Delahunty will hang up his boots with Subiaco on Saturday, August 27, however, his playing days are far from over.

"When people grow up they wanna play AFL, they wanna do certain things." Delahunty said.

"The dream for me as a kid was to play in a premiership for Minyip-Murtoa; that hasn't changed.

"Growing up in a small town, where football is everything, for me that's the bucket list item.

"As a kid in the nineties, I watched Minyip-Murtoa go back to back to back with players like Leigh Funke, Bruce Petering, all these superstars that I grow up absolutely idolizing."

READ MORE:

Delahunty said he had already approached Burras president Scott Arnold to get the ball rolling on his return "if they'd have me".

"It's my intention not to just play a couple of games next year, I want to play the whole season, maybe a couple of seasons until that goal is achieved," Delahunty said.

Delahunty said his retirement, after 140-games and eight seasons in the WAFL, came at the right time.

"I still think I've got so much to give, and that's why I've retired this year in, not in one or two years," Delahunty said.

"There's no doubt I've I could've probably kept playing; I feel my body is probably as healthy as it's ever been.

"It's not a retirement out of not being able to, or not necessarily wanting to, play anymore."

MORE NEWS:

It was a decision the five-time premiership player said he'd always planned to make.

"It wasn't really a surprise for me, but coach rang me up the other week and asked if I was going to announce it," Delahunty said.

"I said I didn't think I had anything to announce! I had assumed everyone knew this was it."

Since the announcement, Delahunty said the decision had begun to sink in.

"There's been people calling me to say well done, and it starts to get a bit emotional," he said.

"Almost a decade (the club's) been my home, they've taken me in as one of their own.

"I have started to reflect a bit more about what an enjoyable time I've had and how lucky I've been."

OTHER NEWS:

Delahunty said he was grateful for the opportunities playing for Subiaco had afforded him.

"You soon realize when you retire, you're just a blimp in the history of a club," Delahunty said.

"If you go through the history of Subiaco, the club's been around for over a hundred years, my stint is quite irrelevant in the scheme of things.

"The closer I get retirement, the more I realize that I've been just so fortunate to be a part of that for a small period of time.

"It will a period that I'll look back so gratefully on and have fond memories of forever."

However, Delahunty will go down in the history books in his own right, having won five flags with Subiaco since he joined the club at the end of 2013.

The premierships cap a glittering career in the WAFL that included a place in the West Australian Team of the Year seven times and the Sandover Medal in 2019.

However, the choice to sign for the Lions was not one made with success in mind.

CONTINUE READING:

As Subiaco finished second from last in 2013, Delahunty said the decision to join the club was about more than just chasing money and success.

"It was based on really proximity and the fact that they really made a conscious effort that made me feel welcome in that week that we come over," Delahunty said.

"Ten players that took a day off work, along with some coaches and the board, just to show us around Perth show us around the facilities and take us fishing."

"It just felt like we were definitely more wanted there and it was going to be a bit more of a home for us; it made the decision pretty easy."

"Who would've thought the year after we went back-to-back flags in 2014 and 2015!"

The champion said he'd begun to reflect more on that initial success, with Subiaco having to fight harder to win games in 2022.

"I'm thinking back now on how ridiculous that was; the first couple years were a whirlwind," Delahunty said.

"Now this year, having to battle a little bit hard to win a lot of games, it's hard to imagine how successful we were and being able to back that up year after year was incredible."

MORE TO READ:

The best part of his career at Subiaco, beyond the premierships and accolades, has been the friends he made along the way.

"It's the people you play with and the stories you build," Delahunty said.

"Over nine years, there's a lot of players that go through a football club. Those players are now my best mates and will forever be my best mates."

One such mate is Leigh Kitchin, who will run out for his 150th game the same day as Delahunty's retirement.

"That, for me would be the most satisfying way to finish my career," Delahunty said.

"He's my best mate. I got him across; we played at Frankston together... he's my captain and he's been such a important role model really in my life."

The sense of camaraderie Delahunty enjoyed at the Lions is something he is looking forward to revisiting.

"For the guys that played in it and people involved, the best thing about footy is the reunion," Delahunty said.

"Dad just had his 1980 reunion this year for Murtoa's only premiership; that's what makes it so special, in terms of being able to, capture those memories for the longevity.

"Every decade is a time to catch up reflect... I'm sure the stories get greater as you get older, and seeing how important (the 1980 flag) was to him, how much it means to him. the friends and the journey."

But for now, with reunions set for the future, there's only one goal.

"I want to live that childhood dream," Delahunty said.

"It's going to be the carrot for the next one, two, three seasons, how ever long it takes to get that ultimate premiership... I think it's my time."

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: