Born and raised at Gnotuk - just outside Camperdown - the intercepting defender was always happy to make a stand. The 32-year-old on Friday announced his retirement after 188 games with the Western Bulldogs and exited with one final wake-up call to government regarding a lack of legislation around gambling advertising.

Regardless of position on that issue, it's true leadership to take a public stand on such a contentious issue. But we shouldn't be surprised.

Wood, the Bulldogs' first premiership captain since Charles Sutton in 1954, proved on the footy field to be among the club's champions.

He's firmly among the greatest leaders in the 144-year-old club's history. Ted Whitton, Chris Grant and Sutton come to mind but Wood is every bit as worthy as each of those three.

His decision to retire, which came on the back of a self-professed physical decline, took strength and leadership to admit and embrace.

"No matter how much I was getting paid next year, if I felt like I was just rocking up to get a pay cheque knowing that 'jeez at any moment if I pinged a string or I got dropped that I could just pull the pin' and leave the club high and dry, I'd feel sick about that," he said.

"I don't think I'd be able to ever reconcile that, no matter how much was coming back the other way."

Soft tissues were the chief concern. He tore another in round nine of 2021.

"I was well and truly sick and tired of doing hamstrings," Wood said.

"Particularly the way that one happened, I was just running in open field ... I thought my body was telling me that it might not be up for the rigours of footy anymore.

"Having dealt with numerous injury setbacks over the last few years, in particular my troublesome hamstrings, I felt like the time was right to step away.

"As I reflect on my career, I'm incredibly proud of my contribution to this special football club. To every person who has had an influence on my career, on or off the field, thank you for making me a better player and person.

"There have been some up and downs along the journey, but I'm leaving the game content that I gave everything I had, backed by my family, friends, and the loyal and passionate Bulldogs members and fans."

Wood, who played junior footy at Hampden league club Camperdown and cricket for South West Cricket Association powerhouse Pomborneit, is likely to spend 2022 travelling and supporting his partner, Tiff, in her business endeavours.

On one of his most passionate off-field causes, Wood is hopeful more regulation of the gambling industry will take effect and told The Sunday Age he was disappointed more hadn't been done.

Rules were implemented in 2018 restricting gambling advertising between 5am and 8.30pm on live broadcasts but Wood said not enough had been done.

"It still shocks me that advertising is so prevalent. I've got no problems with people having a bet if that's how they want to enjoy the game, it's just, don't shove it in front of everyone else's faces and normalise it for a generation that thinks that's the way to enjoy a game.

"I'm concerned with it with my kids growing up, having it around, having it seamlessly integrated into games, I just don't think the game needs it, to be honest.

"But it's probably more in the hands of the broadcasters and really it's a government decision. The government needs to legislate to be honest. We can crow as much as we want but the government needs to pull their finger out and do something about it. No one else in the world does it like we do." If good leadership is indeed taking a stand, Easton gets top marks.

Have you signed up to The Standard's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in the south-west.