Swans chat McVeigh retirement

[Sandridge]

McVeigh calls time - sydneyswans.com.au

We knew this was coming but it's still sad!

So glad he won't be lost to the club, though.

Thanks for everything, Jarrad!

[Mark26]

A red and white legend!

[barry]

Great to see a local sydney boy come up through the junior ranks in Sydney, get drafted by the swans, have a long career, win a flag.

Hope he stays in and around Sydney and involved in footy, and we dont lose another brain-drain to victoria.

[Blood Fever]

A red and white legend!

All time great player and premiership captain. He was pick 5 in the 2002 Draft in a rare year that we didn't make the finals. Wouldn't it be great if we drafted somebody this year with a similar pick who turned out to be his equal. Fingers crossed.

[KTigers]

Man, what an awesome career. 324 games and counting, 17 seasons, 15 Finals Series, 28 games in finals, 2 B & F, 1 AA,
six years as co-captain, 4 GFs, 1 premiership. And he was a junior from Penno. An out-and-out legend of the club!

[neilfws]

His first game was not too shabby - 12 disposals, 6 contested possessions, 2 tackles and a goal from 61% game time.

I started watching seriously just a few years before, so he's the last of "my era" that I've watched all the way through. Was huge in 2012.

It's worth emphasizing how rare 300 games or more is. 88 players have managed it to date, out of 12,748. McVeigh is 37 on the all-time games list and fourth of the 9 current players with 300+ games.

"Leadership" gets thrown around a lot, but how noticeable was the improvement in the half-back line whenever he returned after a few weeks out.

Good to hear we'll have that experience for a few years yet.

[The Big Cat]

His first game was not too shabby - 12 disposals, 6 contested possessions, 2 tackles and a goal from 61% game time.

I started watching seriously just a few years before, so he's the last of "my era" that I've watched all the way through. Was huge in 2012.

It's worth emphasizing how rare 300 games or more is. 88 players have managed it to date, out of 12,748. McVeigh is 37 on the all-time games list and fourth of the 9 current players with 300+ games.

"Leadership" gets thrown around a lot, but how noticeable was the improvement in the half-back line whenever he returned after a few weeks out.

Good to hear we'll have that experience for a few years yet.

The succession plan is now in place.

[Jimitron5000]

Although not a surprise, it's still sad. What a terrific career he has had.
I hope he becomes as good a coach as he is player and he can pass on his knowledge to our next generation.

[BRISWAN]

Thanks for your 100% over a 17 magnificent years.

Macca,

You have nothing to prove as a person, a father, a friend or a footballer.

BEST WISHES FOR THE FUTURE and coach well.

Thankyou

[stevoswan]

Player tributes for Macca - sydneyswans.com.au

Nice....

You're a Swans legend Macca....all the best to you and yours.

[Mel_C]

Hopefully he can make it back for a farewell game but from what I read it seems unlikely. At least he will have a farewell lap during our last game.

[stevoswan]

Geez, I just watched the press conference.... I was tearing up watching Horse's heartfelt (and teary) words. Watching these two speak makes me so proud of our club....

[goswannies]

Geez, I just watched the press conference.... I was tearing up watching Horse's heartfelt (and teary) words. Watching these two speak makes me so proud of our club....

That was why Horse was going nowhere. A Swan ‘til the end

[Aprilbr]

I posted this today in the reader comments section of the Melbourne Herald Sun article announcing the retirement of Macca. I thought that I would share it with you.

Macca is a fine example to not only Swans players past and present but also the growth of the game in NSW. One aspect of his game that I feel he excelled in better than almost anybody else was his ability to execute the dummy play before kicking the ball better than almost any other player in the game. He would just hold the kick till the opponent committed their body and then he would perfectly baulk them before inevitably finding a team mate with a perfectly executed pass. He did this expertly for years.

His example around the Club in preparing himself so professionally for games and general leadership on the backline was second to none. It is great that he will remain at the Club going forward in a coaching capacity. It would not at all surprise me if he one day is senior coach of the Swans.



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[S.S. Bleeder]

Sad to see him go but a wise decision. He definitely got the most out his aging body that's for sure.

I remember seeing him at the Lakeside Oval the day after the 2005 GF. He looked so disappointed and lonely standing away from the premiership players in a corner with a few other ressies. At least he got to taste that premiership glory in the end.