RETIRING VFL stalwart Dom Gleeson has encouraged aspiring footballers to test themselves in the state competition.
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The Koroit export called time on his decorated 197-game Werribee and Geelong career on Monday.
Gleeson, 31, said he was often asked why he stayed in the VFL for so long after missing out on an AFL berth, instead of playing in either a regional or country-based competition.
The Geelong skipper said his 13 years in the state system provided him with coaching opportunities — he was an assistant in two of his three years at the Cats — and allowed him to play a high level of football against quality opposition.
Gleeson, who launched his VFL career at Carlton in 2002, said it was important teenagers who missed out via the AFL drafts knew there were strong competitions they could aspire to play.
“Obviously my aim as a kid was to play AFL football and I realised quite quickly when I moved to Melbourne that I wasn’t up to it,” Gleeson said.
“But I have always enjoyed training and being out of my comfort zone and I thought I could potentially mix it with AFL players at times.
“I wanted to make a home club at Werribee and get life membership and I reached that.
“I got the opportunity at Geelong, to benefit myself in my coaching aspirations and help the young kids and I did that and got a premiership.
“The message I want to send is there’s life after the AFL if kids don’t get picked up. I know the VFL, SANFL, WAFL and NEAFL are getting stronger.”
Gleeson is still weighing up his options for next season.
He’d like to play and potentially coach, somewhere in the Geelong region.
He is based in Torquay and wants to be close to his wife Erin and son Sullivan, who is almost two, and has ruled out a fairytale return to Koroit.
“I have spoken to Koroit and always have,” he said.
“I’ll always have a soft spot for them. You never say never but it’s probably less likely I will go home to play.”
Gleeson said a number of Geelong league clubs had approached him, admitting the interest was “overwhelming”.
Gleeson played his final VFL game on Friday night against Essendon.
He said he fell “a finals series short” of 200 games but had no regrets about retirement.
“I ran my race at Geelong. There are so many young guys ready to play VFL,” Gleeson said.
“I thought I am 32 next year and I’d be holding 18 or 19 year olds back and thought it was an opportunity for them to show their wares.”
Gleeson, whose resume includes captaining Werribee, Geelong and Victoria in a one-off game against Western Australia, said the Cats’ 2012 premiership win against Port Melbourne at Docklands was a career highlight.
He also played in the Cats’ 2013 grand final loss to Box Hill Hawks.
“It is something you aspire to every year to win one and I think I would have definitely been empty if I hadn’t won it,” he said of the flag.
“But I have other great memories along the way, none more so than seeing guys get drafted around me and guys developing.”
In the twilight of his career, Gleeson used the VFL environment to fast-track his coaching development.
He was an assistant to Matthew Knights in the Cats’ back-to-back grand finals.
“It was more about cutting my teeth and being an onfield leader,” Gleeson said.
“This year I dabbled in player welfare, shadowing David Johnson around. That was a great eye-opener for me.”
Gleeson thanked his wife, his parents Mary and Gerald, brother Quinton and parents-in-law Dianne and Richard Hawker for their support throughout his career and the Koroit football club for giving him his start in the sport.