TWELVE premiership players, 10 All-Australians and more than 5200 games of AFL experience make up our Retired Best 22 for the 2022 season.
Some of the greatest players of the modern era are part of the retiring class this year and AFL.com.au has assembled a star-studded 22 of players who said farewell this season.
The team includes a total of 23 premiership victories, 25 All-Australian blazers and 13 best-and-fairest awards.
WHO'S CALLED IT QUITS 2022's retirements and delistings
The highlight of the Retired Best 22 is the midfield, with Geelong's Joel Selwood, Sydney's Josh Kennedy and Fremantle's David Mundy to receive the hit-outs from Essendon, Port Adelaide and St Kilda giant Paddy Ryder at our hypothetical centre bounce.
The 22 features five club captains – Selwood, Kennedy, Mundy, Jarryn Geary and Ben McEvoy – while West Coast's Josh Kennedy (two Coleman medals) and AFLCA Champion Player award winners Dan Hannebery and Robbie Gray add even more accolades to this decorated side.
Seventeen of the 22 played more than 200 games in their careers, with an average of 240 games per player.
The strength of the side is underlined by the retired players who did not make the cut, with there being no room for Stefan Martin, Devon Smith, Mitch Brown, Majak Daw, Dean Kent, Callum Sinclair or Colin O'Riordan.
Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti and Mitch Robinson were not considered for selection given they've expressed an intention to continue their careers next season.
RETIRED BEST 22 OF 2022
B: Jarryn Geary, Jordan Roughead, Luke Brown
HB: Shaun Higgins, Michael Hurley, Liam Shiels
C: Dan Hannebery, David Mundy, Shane Edwards
HF: Robbie Gray, Tom Lynch, Josh Caddy
F: Steven Motlop, Josh J. Kennedy, Luke Dahlhaus
Foll: Paddy Ryder, Joel Selwood, Josh P. Kennedy
I/C: Ben McEvoy, Jack Redden, Kane Lambert, Matt De Boer
Backs
Jarryn Geary (St Kilda)
Club captain, 207 games
Jordan Roughead (Western Bulldogs, Collingwood)
Premiership player (2016), 201 games
Luke Brown (Adelaide)
189 games
Half-backs
Shaun Higgins (Western Bulldogs, North Melbourne, Geelong)
All-Australian (2018), B&F winner (2017, 2018), 260 games
Michael Hurley (Essendon)
All-Australian (2015, 2017), 194 games
Liam Shiels (Hawthorn)
Premiership player (2013, 2014, 2015), 255 games
Centres
Dan Hannebery (Sydney, St Kilda)
Premiership player (2012), All-Australian (2013, 2015, 2016), AFLCA Champion Player (2015), 224 games
David Mundy (Fremantle)
All-Australian (2015), B&F winner (2010), club captain, 376 games
Shane Edwards (Richmond)
Premiership player (2017, 2019, 2020), All-Australian (2018), 303 games
Half forwards
Robbie Gray (Port Adelaide)
All-Australian (2014, 2015, 2017, 2018), B&F winner (2014, 2015, 2016), AFLCA Champion Player (2014), 271 games
Tom Lynch (St Kilda, Adelaide, North Melbourne)
158 games
Josh Caddy (Gold Coast, Geelong, Richmond)
Premiership player (2017, 2019), 174 games
Forwards
Steven Motlop (Geelong, Port Adelaide)
217 games
Josh J. Kennedy (Carlton, West Coast)
Premiership player (2018), Coleman Medal (2015, 2016), All-Australian (2015, 2016, 2017), 293 games
Luke Dahlhaus (Western Bulldogs, Geelong)
Premiership player (2016), 225 games
Rucks
Paddy Ryder (Essendon, Port Adelaide, St Kilda)
All-Australian (2017), B&F winner (2017), 281 games
Joel Selwood (Geelong) (c)
Premiership player (2007, 2009, 2011, 2022), All-Australian (2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017), B&F winner (2010, 2013, 2014), club captain, 355 games
Josh P. Kennedy (Hawthorn, Sydney)
Premiership player (2012), All-Australian (2012, 2014, 2016), B&F winner (2012, 2015, 2016), club captain, 290 games
Interchange
Ben McEvoy (St Kilda, Hawthorn)
Premiership player (2014, 2015), club captain, 252 games
Jack Redden (Brisbane, West Coast)
Premiership player (2018), 263 games
Kane Lambert (Richmond)
Premiership player (2017, 2019, 2020), 135 games
Matt de Boer (Fremantle, GWS Giants)
211 games
