Port Adelaide veteran Justin Westhoff to retire from AFL
Port Adelaide fan favourite Justin Westhoff has announced his retirement from AFL football after 14 seasons with the Power – and his press conference was as “Hoff” as it gets.
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Much-loved Port Adelaide veteran Justin Westhoff has been described as the ultimate team man following the announcement that he will hang up his footy boots at the end of the season, after 14 years with the Power.
Instead of announcing his retirement with a prepared statement, “The Hoff” simply walked into the press conference at Port’s Alberton headquarters and graciously answered every question put to him: it was typical of his style, but he admitted he came close to tears telling his teammates, and chatting through favourite memories with them.
“Players come and go, you try and make your mark on the club and then things move on, hopefully I’ve made my mark on the club and the players and people around and that’s all I can do,” he said.
Power coach Ken Hinkley described him as the ultimate team person, a selfless footballer who was among the most dependable and reliable he’s coached in his time.
“He’s been an absolute star for our footy club … there’s not a person in the football world who does not love The Hoff, opposition, teammates, fans, even fans of opposition all love and respect the great man,” Hinkley said.
“He’s been the most respected footballer I’ve probably seen ever, I reckon, with his teammates and what they think of him, they just love him.”
Westhoff will bow out as one of the club’s much-loved stalwarts, having so far played 280 games in Power colours since debuting as a 20-year-old in 2007.
He is currently equal-second for most games played, tied with Travis Boak and behind Kane Cornes (300 games), while his 313 career goals, put him third on Port’s all-time leading goal kickers record behind Warren Tredrea (549) and Robbie Gray (333).
But the 33-year-old has been in and out of Port’s best 22 in 2020, and hasn’t played a game since Round 14.
However he declared his football journey was far from over and hoped to fight his way back into the team that will challenge for the AFL premiership.
“I think there’s still a little bit of the story to be told, whether that’s playing another four games, one game, or if I’ve played my last game, then so be it,” he said.
“Footy’s a funny thing, I’ve seen it all over the last 14 years and nothing surprises me anymore, even this year and what’s unfolded there’s hopefully an opportunity for me, but if that’s not the case … the beers are still going to be cold and I’ll still have as many with boys win, lose or draw come to the end of the season.”
Hinkley said Westhoff’s form in recent scratch matches had been strong, and his name was in contention for Monday night’s Round 18 clash against Collingwood, also given the hamstring injury to tall defender Tom Clurey.
“The beauty is, he could easily fill (Clurey’s) role, he could easily fill the full forward’s role, he could easily fill the ruckman’s role, we could pick him on the wing,” Hinkley said.
“He’s done that for me in eight years … whatever you need, he’ll go and do his best to make sure I give the team a chance to win.”
Westhoff said he’d come to the decision to retire over the course of a myriad conversations held over the past two months, but had been considering retirement for about a year.
Having played 280 games for the Power, he said he wasn’t tempted to continue playing to reach his 300th game.
“I could sit down and crack the shits and get greedy and be a little bit selfish and have that as my goal, but that’s never been a goal of mine,” he said.
“I just wanted to play every game like it’s my best game, that’s never been a thought that I’ve entertained at all, more success has been the driving force for me.”
With the announcement official, Westhoff said he was now looking forward to enjoying the last period of time that he’s a player.
“Not going on with the ride with those guys is obviously going to be a bit of a bizarre feeling, but there comes a time in life when you’re looking forward to things outside of what it is than to be in an AFL bubble and I’ve got four kids at home, who will be more than happy to see me around. I’m pretty keen to experience those things and watch my young lad play every week and live through him a little bit.”