Shannon Hurn announces that he will retire at the end of the 2023 season.
"Unfortunately, you can't go on forever and it's time for me to step away," Hurn said.
"It has been a great honour to play for this football club over the last 18 years and I have loved it since the day I arrived. There are life-long friendships and memories that have been created here and I will always be grateful for that."
Shannon Hurn says there's a simple reason why he kept playing at the highest level for 18 seasons.
"I've been very much indebted to it and always will be, from Auskick to AFL level, from the country to the city, I just think everyone can be a part of sport, no matter what your ability or your size or your speed or your age," Hurn said.
"That's why we all play sport, and it's a wonderful game that I am so thankful to have played for so long, and here at West Coast."
Shannon Hurn signs a new deal with West Coast to play on in 2023 and will play a mentoring role as the Eagles embark on a rebuild.
"He has an important role to play in defence, he is equally vital in helping the development of the next generation. The knowledge and football intellect he has built over the last 17 years will continue to be of great benefit to the young players in our squad," Eagles recruiting manager Rohan O'Brien said.
Tom Barrass wins his first John Worsfold Medal as the Eagles' 2022 club champion.
Barrass, whose career-best year saw him recognised among the best key defenders in the AFL, steamed home in the second half of the season to poll 182 votes and finish 33 votes clear of veteran backman Shannon Hurn (149).
Shannon Hurn is set to break the Eagles' games record in this week's Western Derby when he plays his 291st game.
"You just need to keep evolving and adapting as well. All the players who are able to have longevity in the game do that. The game changes and teams work you out, so you need to be able to do the basics well but also sightly adapt along the way," Hurn said.
Elliot Yeo and Jack Darling have been elevated into the Eagles' leadership group under new captain Luke Shuey.
"They're both wonderful footballers, but sometimes it takes a little bit more time, we all develop at different rates in terms of leadership," Eagles manager Craig Vozzo said.
"Jack is a quieter, one-on-one type mentor. He has a terrific knowledge of the game and is able to pass that on one-on-one through our forward line.
"Elliot has developed into one of our best players and one of the better players in the game, and is still forming his way of leadership and it's going really well."
The group has expanded from six to seven in 2020, with former captain Shannon Hurn stepping away from an official leadership role.
Shuey will be supported by vice-captains Josh Kennedy and Jeremy McGovern, with ruckman Nic Naitanui and midfielder Andrew Gaff rounding out the group.
Shannon Hurn steps down as captain of West Coast after five years in the role.
"This just feels like the right time to relinquish my role as captain. This is a decision that is based around what is best for the club over the next four or five years," Hurn said in a statement.
"While I have really enjoyed being captain, I feel at this stage in my career I can't commit the time and pay the respect that the role needs and requires."
West Coast names an unchanged leadership group for 2019, with Shannon Hurn remaining skipper for a fifth season.
Hurn will be supported by joint vice-captains Josh Kennedy and Luke Shuey for a third consecutive year.
Star ruckman Nic Naitanui, who was elevated to the group before last season, retains his position alongside Jeremy McGovern and Andrew Gaff after they turned their backs on free agency and re-signed with the Eagles last year.
Elliot Yeo claims his second John Worsfold Medal as the Eagles' best and fairest for the 2018 season.
Following a stunning transformation from All Australian half-back to elite midfielder this season, Yeo (273 votes) was a clear winner from ex-Brisbane teammate Jack Redden (231) and captain Shannon Hurn (222).
"It's a truly honourable experience to be able to win a second club champ," Yeo said.
"It's been a pretty good week, to be honest. It was my birthday on Monday, we won a flag on Saturday and I was able to be crowned today as well."
Mitch Honeychurch is cleared of serious injury following a heavy collision with West Coast captain Shannon Hurn at Optus Stadium.
There were fears Honeychurch may have sustained neck and cheekbone injuries when he collided with Hurn as he attempted to pick up a ground ball in the third quarter, but scans revealed no damage to those areas.
Shannon Hurn believes he has plenty more to offer as skipper, and he wants to retain the role while the club enters a new era.
"During your first year (as skipper) it's the unknown. So you probably try to do things you don't need to do, and impress things that probably aren't needed," Hurn said.
"And you go away from being yourself and your own behaviours.
"I think in the past 18 months, I've become really comfortable with it. I understand more and more what footy's about and how you have to pass it onto your players."
Weat Coast captain Shannon Hurn says Mark LeCras needs to ask himself whether he is fully committed before putting his hand up to play on in 2018.
"If you want to work hard, want to get better and come and do the hard yards, I certainly think Lecca can play for another two years, no problem," Hurn said.
"He's a very smart forward, understands the game and generally finishes off quite well. I'd love to see him play on and I think he will, but there's still a bit going on.
"I know he's keen to play, so it just comes down to that commitment."
Shannon Hurn will captain West Coast for a third straight year in 2017, while former Hawthorn skipper Sam Mitchell will provide support as a member of the leadership group.
Dynamic midfielder Luke Shuey has been elevated to co-vice captain alongside dual Coleman medallist Josh Kennedy.
