Two-time Sydney Swans premiership player Ryan O’Keefe has pulled the plug on a 286-game AFL career after falling out of the club’s best 22 early in the season.
The 33-year-old made appearances in Sydney’s first four games to start the year, but failed to retain a spot as the Swans turned around a 1-3 start into a Grand Final birth.
The 2012 Norm Smith medallist was honoured with a celebratory lap in round 23 and will now join fellow premiership retiree Lewis Roberts-Thomson as part of Saturday’s Grand Final motorcade at the MCG.
The 2006 All-Australian and 2009 club Best and Fairest believes he could have kicked on into 2015 but will instead look to move into the AFL’s coaching ranks.
“I could have played on, (but) I’m really aspiring to coaching and looking at a couple of opportunities,” he said.
“There’s some good opportunities, too good to pass up to just play somewhere for 12 months. It’s the right decision and I’m quite content and looking forward to the next phase.”
Swans coach John Longmire is in the midst of planning for the biggest game of his career, but spoke of the importance in acknowledging the contributions of O’Keefe and Roberts-Thomson in building one of the league’s top clubs of the past decade and their roles in past premiership campaigns.
“It’s fitting that two great premiership players of our club will be sent off with a lap of honour at the MCG on Grand Final day,” he said.
“Both Ryan and Lewis are life members of the Swans and were part of the 2005 and 2012 premiership success.
“Swans fans have had their chance to thank Ryan and Lewis and this is another opportunity for all football fans to thank two absolute warriors who always saved their best for September.”
Photo: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images
