TonyK
CibbuanoMagpies call it quits
September 17th 2008 06:41
COLLINGWOOD veteran Shane Wakelin and Ryan Lonie have announced their retirement from AFL football.
Wakelin, who played the last of his 158 games for the Magpies on Saturday night in the semi-final loss to the Saints at the MCG, said he will miss the week-to-week routine of being an AFL footballer.
"I’ll miss being around the change rooms and the week-to-week routine more than anything," Wakelin said.
"But I think that hour before the game, the excitement before the game, I will probably miss that the most."
"The build-up, the mental preparation, the excitement and the train trip into the game - I used to really enjoy that."
"I have always planned for my future. I have done a hell of a lot of study and I have been planning for my retirement for the last two years."
"I will sit down with my wife and make a decision on which way I want to go."
The 34-year-old played 94 games with St Kilda before crossing to Collingwood in exchange for the 49th pick in the 2000 national draft.
He played in the 2002 and 2003 grand finals and finished in the top five twice in the Copeland Trophy voting, including a fourth-placing in 2002.
Meanwhile, Lonie has called it quits after 123 games in eight seasons.
He played in the 2002 and 2003 grand finals and reached the 100-game milestone in just his sixth season.
But the 25-year-old was cut down by injuries late in his career, managing just five matches in 2007 and 2008.
Lonie said he felt the time was right to move on to the next chapter of his life.
"I’ve been thinking about it for a little while," Lonie said.
"I dislocated my shoulder in the middle of the year, and obviously had a bit of time to think about it from there, and just decided that I’ve had enough of playing."
"I thought it was the right time to move on and do something else with my life."
Wakelin, who played the last of his 158 games for the Magpies on Saturday night in the semi-final loss to the Saints at the MCG, said he will miss the week-to-week routine of being an AFL footballer.
"I’ll miss being around the change rooms and the week-to-week routine more than anything," Wakelin said.
"But I think that hour before the game, the excitement before the game, I will probably miss that the most."
"The build-up, the mental preparation, the excitement and the train trip into the game - I used to really enjoy that."
"I have always planned for my future. I have done a hell of a lot of study and I have been planning for my retirement for the last two years."
"I will sit down with my wife and make a decision on which way I want to go."
The 34-year-old played 94 games with St Kilda before crossing to Collingwood in exchange for the 49th pick in the 2000 national draft.
He played in the 2002 and 2003 grand finals and finished in the top five twice in the Copeland Trophy voting, including a fourth-placing in 2002.
Meanwhile, Lonie has called it quits after 123 games in eight seasons.
He played in the 2002 and 2003 grand finals and reached the 100-game milestone in just his sixth season.
But the 25-year-old was cut down by injuries late in his career, managing just five matches in 2007 and 2008.
Lonie said he felt the time was right to move on to the next chapter of his life.
"I’ve been thinking about it for a little while," Lonie said.
"I dislocated my shoulder in the middle of the year, and obviously had a bit of time to think about it from there, and just decided that I’ve had enough of playing."
"I thought it was the right time to move on and do something else with my life."
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