Rigoni hangs up the boots

Veteran Guy Rigoni has decided to retire after playing 107 games with the Melbourne Football Club.

The tough midfielder was drafted in the 1997 National Draft and spent eight years at the demons before deciding it was the right time to finish.

Rigoni fought serious back injuries which saw him delisted by the demons during 2003, only to be drafted again to Melbourne in the 2003 Pre season draft.

The 31 year old said; "It was always going to be tough to go around again at this age. It's been a fantastic experience and one that I will truly miss but I now get to look forward to the next stage of my life."

"I have met some great people through this football club and know that I will keep some friendships for the rest of my life."

"I would like to thank my team mates, coaches, support staff, and my family for supporting me throughout the ups and downs during my career and I'm happy that I can walk away without any regrets."

Melbourne Coach Neale Daniher said; "Guy has been a terrific player at Melbourne, and to play 100 games of AFL football after arriving at a mature age is a credit to himself. Guy has been a tremendous leader and team player and has displayed great selflessness during his time at Melbourne."

"Guy has faced extreme challenges during his career and has shown great perseverance to fight back from a severe back injury to play finals football in 2004 and 2005. He is a very popular Clubman amongst his peers, coaches, and supporters. We wish him all the best with his future."

Rigoni played in eight finals for Melbourne including the 2000 grand final side and kicked 35 goals for the Demons. He is also a member of the the 2004 and 2005 Sandringham premiership teams.

In other AFL news;

Travis Tuck has been recruited to the Hawthorn Football Club under the father-son rule.

Hawthorn will assign its round three pick (selection 38) for Tuck in the 2005 AFL National Draft next month.

Runner-up best and fairest for the Dandenong Stingrays in the TAC Cup competition 2005, Tuck will start training with the Hawks in November as a primary listed Hawthorn player.

General Manager Player Personnel and Strategy Chris Pelchen said the Club would give Tuck every opportunity to continue his football development in a professional environment.

“We are delighted to have recruited Travis to the Hawthorn Football Club for 2006,” Pelchen said.

“He has shown continued improvement throughout the 2005 TAC Cup season and we look forward to him developing as a Hawthorn player of the future.”

Tuck is the youngest son of Hawthorn legend Michael Tuck, the AFL games record holder who dominated the VFL/AFL in Hawthorn's golden era of the 1970s, 80s and 90s.