Dogs begin delistings with heartbreaking call

Less than a week after their season came to a close, the Western Bulldogs have commenced their list clean out, starting with injured utility Mitch Hannan.

As per reports from the Kennel on Tuesday evening, the 29-year-old was told he would not be offered a contract for the 2024 season.

The call to cull the former Demon is particularly heartbreaking given Hannan is currently laid low with a ruptured Achillies tendon.

After undergoing surgery earlier this month, Hannan is set to remain on the sidelines for a purported period of 12 months, a stretch that is sure to hamper his chances of earning an AFL lifeline elsewhere this off-season.

“Mitch has contributed strongly across his time at the Bulldogs, highlighted by playing a pivotal role in the Club's push towards the Grand Final in 2021,” Bulldogs list boss Sam Power said via a club statement.

“He's been a fantastic team-mate inside the locker room, and we wish him all the best for the next stage of his career.”

Since joining league ranks with the Redlegs during the 2016 draft, Hannan laced the boots on 80 occassions across stints with the Dees and the Dogs, slotting 76 majors in the process.

Hannan will be joined in heading for the exit on Barkly Street by Josh Bruce after the three-club utility called time on his career earlier in August.