Eagle Priddis retires, Mitchell to follow

Jul 28, 2017 - 4:13 AM West Coast veteran Matt Priddis has revealed he broke down after making the decision to retire, but he's convinced it's the right call.

Priddis announced his retirement on Friday - just seven weeks after signing a one-year contract extension.

The 32-year-old will play out the season before hanging up his boots.

Fellow Brownlow medallist Sam Mitchell is also set to retire at the end of the year, although coach Adam Simpson wouldn't confirm or deny it when asked on Friday.

Drew Petrie is almost certain to join the star midfielders in retirement, while the futures of Sam Butler, Sharrod Wellingham, Eric Mackenzie, Mark LeCras, and Josh Hill are up in the air.

Priddis said he had been contemplating retirement for the past two months.

The case to retire became too compelling to ignore as his form started to wane.

"Over a 10-week period, it was coming into my thoughts probably more frequently than I would have liked," Priddis said on Friday, with the entire West Coast player group looking on.

"Once you actually say, 'Bang, this is what we're going to do', it really hits home.

"That's when I broke down. It was probably Tuesday. I had to leave early that day. It was pretty tough."

Priddis tallied just 16 disposals in last week's loss to Collingwood, and has cracked the 20-possession mark just once in his past four games.

But he insists he wasn't pushed into retirement, saying he is at ease with the decision.

"This is my call. I know it's the right decision," Priddis said.

"I put my own hand up and say I don't think I can play a good enough role for the team, and the team is always first.

"I felt my standards were probably dropping, and there were guys who can probably do a bit better than me."

Simpson praised Priddis' character, describing the 184cm midfielder as one of the most dedicated players he had ever come across.

"We'll never get another one like this guy," Simpson said.

Priddis will miss Sunday's clash with Brisbane because of a quad injury.

Unless West Coast pull off a miracle this year, Priddis will end his career without a premiership.

But he is proud at what he's been able to achieve during his 235-game career to date.

Overlooked in three national drafts, Priddis made his debut in round 10, 2006 when the Eagles came from nine goals down to snatch a three-point victory against Geelong at Simonds Stadium.

Priddis couldn't cement a spot in West Coast's star-studded midfield that year as the club went on to win the flag.

But he became a mainstay in the side from 2007, with his best year coming in 2014 when he won the Brownlow Medal.

Source: AAP