Dylan Shiel has confirmed he and the Essendon Bombers have "mutually agreed" to part ways after seven years at the club.
Shiel's 99-game tenure saw him finish as runner-up in the club's best-and-fairest award in 2019, but injuries and inconsistency struggles over the following years saw him fail to feature in over 20 games in a season between 2020 and 2025.
Shiel was in and out of the Bombers senior side this season, featuring in just 14 games, though he has managed a respectable 21.1 disposals and 3.0 clearances in those fixtures.
The 32-year-old put together one of his best performances of the season in the Bombers first loss of Round 24, collecting 30 disposals, eight marks and 448 metres gained against Carlton, as well as six score involvements.
Shiel said in a club statement on Thursday he hopes to continue his AFL journey elsewhere, though accepted the possibility his time in the league may have come to an end.
"I have mutually agreed with the Essendon Football Club to part ways," Shiel said.
"I believe the timing is right to explore continuing my career elsewhere if the opportunity arises. If not, I am ready to embrace the next phase of my life.
"I want to express my deep gratitude for my time at Essendon. Although we didn't reach all the heights we dreamed of, I cherished representing the red and black. I loved putting on the red and black jumper and representing the club and its supporters every weekend and I want to thank all the Essendon supporters who embraced me.
"Essendon is a special club, one that has a presence in the big moments, and I loved being a part of it. I value the lifelong relationships I have formed at Essendon."
General Manager of AFL Daniel McPherson thanked Shiel for his efforts at the Bombers.
"On behalf of everyone at the Essendon Football Club, I want to thank Dylan for his service. Dylan's professionalism has been a great example to his teammates throughout his time at the club,” McPherson said.
"He had a profound impact on Essendon, and his willingness to mentor our younger midfielders has been invaluable. We thank Dylan for his contribution, and he will always be a part of the Essendon family."
Shiel's future in the AFL remains unclear, though he certainly has proven he has the capability to be an elite level ball-winner at AFL level, and could become a solid veteran addition to a young budding midfield group, similarly to how North Melbourne acquired Luke Parker last off-season.
