Every year at every AFL club, a player will start the season not knowing they are about to leave the game. Very few get to leave the sport in control of their exit.
Shane Crawford did. Same with Joel Selwood.
Crawford’s iconic microphone grab with the perfect catch cry, “That’s what I’m talking about” on the premiership stage after winning the 2008 grand final is part of Australian sporting folklore. He left the game at its peak, having climbed and conquered football’s Mount Everest in his final match.
Selwood’s last-minute heroics in the 2022 grand final epitomise every player’s dream – his right foot goal, on the run with a checkside kick from 40 metres sealed his fourth premiership and first as captain at Geelong. It firmed his legacy as the best captain this century, so far.
After much speculation, Selwood retired the next week. Like Crawford, he left on his own terms, bathed in the glow of premiership glory.
These are the exceptions to the norm.
Dustin Martin has achieved everything there is to achieve in his AFL career.Credit: AFL Photos
There is a different storyline for many others, some who will find their twilight years can taint their legacies and put a strain on their bond with the clubs they once called home.
Today, Richmond great Dustin Martin stands at the crossroads, grappling with the stark truth that the golden years at Punt Road have passed.
Don’t argue, Dusty: Why it’s time for Richmond champion to retire
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28.03.2024
Every year at every AFL club, a player will start the season not knowing they are about to leave the game. Very few get to leave the sport in control of their exit.
Shane Crawford did. Same with Joel Selwood.
Crawford’s iconic microphone grab with the perfect catch cry, “That’s what I’m talking about” on the premiership stage after........
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