Dylan Shiel has officially retired from AFL football.
The veteran midfielder was delisted by Essendon at the end of the season despite featuring in 14 senior games for the Bombers.
At the time, the 32-year-old had hoped to continue his career at another club, but that never eventuated.
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Shiel posted a lengthy farewell message on Instagram, thanking Greater Western Sydney and Essendon.
“Today, I close the chapter on a dream I’ve been living since I was a boy,” he wrote.
“To the GWS Giants — thank you for taking a chance on an 17-year-old kid who didn’t know much, except that he loved this game with everything he had. You gave me a beginning, a family, and a foundation I’ll always be proud of.
“To Essendon — thank you for bringing me home. For seven years you allowed me to pull on the red and black, represent a proud club, and be part of something bigger than myself. The experiences, the supporters, the relationships inside the four walls — they’ve all left a lasting mark on me.
“Along the way, I’ve made friendships that will outlast football. Teammates who became family. Coaches and staff who invested in me as a person, not just a player. And fans who supported me through it all — the highs, the lows, and everything in between.”
Shiel has officially retired. Credit: Instagram
Starting his career at the Giants, Shiel quickly established himself as one of the game’s best midfielders.
He achieved All-Australian selection in 2017 before joining Essendon at the end of the following season in a blockbuster trade.
With the big-money move to the Bombers came extra scrutiny and Shiel battled form and injury issues throughout his time at the Bobmers.
But through it all, he never gave up and actually enjoyed one of his better seasons in 2025.
“But the truth is this: my journey wasn’t a fairytale. It was hard. It was heavy. It broke me open more than once,” he continued.
“There were seasons where it felt like all I did was fight — for form, for confidence, for a place, for belief.
“Yet every time the game tried to push me out, something inside me pushed back harder.
“I’m proud of that. Maybe more than anything else.
“Because at the end of the day, I’m just a boy who held onto his dream with both hands… and refused to let go.
“If I’ve learned one thing from all the years, all the bruises, and all the battles, it’s this: ‘You don’t always get the story you imagined — but if you keep showing up with heart, you’ll end up with a story worth telling’.
Shiel finished the post by thanking everyone who believed in him, challenged him, supported him or simply walked beside him.
He finishes his career with 234 AFL games to his name; 135 with the Giants and 99 with the Bombers.
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