Western Bulldogs captain Ryan Griffen has delivered a hammer blow to the AFL club, requesting a trade to the GWS Giants.

Griffen was appointed captain of the Bulldogs last season, leading them to seven wins and a 14th place finish.

In a statement from his management Elite Sports Properties, Griffen says he is seeking a fresh start outside Melbourne.

He says the decision “has not come lightly and has been extremely difficult for all involved.”

“(The decision has been made) with the intent that the Western Bulldogs are duly

compensated for granting Ryan a release from the final year of his contract,” the statement reads.

The 28-year-old is widely considered the Bulldogs’ best player, with the news likely to shock the struggling AFL club.

Giants chief executive David Matthews confirmed the bombshell on Thursday afternoon.

“We will now work with the Bulldogs to do a fair deal in the interests of all parties during the trade period,” he said.

Former Bulldogs coach Terry Wallace told AFL Trade Radio that the outlook for the club without 202-game player Griffen was bleak.

“With Griffen out of the side they’re going to be bottom six,” he said.

“What they are doing is realigning things for their next crack at it.

“But sorry people, that will probably be three, four, five years down the track.”

Griffen arrived at the position to seek a trade after “ongoing consultation with the Western Bulldogs, his family and management”, though a switch north may not come easily.

His club responded on Twitter suggesting a trade may not be entertained.

“The Western Bulldogs position is that Ryan is a contracted player and he will be required to fulfil his contract in 2015,” the club tweeted.

Griffen is the first AFL captain to seek a trade away from his club since Chris Judd relocated from West Coast to Carlton in 2007.