Will 2023 be Dyson Heppell’s final season as an Essendon player?
Well, according to Bombers great and current football director Kevin Sheedy it might just be.
Sheedy told Channel 7 on Monday night that former captain Heppell, who is out of contract this year, is likely in his last season.
“Well, Dyson is actually in his last year, I’d say,” Sheedy said.
“Every player wants to play every game they can before they never, ever play again, and that’s like a death warrant.”
Those comments sparked a conversation between Garry Lyon and another Dons legend, Tim Watson, on SEN Breakfast.
Lyon questioned whether Sheedy should be airing a veteran player’s laundry like that, especially if the subject himself has not yet made a decision on his future.
Lyon said: “My question for you is: Would there be any other football director that would retire a player off after three rounds of a season?
“Kevin Sheedy just says, ‘Dyson is in his last year’. Does Dyson know he’s in his last year?”
Watson: “He’s only got a one-year contract, so he probably thinks it might be coming to the end.”
Lyon: “I’ll put a rider on it, unless Kevin and Dyson had a discussion where Dyson said this is my last year, that’s not what you want your footy director saying publicly.”
Watson: “I think that Dyson knows exactly where he’s at as a player. I think he knows that because he would have had those conversations with people around the football club.
“The fact he was only given a one-year contract and they probably had that discussion then.”
Lyon: “I don’t think he’s quit, I don’t think he’s announced his retirement.
“Kevin did.”
Watson: “He hasn’t announced it. He said this may be his last year.”
Lyon: “He said it will be his last year.”
Watson: “Well, maybe he knows something that you don’t know and I don’t know.”
Lyon: “Well, maybe he should not announce that publicly if you’re the football director.
“Are you happy as an Essendon great that the football director is retiring a player after three games?”
Watson: “I hope that he’s actually had that conversation with him.”
Lyon: “He’s just said he’s actually in his last year.”
Watson: “I hope that he’s had that conversation and he knows more about this than you and I do.”
Lyon: “Even if he has, I doubt very much whether Dyson would want the football director of a club telling everyone it’s his last year after three games of footy.”
Heppell was the subject of a reported offer from the Gold Coast Suns last year, but opted to remain with the Bombers into a 12th season.
Watson feels that perhaps he might have taken them up on that deal given his waning form with the Dons.
“I thought there were signs of a decline in his performance last year,” Watson said further.
“When he got that offer to go to the Gold Coast Suns I thought he might take that up because it included a longer-term deal and coaching. I thought he would take that.
“Having watched him over the early rounds of this season, he’s not playing well. Now I don’t know whether he’s in Essendon’s best side.”
The 30-year-old is averaging 15 disposals across three games so far this season and in the loss to St Kilda on Saturday night had just six kicks among his 16 touches.
Ex-club captain Watson feels like the game might be starting to get away from Heppell who will be 31 in May.
“I’m not rubbishing Dyson Heppell, I’m making a comment about his play and where he’s at right now,” Watson concluded.
“It happens to everybody. A lot more people support what I’m saying than not, but it happens to everybody.
“It doesn’t mean you have to get to 35 before you start to wane in your powers and your abilities. It might happen at 27, 28, 29, 30.
“He’s been a great player for Essendon, he’s been a great leader, but at some point in time we lose our abilities and our power to play this game at the highest level.”
Heppell has played 216 games for the Bombers.