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by Lisa Albergo reporting for AFANA from Chicago

RETIREMENTS

COLLINGWOOD

Shane Wakelin and Ryan Lonie

Defender Shane Wakelin has retired, as has Ryan Lonie. Wakelin, 34, played 94 games for St. Kilda before joining Collingwood. He played 158 games for the Magpies. His twin brother Darryl also played for St. Kilda. Darryl played 115 games 1995-2000 before being traded to Port Adelaide where he played a further 146 games including Port's first premiership in 2004. Shane, however, never played in a winning premiership team. He played in Collingwood's two Grand Finals in 2002 and 2003, both of which were won by Brisbane. Darryl retired at the end of last season.

Lonie has called it quits at just 25 years old, after 123 games for the Pies. He has managed just five games in the past two years due to injuries. Lonie's twin Nathan, originally drafted by hawthorn, now plays for Port Adelaide

Source: Melbourne Age & Nick Hulett, Club Media Release

WEST COAST

Michael Braun

Eagle Michael Braun has retired, saying the time was right to step aside. Braun has played 12 seasons but also endured 14 operations during that time He said the mind was willing, but the body couldn't cope anymore. Braun told teammates and the coaching staff that the decision was the toughest he's ever had to make and was proud to wear the Eagle jumper. He leaves the game with no regrets, having played in the 2006 premiership win. He missed the 2005 Grand Final due to a knee injury which has troubled him for the past four years.

Braun admitted he was not the most gifted player, but made up for it with a strong work ethic which allowed him to fulfill his role within the team. Coach John Worsfold praised Braun for the efforts he put in to overcome the challenges he faced by his injuries, opponents, and even his own coaches. He described Braun as an outstanding player, whose rise over injury adversity was inspiring.

Source: afl.com.au

MELBOURNE

Ben Holland

Melbourne Demon Ben Holland has retired. Holland, 30, began his career with Richmond in 1996. He was originally selected by Fitzroy in the 1994 draft but was then traded to Richmond. He played 125 games for the Tigers before joining Melbourne at the end of 2003. He played 191 games and kicked 178 goals.

Source: afl.com.au

HAWTHORN

Danny Jacobs

Hawthorn Hawk Danny Jacobs has retired after just 126 games. His 10 year career has been cut short due to a hip injury. He had surgery on his hip at the end of 2007 and recently suffered a setback which has led to his decision. Jacobs has undergone eight surgeries in the past 3 years. While disappointed at not being able to continue, he praised the club for their support and hoped he would be remembered as a player who did his best. Coach Alistair Clarkson said Jacobs had been an important member of the club over the past five years when he was fit.

Source: afl.com.au

BRISBANE

Beau McDonald

Brisbane Lion Beau McDonald has been forced into retirement due to his struggles with injury over the past few years. A knee reconstruction in 2003 has resulted in complications which kept McDonald sidelined for the next two seasons. He played just seven games in both 2006 and 2007 and no games in 2008.

McDonald, a popular clubman, was drafted by Brisbane in 1997 and debuted in 1998, but had to bide his time and learn the ruck craft in the QAFL before getting his chance when senior ruckman Matthew Clarke was traded to the Adelaide Crows at the end of 1999. He played all 22 games in 2000 and placed third in that year's Rising Star voting. He soon established himself as an excellent rucking partner with Clark Keating.

BEAU McDONALD
Games: 91
Goals: 19
Finals: 7
AFL Rising Star Nomination: 2000
Lions Best First Year Player 2000
Lions Premiership Player 2001, 2002

Source: Sam Lord, Brisbane Media Release

WESTERN BULLDOGS

Andrew McDougall

Western Bulldog player Andrew McDougall has been forced into retirement due to chronic injury problems. McDougall, who spent all of 2008 with the Bulldogs' VFL affiliate Williamstown, was originally drafted by the West Coast Eagles in 2000. He played 38 games and kicked 48 goals for West Coast before being traded to the Bulldogs.

Source: afl.com.au

DELISTINGS

MELBOURNE
Melbourne Demons Jeff White, Adem Yze, Jace Bode and Isaac Weetra have all been delisted. Ruckman Jeff White and Adem Yze are hoping to be picked up by other clubs, believing they still are capable and have something to offer to another AFL club.

