Grand final proves end of the road as top Dog calls it a day
WESTERN Bulldogs premiership captain Easton Wood ran out for last month’s grand final knowing it was almost certainly his last match.
Not even coach Luke Beveridge knew then, but the 32-year-old broke his retirement news in the pre-trade period to the man who “totally changed” his career trajectory.
Wood transformed from a handy but conservative defender into an All-Australian and Bulldogs best and fairest winner in Beveridge’s first season in charge in 2015.
A year later, he became just the second premiership skipper in club history, standing in for the injured Bob Murphy, another of the great influences on his football life.
“A few of those things that happened, if you would have told me that early days, I would have laughed you out of the room and I wouldn’t have been alone,” Wood said.
“(Beveridge) had a huge impact on my career on the field, but off the field he was just as monumental.
“Footy clubs are pretty hard places at times (but) he was just so comfortable in his own skin that he gave us permission to be ourselves and do it our way.”
After three hamstring tears this year – the last of them in round 9 was his 20th overall – Wood has called time on his 188game career, despite being contracted for next season. After feeling like he still had plenty of good football in him, Wood noticed he had “athletically declined” – and it happened with a rush.