Central District need a tall backman to replace Corey Reichert and Yves Sibenaler

A KEY defender will be at the top of Central District's off-season shopping list following the retirement of Yves Sibenaler.

A KEY defender will be at the top of Central District's off-season shopping list following a long-term knee injury to Corey Reichert and the retirement of Yves Sibenaler.

Reichert, 24, is set to undergo surgery on a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament he sustained in the elimination final, while seven-time premiership player Sibenaler, 34, has decided to hang up the boots.

After the Bulldogs' 62-point loss to North Adelaide this month, coach Roy Laird spoke about proactively trying to recruit players over summer.

This week he confirmed an "urgent" need for a tall backman.

"It appears that way at the moment," Laird said when asked if Reichert would miss all of next season. "He's due to have surgery at the moment so all initial thoughts are not good.

"We're already in the market for that type (key defender) so it (Reichert's injury and Sibenaler's retirement) makes it even more urgent now."

Laird said the club would look "everywhere" for recruits, including Port Adelaide, where the future of Magpies players are in question as the team becomes the Power reserves in 2014.

He said Sibenaler had been a fantastic servant of the club and his hardness was missed this season.

Only three Bulldogs James and Chris Gowans and Matthew Slade have won more flags at the club.

In the wake of the elimination final loss, Laird also said the club planned a "significant clean out" in coming weeks.

This week he said he had "not officially" begun deciding players' futures.

"We'll be talking through players over the next week about some of those things but nothing we want released yet."