Sean Denham, a premiership player and best and fairest winner with Essendon, announced today that he is retiring from AFL football at the end of this season.

“The time is right to walk away at the end of this season. Injuries have made it pretty tough for me over the past couple of years but even so this was not an easy decision to make,” Denham said.

“Retirement is not something you think about much as a young player but it creeps up on you very quickly. I will be able to look back at the end of this season and know I gave football everything I had. I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.”

The 185-game veteran was yesterday named in the Essendon side to play Collingwood this Saturday at the MCG.

“I would like to thank the Essendon Football Club and all my teammates for their support over the past nine seasons. It’s great to be back in the side this weekend and I hope there are a few more games to come yet,” Denham said.

Sean was the 1997 W.S Crichton Medallist and a member of the 1993 Premiership side. Geelong traded him to the Bombers at the beginning of the 1992 season in a swap that saw John Barnes join the Cats. To this stage of his career Denham has played 185 AFL games – 44 with Geelong and 141 with Essendon.

“He has been a fantastic player for this football club and he might yet have an important role to play in season 2000,” Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy said.

“His courage has inspired teammates throughout his career – he is just one of those players who lays it on the line every week he plays. He told the players of his decision earlier this week and that is his way – his teammates have always come first.”