Brisbane utility Ash McGrath knew his time had come as he watched the Lions’ young pride tear apart Collingwood in Melbourne last week.
The last remaining link to the Lions’ triple premiership era will play his 215th and final AFL match on Sunday, bringing the curtain down on a storied 14-season career.
Debuting in 2001, the West Australian played in Brisbane’s 2003 grand final victory and several of premiership teammates including current Lions’ coaching staff members Justin Leppitsch, Johnathan Brown and Simon Black were by his side as he made his retirement announcement.
Apart from that victory, McGrath also notably kicked a goal after the siren to seal a remarkable win over Geelong last year in his 200th appearance, capping a comeback from a 52-point deficit.
After making just five appearances in an injury-marred 2014 campaign, the 31-year-old admitted he decided Sunday’s home game against Fremantle would be his last as he watched his Lions teammates romp to a 67-point win over the Magpies at the MCG.
“At the end of the day it was a pretty easy decision, the group’s moving forward and I was just finding it a bit tough to back up the following week,” McGrath said.
“I was sitting down with the wife watching the game and I pretty much said `I think that’s it for me’. Just the way the boys played, the young crop coming through are really good and it was going to be a real battle for me to push them out of the way.”
McGrath and Brown started the year as the only two remaining players from the Lions’ glory days still on the club’s playing list.
Both have now retired, leaving coach Leppitsch with an increasingly young line-up.
“It is a sad day for the club in a lot of ways,” Leppitsch said.
“He’s a premiership player. He’s obviously got a lot of individual moments that stand out as well, his 200th match obviously. We’re hoping his last game provides the same result.
“He’s been a terrific servant.”
McGrath says he leaves the Lions with no regrets, particularly as his retirement means he’ll miss one final round of skinfold tests on Monday morning.
“It saves (conditioning coach) Matty Hass bringing in the BBQ tongs,” McGrath said.
“The club’s in a real solid place.
“They’ll be making finals pretty soon and I’ll be sitting home watching them.”
OOH, AAH, ASH McGRATH – CAREER HIGHLIGHTS FOR BRISBANE’S RETIRING STAR
2003 PRELIMINARY FINAL v Sydney
Brisbane’s hopes of a third-straight premiership were fading as their injury-hit team was slowly being reeled in by a relentless Swans outfit. Midway through the third quarter McGrath smothered a Swans kick in the centre square and kicked a huge torpedo which rolled through the vacant goal square and over the line, sparking a Lions deluge in the final term.
2003 GRAND FINAL v Collingwood
McGrath joined Lions’ greats such as Michael Voss, Alistair Lynch and company as a premiership player. McGrath didn’t kick a goal in the 50-point win but was finally able to join his teammates with a grand final victory.
2009 ELIMINATION FINAL v Carlton
Down by 30 points early in the final term against a Blues’ team playing its first final since 2001, McGrath played a leading hand in the Lions comeback as they kicked the last six goals of the game to post a seven-point win.
2013 ROUND 13 v Geelong
Playing in his 200th AFL match, McGrath kicked an after-the-siren goal to complete a club-record comeback for the Lions after they trailed by 52-points late in the third quarter. His winning shot was quickly labelled “the miracle on grass” by one commentator.
