reckon GWS should make a play for him.
imonty35
Guest
I'd be very happy to have him at the Saints exactly for that reason. Mentor a few young blokes, play 15 odd games and then join the coaching group
Bosk
Roar Rookie
Granted O'Keefe is a bit of a dinosaur and the Swans don't have a terribly quick midfield so they'd want to avoid bringing in another player who can get burned on the spread by the opposition, but that's a pretty woeful excuse for not giving a bloke who bled red & white and is still playing decent footy at least ONE game this year. Spin it however you like mate but its pretty widely acknowledged among neutrals that ROK has been given the shaft. Very, very poor decision for your club to turn its back on a bloke like this while embracing a couple of mercenary scumbags in Franklin & Tippett. Mark my words it isn't going to do your club's internal culture any favors when this is how they choose to reward loyalty, its short-term thinking at its finest.
Michael huston
Guest
Bosk the Swans aren't the congested kings they once were. Longmire has tried to continually inject more pace and outside run into the midfield. I think when he saw how our midfield was struggling with all three contested players in O'Keefe, Kennedy and Mitchell, he made some drastic changes, which saw the likes of Cunningham and Lloyd come through. O'Keefe just doesn't suit our style anymore, and when Kennedy went down, the logical replacement was to look towards getting some game time into Mitchell. It's not like ROK wasn't given a chance. We perservered with three slower, contested-style specialists and it delivered us three losses. Horse correctly identified the problem and did exactly what was needed to fix it. I'd call it brilliant coaching, unfortunately at the expense of a club legend.
Gecko
Guest
I've only seen O'Keefe play one game this year. Can't believe a star player's ability can nose-dive so quickly, so the reason may just be that others around him have improved. Hope O'Keefe gets a chance elsewhere (maybe not at a contending club but a club that will use him as a mentor for a year and, after retirement, as an assistant coach).
Bosk
Roar Rookie
Boy did the Swans give ROK the shaft this year! I can't work out if it was because he came to blows with Franklin early in the year or because he's lost a yard of pace, because his form in the seconds hasn't been so terrible that a call up against one of the weaker teams at some point wasn't warranted. After everything the bloke has done for the Swans he deserved to be treated a hell of a lot better than he has been. I hope he defects to a new club next year ala Chappy and sticks it right up those ungrateful pr#@ks.
Michael huston
Guest
Definitely a shame his time at the Swans ended this way, but Horse is a fair coach. If a players form isn't good, you won't make it in the side, whether your 22 or 32. But to O'Keefe, what a legend. His Norm Smith and a second flag was the perfect way to top off a tough, courageous and marvellous career at the Swans. I wish him all the best in the future, whatever that may hold.