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 Fremantle Dockers 
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Postby djmenow » Mon Jul 07, 2008 8:01 pm


Awesome career from an awesome player.

To think the Dockers cut him after 2 games in 1995 and then became one of the games greats.

Quote:
Peter Bell announces his retirement

July 07, 2008 04:00pm
ONE of Fremantle's greatest ever players, Peter Bell, has brought down the curtain on a stellar 286-game career by announcing his immediate retirement.

Just a week after Fremantle president Rick Hart and coach Mark Harvey urged the 32-year-old to play on in 2009, Bell said it was the right time to walk away from the game and let the Dockers focus on youth.

Bell revealed he went into Fremantle's round 14 loss to Essendon knowing it would be his last appearance for the Dockers.

"It was a pretty tough decision to come to when you love football as much as I do and love the footy club as much as I do but it's the right thing to do I believe moving forward for the footy club and perhaps more importantly for my family and myself,'' Bell said.

"I don't think I've got much more left to give. I've given footy a lot and I think it would be fraudulent of me to come down here and go through the motions just for the sake of playing another season of footy.''

Bell's outstanding 286-game career featured premierships at North Melbourne in 1996 and `99.

The midfielder made his debut with the Dockers in 1995, moved to North in `96 and returned to Fremantle in 2001, captaining the club from 2002-06.

He considered retirement after last season, but the club convinced him to continue and let him commute from Geraldton, north of Perth.

Bell stopped that arrangement in May and had played 13 games this season.


Bell has established himself as arguably the finest player to wear the Fremantle jumper and one of the greatest players ever produced in WA.

During his 13-year career, the 32-year-old twice won All Australian selection and is a three time winner of Fremantle’s best and fairest award the Doig Medal.

He was also runner-up in the Doig Medal three times.

A former president of the AFL Players Association, Bell is a life member of both the Fremantle Football Club and the AFL.

Dockers coach Mark Harvey said Bell had battled hardship to forge an outstanding AFL career.

“Knowing where he has come from and what he has gone through as a footballer, you can’t help but be full of admiration for what he has achieved,” he said.

“He is an astute thinker and great student of the game and Peter has used that to great advantage to stay on top of the opposition.

“Some times as a coach it is hard to quantify how valuable that is but I do know the players will really miss having Peter out there.”

Dockers captain Matthew Pavlich, who took over the leadership from Bell at the start of last season, said he had no doubt Bell was Fremantle’s greatest ever player.

“He’s our most decorated player, a fantastic leader and a champion person,” Pavlich said.

“Peter took over as a captain of the club when it was at its lowest point and took us into a preliminary final.”

Describing Bell as strong willed and strong minded, Pavlich said Bell was held in the highest regard by everyone at the club and by Fremantle’s loyal and passionate supporters.

“In almost every game I’ve played in it has been along side Peter Bell and that’s been an enormous privilege,” he said.

“You just knew that every week he would perform, no mater what the circumstances.

“It’s a big shock to think that I’ll never run out along side him again.”

Fremantle chief executive officer Cameron Schwab said Bell’s career was arguably one of football’s greatest ever stories, having been born in Korea and adopted and raised in Kojonup.

“What Peter has gone on to do in life both on and off the football field is outstanding. He qualified as a lawyer while playing football at the highest level and is a dual premiership player,” Schwab said.

“A three-time winner of the Doig Medal, Peter has always been hugely popular with our supporters and as a leader of this club he has been inspirational.

“Between 1999 and 2006 he always finished in the top two in his club’s fairest and best award and finished third in 2007.”

“There were times when he simply willed himself to get out there and play, particularly in 2004 when he had osteitis pubis.

