‘Cruel finish’: Injury-plagued footy veteran Dan Hannebery announces retirement

After several years battling soft tissues injuries, St Kilda midfielder Dan Hannebery has announced his retirement from the AFL.

Dan Hannebery of the Saints acknowledges the fans. Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

St Kilda midfielder Dan Hannebery has announced his retirement from the AFL, with this weekend’s match against former club the Sydney Swans set to be his last.

On Thursday, St Kilda confirmed the 31-year-old had decided to hang up the boots after 14 seasons in the AFL.

He informed his teammates of his decision at RSEA Park before training on Thursday morning.

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Hannebery was drafted by the Swans as the No. 30 pick in 2008, making his AFL debut the following year.

He won a premiership with Sydney in 2012, playing in the club’s 14.7 (91) to 11.15 (81) grand final triumph over Hawthorn.

After 10 successful seasons at Sydney, Hannebery signed for the Saints on a big-money deal ahead of 2019, but his four-year stint at St Kilda has been plagued by soft-tissue injuries.

The three-time All-Australian has scored 100 goals in 225 AFL games, winning the Coaches Association Player of the Year award in 2015. He also won the Ron Evans Medal in 2010.

Hannebery missed last weekend’s season-defining loss to the Brisbane Lions due to an ankle complaint, but he should recover before Sunday’s Round 23 contest at Marvel Stadium.

BREAKING: Dan Hannebery has told teammates he will retire after Sunday’s game. The call was made on Tuesday. @[e-mail]/60AhqNcCYM

— Nat Yoannidis (@NatYoannidis) August 18, 2022

Dan Hannebery will retire after Sunday's game against his old side Sydney. He told the playing group at a meeting this morning. Cruel finish to his career after being a 3 x AA, 3 x top 5 in the Brownlow & AFLCA POTY by the age of 26. Proved he can still play in Rd 20 @AFLcomau

— Josh Gabelich (@JoshGabelich) August 18, 2022

Dan Hannebery of the Saints. Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

While Hannebery didn’t reach the heights hoped for by the size of his deal, former Demons captain Garry Lyon said on SEN this morning: “It was worth the punt, but maybe not at the price”.

“It didn’t work because he didn’t get to play,” he added.

“It didn’t work. They paid big money for him and when you pay that sort of money you’ve got to get out on the park.

“Dan is one of the hardest working players I ever watched, but they got on him at the wrong time and they didn’t get bang for their buck.”

Essendon captain Tim Watson agreed the gamble was worth it.

“It was worth a punt because when you look at what he could do and even a couple of weeks ago when he played – that type of player, you weren’t getting just his playing ability, but a style of play that perhaps he could influence other players with, but he just hasn’t been able to play often enough to influence anyone,” Watson said.

“You can do whatever you like behind the scenes and be a great clubman and that type of thing, but most of the time you’re in rehab and away from the training group.”