‘Bunga’ says bye: Eagles great to retire at season’s end

West Coast’s season-ending conflict with Adelaide will draw the curtain on one of many nice Eagles careers, with Shannon Hurn asserting it is going to be his final.

The Eagles video games record-holder and 2018 premiership skipper confirmed on Tuesday that this shall be his last season, with the 332-gamer to bow out on the finish of the yr.

Hurn, 35, is the AFL’s oldest lively participant throughout the ultimate weeks of the season after Lance Franklin’s retirement on Tuesday.

“I love playing the game and I know I’m really going to miss it,” Hurn mentioned in an announcement forward of fronting the media on Tuesday afternoon.

“But I also know the time is right. People have told me that I would know when this moment arrived and it’s here.

“Unfortunately, you can’t go on forever and it’s time for me to step away.

“It has been a great honour to play for this football club over the last 18 years and I have loved it since the day I arrived. There are life-long friendships and memories that have been created here and I will always be grateful for that.”

Hurn received’t journey in West Coast’s two final highway journeys however will function within the Eagles’ last two house matches towards Fremantle within the spherical 22 derby earlier than hanging up the boots after the spherical 24 conflict with the Crows – the identical opponent for Josh Kennedy’s memorable farewell final season.

The long-kicking defender, nicknamed ‘Bunga’, confirmed he can nonetheless carry out at a excessive degree at the same time as he approaches his thirty sixth birthday subsequent month after taking part in a starring function in West Coast’s drought-breaking win over North Melbourne final weekend.

Hurn earned seven votes within the AFL Coaches’ Association Player of the Year Award voting after serving to nullify the affect of Roos spearhead Nick Larkey regardless of being undersized.

A South Australian who got here to the Eagles with decide 13 within the 2005 draft, Hurn performed six video games in West Coast’s 2006 premiership-winning season – together with booting a aim on debut towards Brisbane – however didn’t function within the membership’s finals run.

However, he turned a everlasting fixture from the next season onwards, that includes in each sport in 2007 to arrange a profession the place longevity, management and poise below stress would develop into defining traits.

Hurn snared All-Australian honours in 2018 and 2019 and was named vice-captain of the latter consultant facet. But it was his 5 seasons as Eagles skipper that cemented his legacy, together with spearheading the ‘Friends, family, flags’ mantra that led to him lifting the premiership cup aloft alongside Adam Simpson in 2018.

“The first thing you want from your leaders is to play well,” Simpson mentioned. “And there weren’t many times in his career when ‘Bunga’ didn’t do that.

“He is one of only three premiership captains in the history of the club and that honour is not gifted to anyone. He is just such an honest and humble person and it has been a privilege to have been involved in the second half of his career.

“We will definitely miss him and I know our members and fans will cherish what he has done for our club. They will get the chance to express their appreciation over the last couple of home games.”

Hurn surpassed long-time teammate Dean Cox’s membership document of 290 video games in 2021 and at the moment sits inside the highest 35 for many AFL/VFL video games of all time.

Eagles chief govt Trevor Nisbett described Hurn as “an outstanding ambassador for our club”.

“He has been a model of consistency and to do that over such a long period is quite extraordinary. Just as he plays in a matter-of-fact manner, that is pretty much who he is off the field,” Nisbett mentioned.

“He is such a stand-up character and is respected universally, not just throughout our club but across the competition.”