Retirements - 2014

[Booney]

We saw Darren Glass pull the pin on his career mid season :

He was recruited as the number 11 draft pick in the 1999 AFL Draft from Perth and made his debut for the Eagles in Round 4, 2000 against Adelaide.

Glass, who had a relatively low profile in a team of well known stars such as Ben Cousins, Chris Judd, and Daniel Kerr, was named as the official All-Australian full-back in 2006 AFL.

He had another excellent 2007 season where he won West Coast's Club Champion Award and his second All-Australian selection.

On 9 November 2007, Glass was announced as the new captain of West Coast with the departure of Chris Judd to Victoria. Glass was appointed to lead the recovery of the club after a series of off-field scandals. West Coast had a poor year in his first year of captaincy, suffering from the loss of Judd and Cousins as well as from injuries to key players, including Glass himself.

After a successful season playing all 22 matches in 2009, Glass won his second Club Champion award ahead of fellow defender Shannon Hurn. He followed this up two years later in 2011 where he won his third Club Champion award and third All-Australian selection. In 2012, Glass was given his fourth All-Australian selection and named as the captain of the All-Australian team.

On 12 June 2014, Glass announced his retirement due to injury, effective immediately.

[Booney]

Jonathan Brown follows Glass into retirement mid-season in 2014 :


Jonathan Brown: career factbox

AFL games: 256
Goals: 594
Premierships: Brisbane Lions - 2001, 2002, 2003
Coleman Medal: 2007
All-Australian team: 2007, 2009
Brisbane Lions captain: from 2007 to 2013

Debate has raged over Brown's future after he left the field heavily concussed in Brisbane's loss to the GWS at the Gabba a fortnight ago.

It was yet another significant blow for Brown, who had already sustained horrific facial injuries from three previous head knocks incidents in 2011 and 2012.

The 32-year-old announced his decision at a media conference at the Gabba on Monday, saying the latest blow proved he could no longer bounce back the way he used to from heavy hits.

He admits 2014 would "almost definitely" have been his last season even without the latest setback.

"It's a very difficult time, but at the same time I'm very happy on reflection," Brown said.

"Unfortunately though, the last week or so it's become evident after my concussion last week that I don't respond or bounce back like I used to from those hits.

"I had pretty strong medical advice this week that it was in my best interest to stop.

"It's been a hard pill to swallow, even though deep down inside I knew that was the right answer.

"It wasn't worth the risk of going out there and copping another head knock and jeopardising my future with my wife and kids.

"I've got to keep pretty sharp for the young fella, to chase him around."

The two-time All-Australian said he would stay involved with the club off the field for the remainder of the season.

"I'm not going to dramatise it - I'm ok, I'm going to recover. I'm sure my symptoms will clear up soon," Brown said.

Brown, who played 256 games for the Lions, will go down as one of the club's great players, having featured in their three premiership wins from 2001-2003.

He won the club's Best and Fairest in three successive years from 2007-09, won the Coleman Medal in 2007, was an All-Australian selection in 2007 and 2009 and was the club's leading goal kicker on five separate occasions.

Brown also captained the Lions from 2007-2013 and won the Robert Rose Award for Most Courageous Player in 2007, 2008 and 2011.

[daysofourlives]

Heath Scotland earlier in the season also

[Booney]

Carlton veteran Heath Scotland says he knew his time was up when the pain in his degenerative ankle made it unbearable just to walk up his stairs at home, let alone train and play at the elite level.

The soon-to-be 34-year-old sat in front of his teammates, club officials and family on Tuesday to announce he had played his last game for Carlton, fittingly against his former club Collingwood almost three weeks ago.

Although he will remain on the Blues' long-term injury list and not officially leave the club until the end of the season, he has played his last match.

Scotland had considered retirement at the end of 2013, but eventually signed on as a rookie - allowing the Blues to pick up another youngster in the draft - hoping he could push through one more pre-season.


But the ankle injury, which hampered his form last year and had restricted him to just four games so far this season, had finally worn him down “physically, emotionally and mentally”.

“I've given it every opportunity to get up and I was hoping I could get one more year out of it,” he said.

"Right now, my week consists of trying to get up to perform on the weekend. I struggle to go up and down the stairs at home during the week, I struggle to train, to get up to a level to get some fitness.”

