ESSENDON veteran Dyson Heppell has announced his retirement.
The Bombers' former skipper informed teammates on Tuesday of his decision to retire at the end of the club's season.
The 32-year-old, who played his 250th AFL game against Geelong in round 16, has played two more games since and was recently omitted by the Bombers for the first time in his career.
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The versatile and brave Heppell joined the Bombers as a top-10 draft pick ahead of the 2011 season, when he burst onto the scene and became Essendon's first winner of the Telstra AFL Rising Star award as an attacking half-back.
It didn't take long for him to transition into the midfield, where he was named an All-Australian in 2014 and claimed the Bombers' best and fairest.
His consistency was a key factor in his career, with Heppell finishing in the top three of the Bombers' best and fairest every year between 2012-18 apart from 2016, when he was suspended for the season alongside other Bombers as part of the supplements saga.
Heppell's leadership and loyalty has been significant during his time at Essendon and he knocked back mega offers from rivals to remain at the club after 2016. When he returned, he was appointed captain in 2017 through to the end of 2022, when he handed the reins to Zach Merrett.
He overcame serious ankle and foot injuries and returned to some of his best form as Essendon coach Brad Scott helped prolong his career. Heppell said recently being a one-club player, having also had interest from Gold Coast at the end of 2022, had been important to him.
"Looking back now there were numerous opportunities to explore other avenues. But I never really delved into it," Heppell told AFL.com.au this week ahead of his milestone game.
"I was an Essendon person through and through and had so many amazing relationships I'd formulated and created throughout my time here and something I really wanted to do was to see this through, see what we could actually do and hopefully forge some form of success at the back end."
Heppell said in a club statement that he was "super content" with the decision to retire, having wrestled with his football mortality for several weeks.
“In my own mind I always wanted to call it a day while I was still playing decent footy and that if it got to a point where we’ve got other boys primed and ready to play my role then I know it’s time," he said.
“No doubt there’s a little competitive dog part of me that’s in my ear telling me to go one more but after considering all possibilities and having the opportunity to go out on my own terms it just feels like the right call.
“They all say it, but it does go bloody fast. I’m envious of our young boys embarking on your careers. I’d go back there and do it all again if I could.
“Let’s tear in for whatever is left for us this year.”