Opinion
The end of any AFL home-and-away season is always tinged with a touch of sadness as a number of great players we’ve enjoyed watching over the years either announce their retirements or are moved on by their clubs.
Three of the very elite – the top 100 AFL game players and goal scorers of all time – have already announced their retirements despite the fact that the two game players among, them, David Mundy (Fremantle) and Shane Edwards (Richmond), may have one, two, three or even four finals games to finish of their careers.
For Mundy, the greatest game player at the Dockers, one final will see him draw level with former Carlton champion Craig Bradley in eighth position on the AFL all-time greatest game players list.
For Shane Edwards, one game will take him to level with former Hawthorn fullback Chris Langford and former Sydney forward Michael O’Loughlin in 81st position, a position high enough up the rankings to remain in the upper crust for decades to come.
The other retiree to already announce his decision is West Coast Eagles sharpshooter Josh Kennedy, who retired weeks ago as the Eagles’ greatest goal kicker of all time, with 712 goals. When his 11 goals for Carlton are added to his total, it means he finished his career as the AFL’s 21st most prolific goal scorer. He has since been passed by Geelong’s Tom Hawkins but is in no danger of slipping any further down the list in the near future given that the next most senior current goal scorer is presently 187 goals behind.
Both the Josh Kennedys figure prominently in the top 100 game players lists of their respective clubs, West Coast Eagles and Sydney, and both would have finished higher up the club top 100 list if their initial games at their first league club were counted: For the Eagles it would have meant Josh Kennedy finished second on the list, and for Sydney it would have meant Josh Kennedy finished fifth.
For the other dozen or so club top 100 players who won’t be playing next year – and there will be more added over time – many finished their careers with distinction: Robbie Gray (Port Adelaide) played 16 games in his final season, including the-last round Showdown win against Adelaide in which he gained 13 disposals and kicked two goals. Gray, fittingly the 100th player to play for the Power, finished his career as the fourth greatest game player for the club and the second greatest goal scorer.
Paddy Ryder, one of the most respected footballers going around, didn’t achieve enough in his three seasons at St Kilda to be among the club’s elite 100 games or goals list, but his efforts for both Essendon and Port Adelaide mean he will remain on their top 100 lists for decades to come: Essendon (57th and 61st) and Port Adelaide (70th and 43rd).
Ben McEvoy, although hampered by injury for much of his last season, finished his career as club captain of the Hawks and in 62nd position (games) and 77th position (goals).
Others limped to the end of their careers. Neither Jarryn Geary (St Kilda: 27th games) nor Josh Caddy (Gold Coast 71st and 39th, Richmond 86th goals) played even one game in 2022. Dan Hannebery played only 18 games for St Kilda in five seasons.
Matt de Boer finished his career in 24th position for both games and goals at Fremantle. At Greater Western Sydney he is in and 24th position (games) and 45th position (goals).
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