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SELECT 👉 Bay Oval commentary
The challenging factors delaying veteran ruckman's retirement call
SEN • October 23rd, 2025 12:55 pm
Despite being 37 years of age and without a contract for 2026, veteran ruckman Todd Goldstein has not ruled out the prospect of playing on.
The 345-game former Bomber and Kangaroo has excelled at AFL level since his debut in 2008, earning a best and fairest and an All-Australian blazer in 2015 while claiming 10,608 hit outs, the most in AFL history.
Playing out a crucial role for the injury-depleted Bombers across the 2025 season, Goldstein was informed that his services would no longer be required, with the club opting out of a contract offer for 2026 and beyond.
That being said, the 37-year-old is still weighing up the next stages of his career and life, yet to decide whether his future remains within the AFL setup beyond this year.
“I’m still working through the options,” Goldstein told SEN Breakfast.
“For me, I had the opportunity to retire at the end of the season, I had some great conversations with Brad (Scott, Essendon coach), and he was really respectful around that. But for me, I’ve always liked to take in all the information before I make decisions.
“I felt like if I retired straight away then, then it would have been an emotional decision, and I didn’t want to look back and regret it.
“So, I just want to take some time, spend time with family, discuss the options with them and that’s all we are doing – just exploring what options are out there at the moment.”
Despite maintaining belief that his body and work ethic would allow him to continue competing at the top level, Goldstein’s career hangs on the desire and heart to carry on.
“That’s what I’m still working out. To be honest, I don’t know. If I knew 100 per cent, that would make it an easier decision for me,” he added.
“I know I’ve got the capability to; I know I’ve got the commitment and work ethic to, it’s now just whether I’m ready for that next stage of my life, and whether my family is ready for that next stage of our lives.
“That’s probably the big decision, regardless of whether I get another offer or not, it doesn’t mean I would necessarily take that up anyway.”
Despite not expecting to feature heavily at AFL level, Goldstein accumulated 16 appearances with the Bombers’ senior side, covering for the likes of Sam Draper and Nick Bryan amid Essendon’s injury crisis.
While he was thrust into action for more than he may have been prepared for, Goldstein reports that the pulled up far better than expected – part of the reason as to why the decision over his future has been so difficult.
“I actually coped much better than I expected to. It’s probably why the decision of what’s next is a bit challenging,” he said.
“If you had asked me in February of this year, I would have told you that I’d be playing mostly VFL, I may get one or two games to give ‘Bryza’ (Nick Bryan) or Sam (Draper) a break, and then I’d retire at the end of the season.
“To have played 16 games, and actually felt pretty good, that’s what made me start thinking that maybe I still have more to give.
“I couldn’t have been happier with the way I got through it this season. I would have liked to have had a few better games than I did, but I felt like I showed that I could still match it with the best out there.”
