St Kilda veteran and former captain Nick Riewoldt has announced that he will retire at the end of the season, taking with him a remarkable career spanning 17 seasons as a one-club player.
Riewoldt held a press conference at Seaford with coach Alan Richardson on Monday, where he announced the news of hanging up his boots. The Saints champion said that the decision to end his career this year was difficult, especially after stating in recent weeks that he believed he could play another year in the red, white and black. "Like any big decision, it takes time and that's certainly been the case in this situation. Retirement's something that I would never have consciously gone out and explored myself, but that's just the way I'm wired," Riewoldt said on Monday. "There's been a bit of noise this year that's dragged on. The more that's been spoken about, the more that's forced me to really evaluate myself and where I'm at and at times, I've been really defiant in my desire to continue to play." The 34-year old revealed that the biggest struggle was deciding whether he thought he had the strength to play another year. "At times, when I was asking myself (about) the decision (and thinking) is it time, because of all the noise ... I was just fighting myself, saying 'Don't be weak, don't be weak, you've gotten yourself out of that many situations of adversity before that this is no different'," Riewoldt said. "But the longer it went, the more I really internalised the conversation. With a big decision, you speak to those around you that you trust and the more I did that, the more the decision crystallised in my mind that it is the right time. I've given everything I possibly can to the game and the footy club." Riewoldt stated that he believed that it was the right time to retire as his parents Fiona and Joe, wife Catherine, sons James and William, brother Alex, and the entire football club watched on. "I couldn't be more convinced that the time is right for me to retire. I'm really proud that I'm doing so with a litre or two of petrol left in the tank, rather than being run out on the side of the road with the hood up, begging for help," Riewoldt said. Riewoldt's career has been heavily plagued by knee injuries and general soreness. His most recent problem with his knees was when he hyperextended his right knee during the clash against Melbourne in round one. He had to be stretchered off the field, leaving many to believe he had played his last game of football. "It has been (a struggle) for 10 years, but my mindset's always been, and I think it's a strength, to be able to push and find a way and get through that. This whole process was no different. The want for my mind to keep defying and continuing but, no, the time is right and clearly the body plays a part in that," Riewoldt said. Alan Richardson said that he was surprised that Riewoldt decided to call time on his career. "'Rooey' is a person that's been able to find a way for such a long time (so) I was a little but surprised (about the decision) from that perspective," Richardson said. "The reality is that probably the last couple of conversations, I could just sense that he was really thinking about his future and fundamentally, if you're thinking about (whether) you're done, you're done." Riewoldt said that his decision was more-or-less finalised leading up to the clash against the Sydney Swans, two weeks ago. "There wasn't a real epiphany or a fall off the cliff type moment but (it was) more gradual. Probably more recently, going into the Sydney game, I was having more and more of those thoughts internally, in my own quiet time, that reaffirmed that the time was right," Riewoldt said. Many took to Twitter and Instagram to congratulate the Saints star and thank him for what he has brought to the AFL.
Nick Riewoldt was pick number 1 in the 2000 AFL Draft and has played more games than any other number 1 draft pick (333 to date). It was only in his second season (2002) that he won the NAB AFL Rising Star Award and received his first Trevor Barker Award. Riewoldt holds the record for the most games as St Kilda captain (11 seasons) and is third on the list for most games as captain in the AFL.
The six-time best and fairest and five-time All Australian may not be taking a premiership into retirement, but his impact on and off the field will be something worth remembering as a St Kilda player and a champion of the AFL.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Categories
All
Archives
September 2018
|