Central District defender Yves Sibenaler retires after seven SANFL premierships
RETIRING Central District veteran Yves Sibenaler is not complaining after a career which led to seven SANFL flags with the Bulldogs.
RETIRING Central District veteran Yves Sibenaler is not complaining.
He joined the Bulldogs from South Gawler in 1997 as a forward who pinch-hit in the ruck and toiled through 90-odd reserves games, yet went on to become a star defender and snare seven premierships.
But the 34-year-old just wished he could have gone out on his own terms.
Instead, a degenerative hip injury has led him to call time on his career without playing a game this season, so he could have better quality of life in years to come.
"A specialist midway through the year said 'things aren't so good, not so much for football right now, but life and work'," says Sibenaler, whose last league game was the 2012 semi-final loss to North Adelaide.
"Playing again next year, I could probably do it.
"But it'd be short-term gain for long-term hip pain.
"It's disappointing not to play a game this season ... but I'm happy to have played at a really good club through a really successful period.
"I've been pretty lucky."
Sibenaler had been preparing for this season as if it would be his last.
In the final trial match, he injured his posterior cruciate ligament, sidelining him for 12 weeks.
"Leading into that last trial match, I couldn't wait for the season proper to start," Sibenaler says.
Retiring without playing a senior game this year only adds to a strange past few seasons for Sibenaler.
The fireman missed part of the 2010 season, though played in the flag, because he was working in Alice Springs with the NT Fire and Rescue Service.
A year later, he sat out the club's finals campaign because of work.
Sibenaler, who finishes on 163 games, says Roy Laird has been an inspirational coach who got the best out of him during his career.