Former North Melbourne captain Jack Ziebell announces his retirement

Australian Community Media

Former Wodonga Bulldog Jack Ziebell has announced he will hang up his boots at the end of the 2023 season.

Transcript

00:00 But thank you everyone for being here this morning.

00:02 I'd like to announce that this year will be my last

00:04 and I'll be retiring at the end of the season.

00:07 On one hand, it's always a hard decision

00:09 to give up the thing you love most,

00:11 but on the other, I think my body will thank me for it.

00:14 I've given everything I can for this footy club,

00:16 but I think the time is right for me to pass the baton

00:18 to you boys and take this club forward.

00:20 It's a bit of a surreal feeling,

00:23 one that I won't probably be able to fully reflect upon

00:26 until the final siren goes in my last game,

00:29 but I'd love to be able to share a little glimpse

00:31 of what this club means to me.

00:32 From arriving at Arden Street,

00:38 when, a few boys remember this,

00:40 when the resources were minimal,

00:41 no better than our local clubs back home

00:43 in mining Wodonga,

00:44 to the elite facilities we now call home,

00:47 from this time I walked into the place,

00:49 I felt right at home

00:50 and I've made some amazing friendships

00:52 and connections along the way.

00:53 One thing that has remained the same

00:57 throughout the entire 15 years of my career

01:00 is the character and care of the people

01:01 within the four walls of our club.

01:04 It's our difference, it always has been,

01:06 and it's those people that have shaped me,

01:07 not only as a footballer, but as a person.

01:10 This is a special place

01:11 and I'll always cherish being a part of this club.

01:14 Never in my wildest dreams

01:17 did I think I'd play over 275 AFL games

01:19 and be fortunate enough to captain our great club

01:21 for over six years.

01:22 To start and finish as a one club player

01:26 is something I'll be forever grateful for.

01:28 Someone once said to me,

01:30 it goes quickly and that it does.

01:32 But the one thing I wanted to achieve personally,

01:34 every single game I played

01:36 was to be the best teammate I could be

01:38 and someone my teammates could rely on.

01:39 And upon calling time,

01:42 you realise it's not about the personal accolades

01:45 or your win loss ratio,

01:46 it's about the relationships you make,

01:49 the friendships you have

01:51 and the memories you'll take

01:52 long after your footy career's over.

01:55 (sighs)

01:56 It's pretty good,

01:56 tidy one page before I started choking down, mate.

01:59 (laughs)

02:02 To all my teammates,

02:04 currently, past and present,

02:07 I'm gonna really cherish these last four weeks

02:10 being your teammate

02:11 and know you'll always have my support in the future.

02:14 Thank you to my coaches,

02:21 had a few over the journey,

02:22 so you've all had an immense impact on me

02:25 both as a person and as a player.

02:27 Thanks for backing me and believing in me.

02:31 To my family and friends,

02:32 especially my parents,

02:33 mum and dad,

02:34 the old boy's here today,

02:35 made the trip,

02:36 thanks for that, dad.

02:38 It takes a village

02:39 and I'm so appreciative of the unconditional support

02:42 and love over the journey.

02:43 To my wife, Sian and Pippa,

02:49 without question,

02:51 you've always put me and my career first.

02:53 Your sacrifice, love,

02:55 Sian's, your rose-colored glasses

02:57 have kept me balanced

02:58 and put life into perspective

02:59 during some very tough times.

03:01 I'm forever grateful

03:02 and I can't wait for our next chapter as a family.

03:05 And in closing,

03:06 when I look back and think of these years,

03:07 the memory I'll treasure most

03:08 is pulling on the North Melbourne jumper

03:10 with my teammates

03:11 and having my family and friends supporting me.

03:13 This is a special club, boys.

03:15 We're all very lucky to be a part of it,

03:19 so embrace it and enjoy it.

03:21 Thank you.

03:22 (audience applauding)

03:25 (audience applauding)

03:28 (audience applauding)

03:32 (audience applauding)

03:35 (audience applauding)

03:38 [APPLAUSE]

03:41 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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