Star duo Jeremy McGovern and Andrew Gaff have also been added to the leadership group with Eric Mackenzie, who was the club's best and fairest in 2014 before requiring a knee reconstruction early the following year, the only omission from last year's group.
Matt Priddis rounds out the seven-man group, which was decided by a player vote, before being ticked off by the football department and then the board.
"Shannon Hurn has been a terrific leader since his appointment as captain three years ago and he has great respect from his teammates," Eagles coach Adam Simpson said.
"Over the last couple of years Luke Shuey, Andrew Gaff and Jeremy McGovern have certainly grown within the group and it has been reflected in the player vote.
"Clearly Josh Kennedy and Matt Priddis have been outstanding leaders for a long time and to have someone of Sam Mitchell's calibre at our disposal will be invaluable."
Shannon Hurn signs a one-year contract extension with West Coast, tying him to the club until the end of the 2018 season.
The new deal keeps Hurn out of future free agency pools and all but ensures the 28-year-old, who was already signed on for next season, will be an Eagle for life.
"It's great to have the contract done and dusted early in the year," Hurn said.
"I do like to lock it away sooner rather than later so that it doesn't become a distraction and I can concentrate completely on the season ahead."
As Shannon Hurn prepares to lead the Eagles into the 2016 Grand Final against Hawthorn, teammate Mark Lecras says his skipper is a natural leader.
"He's always had the ability to be a really strong leader for us and once the position was made vacant by Glassy he probably saw himself as the ideal fit," Lecras said.
"He worked really hard on becoming a good leader and he's stepped into the role and done a great job this year. He's a well-rounded person. He's pretty level-headed, which is perfect for the role.
"I think he can read the playing group pretty well. He's obviously a great footballer, which helps. When he speaks the players listen. He doesn't speak when he doesn't need to. He's one of those blokes that the players want to follow."
West Coast vice-captain Josh Kennedy put his own leadership ambitions to one side when he voted for teammate Shannon Hurn to take the top job.
"It was great to see 'Bunga' get it," Kennedy said.
"I voted for him. He's a terrific player and a terrific leader. His knowledge of the game is above a lot of us. The way he communicates with all the boys is fantastic. He's going to be a fantastic leader."
Shannon Hurn is emerging as a leading candidate to take over the West Coast captaincy permanently given the way his teammates and coach speak of his leadership.
The 26-year-old defender reaches a significant milestone on Saturday when he plays his 150th match, against Essendon at Etihad Stadium.
"I don't want him getting ahead of himself with his footy smarts but he's very confident in his own ability," Eagles coach Adam Simpson said.
"He understands the game and reads the play well. I've spoken a couple of times about how I want the players to identify situations game-day and how we can change things and (how) they can change (things) themselves.
"And he's leading that. Our backs in general have been pretty good in the last month at identifying different cues and reading different situations. So he's at the front of that at the moment."
Shannon Hurn will get his opportunity to skipper his side against Fremantle this week as part of West Coast's ongoing search to find a long-term replacement for Darren Glass.
"He's actually probably our smartest - in terms of football smarts - player at the club," West Coast coach Adam Simpson said.
"He knows the game. He loves the game. He's not one of those players who switches off in terms of going home and not watching a game.
"He's up to speed with what's going on in football. He's vocal and demanding, all the things you look for in a leader."
Shannon Hurn has spent the pre-season working on his endurance to help his run out of defence in 2012.
"As much as you are a defender and you have to be able to defend, kicking goals and helping to create scoring opportunities is how you win games," Hurn said.
"Certainly getting the ball and kicking inside 50 is something I want to get better at … getting up the ground, getting forward of centre."
Monday, 20 June 2011
Three goals and seven inside 50s against the Power have shown Eagles defender Shannon Hurn to be more than just a backman.
If we can manufacture him as the loose man in defence he can have a bit more freedom to go up the ground because he doesn't have to worry about a man," Hurn's fellow half-back, Sam Butler, said.
"It's semi by design, but it's also about him reading the game. If he can push up and have an impact you've got to go for it. He's only getting better and hopefully as the games progress we get that big leg going a bit more."
Monday, 5 April 2010
West Coast's Shannon Hurn looks set to miss the next two matches after he was charged with a rough conduct offence against Port Adelaide's Paul Stewart.
Stewart suffered a broken nose, was knocked unconscious by Hurn's bump and had to be stretchered off the field.
Saturday, 14 November 2009
Shannon Hurn and Josh Kennedy have been added to the leadership group at the West Coast Eagles.
"The elevation of Shannon and Josh is indicative of their standing within the squad," senior coach John Worsfold said.
Saturday, 12 September 2009
West Coast captain Darren Glass has won the club's 2009 best and fairest award ahead of Shannon Hurn and Mark LeCras on Friday night.
"I want to get back into pre-season," Glass said.
"I've got lots of things I can work on. I want to add to the offensive side of my game and just keep improving.
"There's no doubt this year we were better defensively as a team and I'm pretty confident we'll make improvements on that again."
Teammate Tyson Stenglein took the opportunity to announce his retirement after 102 games for the Eagles at the awards.