AFL exports | ‘Incredibly proud’ Mundy to hang up the boots, Simpkin records career-high

By Zac Standish

Aug 3, 2022

Hanging up the boots: Seymour football product David Mundy will retire from AFL football at the end of the season after an illustrious 19-year career. Photo by RICHARD WAINWRIGHT

Seymour football export David Mundy will retire at the end of the season after an illustrious 19-year career with the Fremantle Dockers.

Drafted from the Murray Bushrangers with pick 19 in the 2003 national draft, Mundy made his debut in round six of 2005 and has since featured at AFL level on 371 occasions, making him Fremantle’s games record holder ahead of Australian Football Hall of Famer Matthew Pavlich on 353.

Having experienced all the highs and lows a professional football career has to offer, Mundy said he was “proud” of everything he had achieved in the game.

“I’m incredibly proud. I’ve been living my dream for 19 years now and I’ve loved every bit of it,” Mundy told the Fremantle Football Club.

“Not all of it has been easy. There’s been quite a few really hard and emotional bits to it, but I’ve been able to grow as a person and as a player throughout my time at Fremantle and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I’m really proud of the person I’ve been able to develop into, the family I’ve been able to create and my role within the football club. I feel I’ve grown from a skinny full-back who didn’t want to talk to anyone, to being a part of the leadership group for a number of years now.

“I’m proud of that growth and that journey and I’m looking to get the most out of this season and explore what’s next.”

Easily the most accomplished AFL footballer to come out of Seymour, Mundy’s career highlights include an All-Australian blazer in 2015 and Doig Medal for Fremantle’s best-and-fairest in 2010.

He also captained Fremantle for one season, in 2016, and has accumulated more than 900,000km of travel over his 19-year career — the most of any player in AFL/VFL history.

The storied career of the 37-year-old Docker will be honoured at the club’s last home game of the home-and-away season in round 22, which is fittingly a derby against cross-town rival West Coast.

He will then get a chance to add premiership player to his illustrious resume, with Fremantle poised to play finals for the first time since 2015.

Leather poisoning: Mooroopna product Jy Simpkin recorded a career-high 41 disposals in North Melbourne’s loss to Essendon. Photo: AAP Image/Hamish Blair. Photo by HAMISH BLAIR

Elsewhere, Mooroopna’s Jy Simpkin continued his meteoric rise into one of the competition’s elite midfielders, racking up a career-high 41 disposals in North Melbourne’s 48-point loss to Essendon on Sunday evening.

Echuca’s Ollie Wines brought up his 200th game on Saturday afternoon, with Port Adelaide falling to Collingwood by six points at the MCG.

Fantastic achievement: Echuca product Ollie Wines is carried off the MCG alongside Port Adelaide captain Tom Jonas after his 200th game on Saturday. Photo: AAP Image/Joel Carrett. Photo by JOEL CARRETT

Wines was one of the Power’s most prolific performers on the day, with the reigning Brownlow medallist racking up 30 disposals and laying six tackles.

For the Pies, Euroa’s Jamie Elliott was lively up forward booting two goals, while Congupna export Steele Sidebottom played his role nicely with 13 disposals.

Shepparton’s Jordon Butts was a key contributor in Adelaide’s upset win over Carlton, keeping Blues spearhead Harry McKay to just one major while collecting eight disposals himself.

Benalla product Harry Morrison continued his breakout season at Hawthorn, racking up 24 disposals and eight marks in a 12-point loss to St Kilda.