Ben McGlynn’s tears following the Sydney Swans’ Grand Final loss said it all.
Not only was the pain of missing out on that elusive premiership on display for everyone to see, but McGlynn’s inconsolable figure was a sign that his football career had come to an end.
Those tears almost resurfaced at Thursday night’s Bob Skilton Medal when the 31-year-old was invited to the stage to address the Sydney Swans faithful one last time.
Many speculated whether the Grand Final, McGlynn’s second, would be the veteran’s last game.
And it was, despite producing strong form in the back end of the season which would have warranted another crack.
An emotional McGlynn revealed during his speech that his omission from the senior side ahead of the Sydney Swans’ Round 18 clash with Carlton forced him to sit back and reassess.
“Going out of the team midway through the year was something that made me reflect on whether it was going to be my last year,” McGlynn said.
“I knew I had to put things in place outside of footy, just in case it was.
“I had to fight my way back into the team and I’m pretty proud of the way I went out.”
And fight he did, right to the very end, with the 171-game veteran reproducing the same brand of football which made him such a beloved member of the Sydney Swans for the past seven seasons.
Returning in Round 22, McGlynn left no stone unturned in the final six matches to leave with nothing left in the tank.
“I’ll look back and I'm proud of the way I played most of my career,” McGlynn said.
“Something I can hang my hat on is the fact I know I gave it everything.
“Knowing the success we could have had is something I wanted to be a part of and have been aiming for since 2012.
“But unfortunately I couldn’t get there. (At the end) I just wanted to finish off playing football with this team and the boys.
“I have loved every minute of my time at this football club.”
Signing off, McGlynn left his teammates with this: “Don’t be afraid of hard work and have no regrets in life. I’m leaving this game knowing I’ve given everything I’ve had. I know if this group works head and stick together, success will be around the corner.”
