Retiring Sydney legend Dane Rampe says he was "upset and hurt" by the end-of-season Swans scandal involving five players suspended for the remainder of the year, but did admit he has made peace with how his career finished.
Rampe announced his retirement from the Swans after 289 and 14 years following his rookie draft ahead of the 2013 season.
The former co-captain knew last year that 2026 would be his final season in the AFL.
But he wrestled with that decision following the five suspended players and where the club was at following the difficult period.
Sydney rallied through the finals series and were looking like making an unlikely Grand Final berth before they were overrun by Fremantle in the preliminary final.
Rampe, among many other teammates, showed the emotion of the heartbreaking loss, which was compounded by the absences of stars Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, Nick Blakey, James Jordon and Riley Bice.
"I think deep down, I probably knew last year that this year was going to be my last," Rampe said.
"I probably didn't put that out into the world because I wanted to focus all my time and energy into having a crack. I felt like we had the team, and I guess we were at a stage of our evolution that I thought would be challenging.
"Everything was going swimmingly. I thought we had the losses we needed to have. We implemented all the work. We were righting our wrongs from the past couple of years, grand final losses, making that gap closer.
"Then, I'm not going to lie, the events that happened at the back end of the year of the season really muddied those waters. It really threw into disarray what I was thinking, what I hadn't admitted to myself yet, but I guess selfishly, part of me felt upset and hurt by what had happened. I was struggling to accept whether that was the way I was going to bow out.
"Coupled with that is the place the club finds itself. It didn't feel right leaving with where things were at. But I guess what I've learnt from my football career is that's my perception. It's not necessarily the reality. And what perspective has taught me is that I needed those few weeks up until the 11th hour, essentially, to get the clarity and peace I needed, which was that it doesn't impact the way I leave this club.
"I'm so comfortable where the club sits, albeit under some pretty extenuating circumstances.
"But I want to thank Leon and Coxy for this time, which has afforded me the ability to make a decision from clarity and peace rather than being emotional and jumping at a decision I may have regretted.
"I needed time to process a human reaction. I needed to accept these things. I had time to do it. I don't feel cheated. I don't feel hurt by it. I just needed to process that and needed to experience it. I've come out the other side clear, happy and content and feeling super grateful, ironically, for how everything's unfolded. I wouldn't change a thing for the world."