“His football and athletic ability were under rated but he combined consistency, enormous courage and great leadership to be a genuine champion of the game.”:

Career Highlights
AFL Rising Star Nominee 1996
Kangaroos Premiership sides 1996, 1999
Kangaroos Pre-Season Premiership side 1998
International Rules series 1999
All Australian 1999, 2003
Kangaroos Best & Fairest winner 2000
Kangaroos Best & Fairest runner-up 1999
Fremantle Doig Medal 2001, 2003, 2004
Fremantle Doig Medal Runner-up 2002, 2005, 2006
Fremantle Captain 2002-2006
WA State of Origin Captain 2002 (vice captain), 2003 (captain), 2004 (captain), 2005, 2006 (captain), 2007
AFL Life Member (2007)
Fremantle Football Club 150 Games and Life Membership (2007)
Games record for most games played by a Western Australian in the VFL/AFL (2008)


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Postby djmenow » Sat Jul 12, 2008 9:04 pm


IMO the Dockers players who need to go at seasons end (either retirement/delisted):

Jeff Farmer
Shaun McManus
Luke Webster
Ryley Dunn
Andrew Browne
Mark Johnson (he played well today)

Who should the Dockers look at trading:

Adam Campbell
Ryan Murphy
Byron Schammer
Josh Carr


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Postby djmenow » Sat Aug 09, 2008 10:18 pm


Such a good game tonight against the Swans. I really thought we had it but the 3rd time this season when Pav had the chance to ice the game resulting in a point scored off his foot and the other team kicking a goal or 2 to steal the game.

Cant blame Pav he had an outstanding game.

Cant stand Goodes and he also had a great game with 8 goals but the move of Dodd onto him and McPharlin back down back should have happened earlier.

I am liking what I am seeing with the Dockers over the past 4 weeks and hope it continues.

That is I think out 7th game this season we have lost by less than 10 points, so if we win those games we are top 4 material.


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Postby djmenow » Sat Aug 09, 2008 10:19 pm


djmenow wrote:
IMO the Dockers players who need to go at seasons end (either retirement/delisted):

Jeff Farmer
Shaun McManus
Luke Webster
Ryley Dunn
Andrew Browne
Mark Johnson (he played well today)

Who should the Dockers look at trading:

Adam Campbell
Ryan Murphy
Byron Schammer
Josh Carr


I have changed my mind about Schammer and ever Mark Johnson. I would like the Dockers to keep them.


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Postby djmenow » Wed Aug 20, 2008 8:19 pm


I'd say there will be alot of player changes next season.

So far Matthew Carr, Peter Bell, Heath Black, Shaun McManus and now Mark Johnson have retired.

I also will say Webster will be gone after 4 knee reconstructions, Andrew Browne will go after about 6 hamstring tears, Dunn will go due to not being very good. I will say Farmer may get another season on a heavily reduced deal.


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Postby rootedagain » Thu Aug 21, 2008 9:39 am


I reckon the AFL should give the dockers the boot. They've been underperformers for too long. With 2 new teams to come in and Tasmania wanting a team and keep being rejected, maybe the dockers should relocate. Obviously WA can't sustain two AFL teams.


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Postby djmenow » Thu Aug 21, 2008 10:18 am


rootedagain wrote:
I reckon the AFL should give the dockers the boot. They've been underperformers for too long. With 2 new teams to come in and Tasmania wanting a team and keep being rejected, maybe the dockers should relocate. Obviously WA can't sustain two AFL teams.


:lol: :roll: :lol: :roll: :lol: :roll:

Thanks for the laugh mate. Maybe get rid of 2 Victorian teams who are continuously losing money and relying on AFL handouts.


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Postby djmenow » Sat Aug 30, 2008 8:00 pm


Josh Carr has asked the Dockers to trade him back to Port as his SA girlfriend wants to move back home and he wants to go with her. Apparently Nathan Krakouer may be part of the trade as he is homesick and wants to come back to the west.

The team is going to look soooo different next season.


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Postby djmenow » Tue Sep 02, 2008 8:03 pm


Well another retirement but this one wasnt really a surprise.

Jeff Farmer was a bloody good player but his disciplinary left a bit to be desired.

Highest amount of career goals for an indiginous player.

1500 games of experience now gone from the club with all the retirements.

We were the oldest club. Not any more.


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Postby SKaVeN » Tue Sep 02, 2008 9:03 pm


Fremantle were simultaneously one of the oldest & youngest clubs. They were the Ringo Starr of the AFL.


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