Two premiership heroes call time: Sidebottom and Prestia retire from the AFL
Two of the AFL's most decorated midfielders are finished. Richmond's Dion Prestia announced his retirement on 13 August 2026, and hours later Collingwood's Steele Sidebottom told teammates he would do the same at season's end (ABC News).
The timing was coincidence, not coordination. But between them, the pair own six premiership medals across three clubs and a combined tally of more than 600 AFL games.
Sidebottom is Collingwood royalty. He debuted in 2009 and has played 373 games — second only to Scott Pendlebury in the club's 134-year history (ABC News). As a 19-year-old he stood in a premiership side in 2010. Thirteen years later, he kicked a goal late in the 2023 grand final that helped seal Collingwood's most recent flag. He won the club's best-and-fairest (the Copeland Trophy) in 2017 and 2018 and earned one All-Australian blazer. His 225 wins in black and white sit behind only Pendlebury on the all-time club list (Collingwood FC).
Collingwood senior coach Craig McRae paid tribute in the club's official announcement, titled "Sidebottom calls time" (Collingwood FC). Sidebottom's message to supporters was characteristically direct: "Get behind us and let's finish off 2026!" (Collingwood FC).
He had signed a one-year extension last August to play on in 2026 (Collingwood FC), having celebrated his 350th game the previous season. Media outlets including 7NEWS and Fox Sports flagged the retirement expectation as early as 22 July (7NEWS).
Prestia's story runs through Richmond's golden era. He crossed from Gold Coast at the end of 2016 and won three premierships — 2017, 2019 and 2020 — in his first four seasons at Tigerland (ABC News). Richmond's official retirement piece, "Prestia to retire as a Richmond great," confirmed that this Saturday's clash with St Kilda at the MCG will be his last (Richmond FC).
He will be farewelled alongside premiership teammate Nathan Broad, who is also finishing up at season's end (ABC News). The twin farewells mean Richmond will enter 2027 with just four of their premiership heroes still on the list (7NEWS).
Prestia's 2026 was disrupted before it began. He overcame an Achilles problem during his 2025 campaign, then missed both of Richmond's February practice matches with a minor hamstring strain (Richmond FC). The club had described him as an "on-field general" guiding Richmond's resurgence, noting he was within reach of 250 AFL games (Richmond FC).
There is a twist. Prestia indicated he has not closed the door on continuing his AFL career at another club beyond Richmond (SEN 1116). Whether another club bites between now and the season's end is another question entirely.
For both players, the finish line is close. The run home, as Sidebottom put it, is about finishing off what they started.
