Local Geelong premiership champion Daniel Measures retires after Bannockburn’s loss to East Geelong

A champion of Geelong footy has bowed out after his side bowed out of finals. And his coach believes he is one of the best he has seen.

Daniel Measures (right) with coach Ron Pilgrim and Jack Brauman after Bannockburn’s premiership win in 2022. Picture: Mark Wilson

Geelong local football champion Daniel Measures has called time on his illustrious career which included an incredible 10 premierships.

An emotional Measures, 34, was chaired off after his 264th and final game following Bannockburn’s shattering elimination final loss to East Geelong on Sunday.

Success seemed to follow Measures wherever he went in the region, with the superstar defender an integral part of Queenscliff’s BFL three-peat from 2011-2013, helping St Joseph’s to three premierships in 2015, 2017 and 2018, and holding the cup aloft as captain of Bannockburn in the GDFL in 2022.

Measures won a host of best-and-fairest awards across his time at the three clubs and his high esteem in both competitions was underlined by being named in both the BFL and GFL teams of the decade in 2020.

Originally from the Northern Territory, Measures also notched three flags in the Central Australian Football League for West Alice Springs and played 14 games for Geelong’s VFL side from 2013-2015.

Daniel Measures and his daughter Never, after St Joseph’s 2018 premiership. Picture: Mike Dugdale

Bannockburn coach Ron Pilgrim said that Measures is one of the best local players he has seen, commending the impact he has had since joining the club in 2020.

Pilgrim raised the possibility of Measures taking on a coaching or mentoring role next year with the retired champion expressing a desire to help the Tigers next year.

“He sort of retired this year. We didn’t say he’d retired but he had a late start, we let him not do a pre-season and I think he’d just had enough of playing footy I think. He’s had a pretty good career,” Pilgrim said.

“We speak about footballers but he is probably one of the best I’ve seen. But just as a person he’s helped the young fellas at the club like there’s no tomorrow and just his guidance and professionalism, an all-round nice guy.

“He performed on the big stage every time. If you look at his finals record and of course he’s won a lot of premierships, but I reckon if you looked at those premierships he’s been in the best players most of the time.

“He’s played on some very good players who he’s made look silly at times and his ability to perform when it really counts stands out for me.

“He’s obviously played some high level footy in the Northern Territory (so well) so I think when you look at his record and his history I think he’d have to be up there with one of the greats.

“He has had a massive impact for the club and he even said (on Sunday) that he is going to stick around so we’ll look to try and use him in a coaching or guidance capacity, we’ll definitely look at that for sure.”

Pilgrim said he will reach out to Measures in the coming weeks about how he can contribute to the club next year.

“We haven’t sat down and had a chat with him but he is a very good teacher,” Pilgrim said.

“Obviously (Sunday’s loss) was pretty raw, we haven’t had time to sit down and have a chat but I’ll just definitely catch up with him in the next few weeks and give him a bit of a break first, he has a young family.”

Originally published as Local Geelong premiership champion Daniel Measures retires after Bannockburn’s loss to East Geelong