In a media conference where he fought back tears acknowledging the support of his wife Alisha and their two boys, Scotland also challenged his teammates to prove wrong the doubters that have ''written them off'', by winning a premiership quicker than most experts think they are capable of doing.

Not winning one himself is the only regret Scotland has from a career that spanned 16 seasons and 268 games after being drafted with pick No. 44 in the 1998 draft.

The blue-collar defender almost achieved his dream in the 2002 and `03 grand finals when he was a member of Mick Malthouse’s Collingwood teams that were upstaged by the all-conquering Brisbane Lions.

Carlton football manager Andrew McKay paid tribute to not only Scotland the footballer, but to a person who was respected enough to hold a position in the club’s leadership group for four years.

“We are losing a very, very good person here," he said.

The club said it wanted to give Scotland a proper send-off on Tuesday to ensure his retirement did not get lost in the flurry of other players calling it quits at the end of the season, with president Stephen Kernahan labelling Scotland "a champion of our football club” and "one of the last old-school footballers in our game".

Scotland said he hoped he had repaid the faith the Blues showed after trading for him in 2004. In the following 11 seasons, he would not only win the best and fairest award in 2012, he also finished second in 2007, third in `06, earned an All-Australian nomination in 2011 and achieved life membership at Carlton for what will stand as 215 games of service.

[RustyCage]

While not officially announced as such, Gia said on the radio last week that he has signed a two year deal to be an assistant coach at the bulldogs.

[JK]

Glad to see the big fella has retired. Has been a favourite of mine (and I'd guess everyone else) but he's done his bit and taken more than enough punishment for his team, time to look after his future now. Hugely courageous player, hopefully he stays involved with the game - Leigh Matthews thinks he'll move into the media - Fingers crossed.

[The Dark Knight]

Yeah fingers crossed that Brown does move into the media that'll be awesome haha.

Disappointing end to Heath Scotland's career, always liked him as a player. A good bouncer in cricket and a good opposite foot kick in footy are my two loves in my two favourite sports and I loved seeing Scotland on the left, very handy on both sides of his body.

[gadj1976]

Nick Duigan gone too from our list.

Good luck to Browny, what a legend.

[stan]

Brown. Legend. Probably one of if not the greatest power forwards to play the game.

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[probie]

Not a gun in the same vein as Brown, Glass or Scotland, more a "Duigan," but Mitch Clark retired earlier in the year too.


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[Hazbeen]

Not a gun in the same vein as Brown, Glass or Scotland, more a "Duigan," but Mitch Clark retired earlier in the year too.


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Has he retired or just stepped away for an indefinite period due to his personal problems?

[valleys07]

Not a gun in the same vein as Brown, Glass or Scotland, more a "Duigan," but Mitch Clark retired earlier in the year too.


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Has he retired or just stepped away for an indefinite period due to his personal problems?

Definitely retired.

[probie]

MITCH Clark has informed Melbourne he will retire from the AFL, effective immediately.

Clark told the club his battle with mental illness would not allow him to commit to a full-time career at the Demons.

Clark has recently been diagnosed with clinical depression.

"This was a very brave decision by Mitch. There would be other players who are going through the same thing who might have made a different decision," Demons football manager Josh Mahoney said in a press conference on Tuesday evening.

"It got to the point where his health was hampering him getting back to AFL football and that's why the decision was made."

Clark played 15 games in two years at the Demons, with his time at Melbourne restricted by a serious foot injury that forced him to miss 18 months.


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[probie]

From April 8


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[bulldog2004]

Mitch Clark interview on the AFL Footy Show

http://www.jump-in.com.au/show/aflfooty ... 977966001/

[Johno6]

Ben Rutten will retire at the end of the season...

[Dogwatcher]

If Truck's not there, who's going to tow the bandwagon?

[Jim05]

If Truck's not there, who's going to tow the bandwagon?

Rowey's got it covered.

[Rik E Boy]

I reckon Boris and Kel might pull the pin from the Cats but I reckon Bartel will go around again. Out of all our premiership stars the only retirement that suprised me a little was Lingy. I thought he had another year to go but clearly he didn't.

regards,

REB

[valleys07]

Western Bulldogs defender Tom Williams today announced his retirement.