Reynella Football Club great Callan Semple retires from football
A Southern Football League great has called time on his dazzling career ahead of season 2025 after winning a fourth A Grade premiership with his beloved local club in 2024.
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A Southern Football League superstar has called time on his career after winning a fourth A Grade premiership in 2024.
Reynella Football Club great Callan Semple will hang up the boots after 254 A Grade games and 591 goals for the Wineflies.
Semple, who was recently named in the top 25 SFL players of the 21st Century, won premierships in 2013, 2015, 2022 and 2024 and was a dominant and supremely skilled player at his best who could often take over a game with his marking and goalkicking ability.
The 35-year-old said the experience of winning the 2024 flag with a victory over league power Flagstaff Hill made the decision relatively easy.
“It was something I’d been thinking about for around 12 months with the main reason being I just wanted a bit more family and work life balance,” Semple said.
“It was a pretty simple decision and to finish with a flag and on a high was probably a big factor.
“That win was the icing on the cake.”
Semple, whose father Andrew also starred for Reynella, joined the Wineflies at the U10s level and worked his way through the ranks to eventually become a mainstay in the A Grade side for over a decade.
He said the club had been a second home to him and his family.
“Yeah it has been like family pretty much,” he said.
“The club is like a second home, I’ve builty lots of strong relationships and friendships and it has been a great support for me and my family.
“The retirement probably won’t hit until round one and I’ll get itchy feet but I’ve got two young kids now so they’ll be getting involved and I’ll still be watching the boys.”
While Semple had been a star staple in four premierships for the Wineflies, he said the enjoyment of helping younger players and building from the bottom had been just as rewarding an experience during his career.
“Obviously the premierships are a highlight but I really enjoyed that period from 2019 to 2021 where we knew we were building something special and had a young group starting from the bottom.
“Working with the younger guys and then eventually topping it off with flags in 2022 and 2024 was just really special.
“I think with the core young group we’ve got at the moment, there is going to be a lot more success and they’re only going to get better.
“For me, I’m just excited about what is next, being around my kids and family more and just finding other passions.”
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