Never backwards in coming forwards, Mick Malthouse has once again planted his flag and named the players that should consider hanging the boots up at the cessation of the 2021 season.
Across the the competition's 18-clubs, the league's longest serving coach has suggested that as many as 21-players should be eyeing retirement once the final siren sounds later this year.
In his regular column for The Herald Sun, the mustachioed mastermind claimed that at 38-years-of-age, time had probably claimed Hawthorn's Shaun Burgoyne as a victim. Malthouse also eluded to the fact that as the newest member of the AFL's 400 club is closer to 40 than his teenaged years, the former Port Adelaide dynamo sits outside of the Hawks' list profile for a rebuild.
North of a pair of borders, Malthouse also felt that due to a dip in output, Brisbane's Grant Birchall should be weighing up his options. Although the triple premiership coach stated that he was probably still within Lions' coach Chris Fagan's plans for the future, a replacement for the defender's role should be considered.
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At Princes Park, the 67-year-old also felt that time was up for Carlton veterans Eddie Betts and Marc Murphy due to the fact that they are unlikely to figure in the Blues' next finals run.
The at times curmudgeonly former pedagogue also believed that another of his former clubs in Collingwood should be looking to part ways with Chris Mayne and Mason Cox. So too the Bombers and Cale Hooker.
Down the highway in the pivot city, Malthouse held a view that a pair of relatively new Cats in Shaun Higgins and Josh Jenkins were on their ninth life in Chris Scott's side.
The 1980 premiership player also claimed that the time was right for returning Giants ruckman Shane Mumford to consider retirement once more.
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Due to the fact that he hasn't been seen as a first string option in Simon Goodwin's side, former Melbourne captain Nathan Jones' career could be over too if Malthouse is on the money.
Despite registering 250-games and four All-Australian awards in his time at Alberton, the man who coached 718-senior games for a win percentage of 57% was of the opinion that Robbie Gray was inching towards an end in Ken Hinkley's side.
Citing injuries as a result of ageing, the man that laced the boots on 121-occasions for Richmond between 1976 and 1983 believed that the end was nearing for premiership champions Bachar Houli and Shane Edwards at Tigerland.
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When it came to another of his former stomping grounds, Malthouse claimed that as many as four names on St Kilda coach Brett Ratten's roster could be wrapping their careers up shortly. The defender who departed Moorabbin in the early seventies believed that James Frawley, Jake Carlisle, Dan Hannebery and incumbent captain Jarryn Geary could follow suit at the end of the season.
Malthouse also suggested that Josh Kennedy could be considering severing ties with the Eagles after 13-seasons, as the rigours of manning a key forward post may have worn his body to breaking point.
Having started his coaching career at the Whitten Oval in 1984, the former Dogs steward wrapped up his published musings by suggesting that if their side claimed the flag this season, then former captain Easton Wood and freshly imported Pup Stefan Martin could well be heading for the exit too.
