THIS ONE’S FOR YOU, SON

THERE’S a host of reasons why Barry O’Toole will hang up the boots today.

There’s age, his weary body and the nagging thought of playing too long.

But the opportunity to coach his son, five-year-old Braxton, far outweighs all the factors in the 38-year-old’s decision to call time on his illustrious career.

And with 13 weeks of suspensions hanging over his head, three short of the deregistration threshold, the Corio champion is determined to finish on his own terms.

“It’s got a lot to do with it,” O’Toole said.

“But it’s just my body ... it’s catching up with me.

“I still think I’m good enough to keep playing, but with the three weeks, I still want to be able to coach and be involved in some kind of way in football and I definitely want to coach my son.

“My dad was the biggest influence on my footy and I only had him around until I was 11, so I want to be around for my son as long as I can be and I want to coach him for as long as I can as well.

“If I get rubbed out, and it doesn’t take much to get rubbed out these days, (that might not happen).

“I just don’t want to take that chance.”

Asked if he could “toe the line” in order to continue playing and remain out of the sights of the tribunal, O’Toole said the risks were far too great.

“This year I got a week for an open-hand push and a couple of blokes got sent off last week for pushing and shoving,” he said.

“I think the game’s changed a little bit and I’m finding myself holding back and not playing the way I want to play and I don’t really want to go out like that.

“I just want to be remembered as the player that played on the line for my career. I’ll go out the way I want to.” O’Toole revealed he copped nine weeks for abusing umpires, admitting he was wasn’t always in the book for physical misdemeanours.

“I have got many (weeks) for striking and things like that, but I just don’t want to take that risk,” he said.

Ironically, O’Toole will end his career against Inverleigh, the club that provided him with an opportunity to continue his career after he walked out on the Devils.

“When I did leave Corio, Macca ( Hawks coach Mark McDowell) gave me a chance to go out there and the club welcomed me with open arms,” O’Toole said.

“I felt really comfortable and I really enjoyed my time out there. I would’ve loved to have stayed out there but there was a bit of travelling that went against that.

“I’m really happy to play against the guys out there (Inverleigh), I’ve got a few mates out there, so it should be good.”

Having played for more than two decades, O’Toole admits the thought of never pulling on the red and white jumper has “really hit home”.

“The last couple of training nights, just thinking about (the fact) it’s coming to an end. I think on Saturday it will all come crashing down after the game.”

Braxton, decked out in his Corio colours on Thursday night, is destined to follow in his father’s footsteps.

“He will start Auskick next year and he kicks the ball around out the back,” O’Toole said.

“He holds the footy all the time and he wears his Corio jumper to each game and we have a kick after each game. I’ve done that since he was able to kick the footy.

“He loves footy and I really want to push him forward so he can be the best he can be.”

O’Toole, who is the caretaker coach at Corio, hasn’t ruled out coaching next season. “I’d still like to be involved in some way, whether that’s at Corio or somewhere else.”