CTV > Scott Burns announces his retirement at the Lexus Centre
CTV > Scott Burns performs his final CTV segment
Collingwood captain Scott Burns has announced his retirement, bringing an end to an outstanding 264-game AFL career.
The 33-year-old revealed his decision on Monday, finishing a 14-season playing journey that places him fifth on the all-time list of most Collingwood matches played, behind only Tony Shaw (313 games), Gordon Coventry (306), Wayne Richardson (277) and Len Thompson (268).
Burns, drafted from South Australian club Norwood with the 90th overall pick in the 1992 draft, made his debut for the Magpies in round one of the 1995 season and capped his debut season by being named best first-year player.
One of the toughest and most respected midfielders in the game, Burns enjoyed arguably his finest seasons in the grand final years of 2002 and 2003 when he finished second and third respectively in the Copeland Trophy voting, while also being judged the club's best finals player in 2002.
Also a recipient of the Darren Millane Memorial Trophy as best clubman in 2004, Burns was also runner-up in the best-and-fairest in just his second season, 1996.
He finished as the club’s 44th skipper and played at a typically high standard until the end, having been appointed to lead the club in 2008 following the retirement of Nathan Buckley, appearing in 17 matches in his final season. These included the round seven encounter with Hawthorn when Burns became just the 11th Magpie to play 250 games.
Burns joins Shane Wakelin and Ryan Lonie as Collingwood players to have retired following the completion of the 2008 season.
The club will now go through the process of replacing Burns as skipper.
"Scott Burns has been one of the best finals players in the red-hot furnace of finals football."
-Collingwood president Eddie McGuire
"A wonderful club man, a bloke you go to when the chips are down. He is always trying to lift the club by personal endeavor."
-Collingwood coach Michael Malthouse
"I think you just dip your toes in it and and then you go down the track and find out if you are up for it."
-Scott Burns on coaching
