3 months ago
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Greater Western Sydney champion Callan Ward has been praised for the legacy he leaves at the expansion club after confirming his retirement on Monday.
Ward, 35, suffered a season-ending knee injury against Richmond at Engie Stadium in round 12, which ended up being his 327th and final game.
End of an era: Callan Ward.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images
The robust midfielder played on in 2025 – his 18th season – hoping to celebrate an elusive flag, but it wasn’t to be. So focused was Ward that he opted for another year despite his young family moving back to Melbourne.
Giants chief executive Dave Matthews said Ward, who spent four years with the Western Bulldogs before heading north to join the new club ahead of its 2012 launch, was a GWS legend.
“Callan Ward has been the heart and soul of this football club since day one. It was a courageous decision to join the Giants, to join a start-up and confront the many challenges of building an AFL club from scratch. He didn’t just help build the Giants, he helped define who we are,” Matthews said.
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“From the moment he arrived, Callan brought leadership, toughness, and professionalism that shaped our culture and set the standard for every player who’s walked through our doors.
“It is hard to overstate the impact Callan has had — not just on the field, but off it. He has been a role model, a mentor, and a cornerstone of our club’s identity for 14 seasons.
“To see his career end the way it did is heartbreaking, but it’s also fitting that even in that moment, his focus was on lifting his teammates. That is who Callan Ward is.
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“Callan Ward retires as a Giants legend, an AFL great, and someone who leaves an enduring legacy for decades to come.”
Ward missed the Giants’ only grand final appearance, in 2019, because of an earlier tear of the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee. The Giants lost to the Tigers.
He was taken by the Bulldogs with pick No.19 in the 2007 national draft.
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