'I know it's time': Bombers great and club loyalist Dyson Heppell calls time on AFL career
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Essendon great Dyson Heppell has announced he will retire from the AFL.
The Bombers confirmed the news in a letter to club members on Tuesday morning.
It follows the retirements of Dustin Martin, Tom Hawkins, and Andrew Gaff in the space of a few days last week.
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"In my own mind I always wanted to call it a day while I was still playing decent footy and that if it got to a point where we've got other boys primed and ready to play my role then I know it's time," Heppell said in a statement.
"No doubt there's a little competitive dog part of me that's in my ear telling me to go one more but after considering all possibilities and having the opportunity to go out on my own terms it just feels like the right call.
Dyson Heppell and Zach Merrett of the Bombers. AFL Photos via Getty Images
"Once it's all said and done if I've managed to have a positive impact on my teammates, coaches, staff and the broader club and hopefully I've inspired some little tackers to chase their dreams along the way then I say a job well done and if that's my success, I'll take it.
"The beauty about this game and this club is that it provides opportunities to meet some incredible people that I've fostered great friendships with over the years. There's too many to name but I will get to you all in time to say a massive thanks for the impact you've had on me.
"They all say it, but it does go bloody fast. I'm envious of our young boys embarking on your careers. I'd go back there and do it all again if I could."
Heppell arrived at Essendon amid tough times and the infamous drugs saga that brought the Bombers to their knees.
He was taken with pick No.8 in the 2010 draft and is now the 15th player in the club's history to surpass 250 games.
He burst onto the scene in 2011 and won Essendon's first AFL Rising Star Award as well as the AFLPA Best First-Year Player Award.
Heppell stood out in 2014, winning the club's best and fairest medal and being awarded his first All-Australian jumper.
He captained the club for five years from 2017 before handing the reins to Zach Merrett.
