AFL 2023: Isaac Smith to retire at the end of the season

Geelong captain Patrick Dangerfield has no desire to join teammate and Norm Smith medallist Isaac Smith in retirement despite a conversation with AFL Commission chair Richard Goyder about joining the decision-making body.

Smith, the oldest player ever to win a Norm Smith in the 2022 decider, aged 33, will retire at the end of 2023 having racked up four premierships during his stellar career.

The star winger won three premierships with Hawthorn before crossing to the Cats, where he won best on ground honours in the 2022 premiership, kicking three goals among 32 disposals and 12 marks in a stunning display.

The 34-year-old was the oldest winner of the Norm Smith Medal and has played 277 games for both Geelong and Hawthorn.

He announced his retirement to his teammates on Wednesday.

“I am so fortunate to have been given the opportunity to play AFL football, it is every kid’s dream growing up and to have that play out for me across the last 13 seasons at two great clubs is something really special,” Smith said.

“From the time I walked into Hawthorn, and now being at Geelong, I have always felt right at home at both organisations and to this day have made some very special friendships and bonds with a lot of people.

“I would like to thank everyone along the journey, in particular my wife Candice and children Isla and Emmett. I will forever be indebted to you for the support you have shown me.”

Taken by Hawthorn with pick 19 in the 2010 AFL draft, Smith made his debut in round 7 of the 2011 season against Port Adelaide.

He played 210 games for the Hawks, serving as the co-vice-captain along with Liam Shiels from 2017 to 2019 before moving to Geelong at the end of the 2020 season.

Smith has played 67 out of a possible 70 games for the Cats, including six finals appearances alongside Dangerfield, who, despite being 33 himself, won’t follow his teammate into retirement any time soon.

“I’m not retiring yet,” Dangerfield told SEN.

“(Smith) has made a massive contribution to our club and he’ll be missed.”

Dangerfield confirmed he had spoken to Goyder at the captains’ conference at the beginning of the season about life after football and whether that included talks about moving in to administration.

He said he had an “extraordinarily surface level” chat about the commission, but not about joining it, and he was aware it would be too hard for an active player to join.

“I just don’t think it’s possible as a player with the conflicts you have,” he said on SEN.

“I don’t think it could never get through, but everything that has been spoken about makes sense to me in terms of the conflicts around it, and how you would navigate that, I have no idea.”

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