Yze finishes with the Demons third on the club's all-time games record with 271, behind David Neitz (306) and Robbie Flower (272). He also fell just 18 games short of Jim Stynes' consecutive games record (244). His run of 226 was interrupted by injury in 2007. He is, however, an AFL Life Member, having played a total of 300 games (includes finals and preseason games). Yze won the club's best and fairest award and was All-Australian in 2001. He was an AFL Rising Star nominee in 1996 and played in the International Rules Series in 2000 and 2002.

White, the number one draft selection in 1994 and was selected by then newcomer Fremantle. He played 32 games for the Dockers over three seasons before deciding he wanted to return home to Victoria. The Dockers traded him to Melbourne at the end of 1997 and he went on to play 236 games for the Demons to move into seventh pot on the all-time games record list for the club. White was named All-Australian in 2004.

Bode, 21, played nine games for the Demons after debuting last season. Bode, from South Australia, was selected as an Under-18 All-Australian and impressed scouts at the AFL Draft camp with a 2.98 time in the 20 meter (22 yards) sprint. He was elevated to the senior list this year.
Fellow South Australian Isaac Weetra was drafted in 2006 and played the opening two games this year. Those were his only two senior appearances with the Demons. Weetra was a member of the junior Indigenous Team which played against South Africa in 2006. He was also named best on ground for Whyalla (approx. 175 miles north of Adelaide) in the Whyalla League Grand Final.

Source: afl.com.au

WEST COAST

West Coast Eagle premiership player Steven Armstrong, Chad Jones and James Thomson have all been delisted by the club. Armstrong, 24 was added to the Eagles' rookie list but was soon elevated to the seniors and played in the Eagles' premiership win in his debut season. He kicked what turned out to be the winning goal in the Grand Final. He played a total of 36 games.

Jones, 24, was originally drafted by the North Melbourne Kangaroos in 2003 and debuted in 2004. He played just six games before being delisted at the end of 2006. The Eagles added him to their rookie list last year but he played just seven games for the Eagles after being elevated to the senior list this year.

Thomson, 20, was drafted in 2006, but was unable to break into the senior side.

Source: afl.com.au

FREMANTLE

Ryley Dunn, whose brief career has been marred by injury, was told by the club that his rookie contract would not be renewed. Dunn was drafted in 2003 and debuted in 2004. He played the first two games that year but then went back to the WAFL. He missed the last half of the season with a broken collarbone. He played a further two games in 2005 between stints in the WAFL and on the sidelines due to knee and hamstring injuries. His hamstring injury woes continued early in 2006, and he was unable to break into the senior side once he recovered. He played just one game in Round 22, 2007 after missing much of the season with a knee injury. The club delisted him at the end of the year, but redrafted him as a rookie. He again struggled with injury, this time a back problem, in 2008 and played just three more games.

Source: afl.com.au & AFL Record Season Guides 2005-2008

BRISBANE

Brisbane Lions youngsters Wayde Mills and Haydn Kiel have been delisted by the club. Also delisted were Robert Copeland and Tim Schmidt. Mills was drafted in 2005 and played 16 games and kicked three goals. Kiel has been on the club's rookie list for the past two seasons but played no senior games.

Copeland played 143 matches and kicked 39 goals in eight seasons with Brisbane. He was elevated from the rookie list in 2001 and played in the 2001 and 2003 premierships. He was named the Club's Most Improved Player in 2004 and was twice named in the Queensland Team Of The Year. Last year the club named him as the Lions' Most Professional Player.

Schmidt, 19, was drafted in 2006. He played just two senior games with the Lions.

Source: Sam Lord, Club Media Release

NORTH MELBOURNE
The North Melbourne Kangaroos have delisted forward Nathan Thompson. Thompson, 30, then decided to retire. Thompson missed most of last season with a knee injury, and was unable to regain his form this year.
Thompson was originally drafted by Hawthorn in 1997. He played 119 games and kicked 192 goals for the Hawks before being traded to the Kangaroos at the end of 2004. He played 60 games and kicked 135 goals with North Melbourne and led the club's goalkicking in 2005 and 2006. He also led the Hawks' goalkicking in 2003 and was a Rising Star nominee in 1999.

Source: John Murphy, Club Media Release

Article last changed on Monday, September 22, 2008 - 1:56 AM EDT


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