Swan Districts games record holder to play last match

This Saturday will be an emotional and historic occasion at Steel Blue Oval with the games record holder at Swan Districts and one of the all-time greats, Tony Notte, playing the final game of his remarkable WAFL career.

The 2024 season was one where Notte cemented his place forever at the very top of the history books of the Swan Districts Football Club when he firstly joined the legendary Bill Walker as the only two players in the history of the club dating back to 1934 to reach 300 games.

Later that season he surpassed Walker’s 305 appearances to sit alone as the games record holder for Swan Districts and now this Saturday he will play the 323rd and last match of his WAFL career that started all the way back in the grand final year of 2008.

It’s not just the amount of games Notte has racked up that has been remarkable, but it’s the tremendously high level of performance he’s produced to also be a two-time Swan Medal winner as fairest and best, having played for Western Australia six times, and also two matches in the AFL at the West Coast Eagles.

But the 35-year-old made the decision after last Saturday’s win against East Fremantle that this Saturday will be the last game he plays with Swan Districts back at Steel Blue Oval against East Perth.

Decision to retire now

Notte made the decision to play on in 2025 on the back of Swan Districts reaching the preliminary final in 2024, and with nothing else on his mind than trying to finish his career with that elusive premiership glory.

With that now seemingly out of reach for Swans in 2025 following a devastating run of injuries dating all the way back to before Round 1, Notte did feel like now was the right time to play his last game both for himself personally and the club as a whole.

“It was really something that started at the beginning of the year to be honest. I knew it was going to be my last year and really finals was the big motivation to play on for this year,” Notte said.

“Obviously the challenge with my commitment from down south meant it was going to take a big effort to push through the year, but that finals motivation was a big factor as long as the body held up as well.

“But then over the last couple of weeks when that finals chance looked a bit impossible to make, and with the body not being as good as it should be at this stage, it just felt like it was the right time to make that decision this week.

“There’s a lot of sacrifice and commitment not to play finals I suppose with the amount of footy that I’ve played.”

When the penny dropped

Last Saturday’s win for Swans against East Fremantle at The Good Grocer Park might well have been the best performance from the team this season to beat a team that had been sitting in second position coming into the contest.

While Notte was proud of his team for the performance they produced, he didn’t quite get that same elated feeling that he usually would after a win and for him.

That told him that the time was right to retire now and not wait for the end of the season.

“On the weekend it was when I really made the decision,” Notte said.

“We won the game and I should have been feeling pretty happy about it because it was a great win, but probably personally it didn’t quite feel like a victory in the sense of the bigger picture where finals are out of reach.

“You don’t probably think that winning a game of footy is a pretty good telling point is a good time to finish up, but that for me is when I had that realisation.

“If I wasn’t getting that same enjoyment from winning a game like that then I didn’t think that playing on just for the sake of it was the right reason at this stage of my life.”

Finishing up at home

When thinking of his last game and aside from getting to do it in a grand final at Optus Stadium, the dream scenario for Notte would always be to do it back on home soil at Steel Blue Oval.

Considering Notte will be playing his 162nd WAFL game at the Bassendean venue in what will be the 323rd of his career, it’s only fitting that’s where his career will end this Saturday.

“It had to be at a home game just to give the supporters and the people who have been a part of my career one last chance to get out to Bassendean,” Notte said.

“I love playing at Bassendean and it’s still one of the best grounds in the comp by far so to finish off at home where I’ve spent so much of my career, and have been since I was 13 years old in the development squads, was always going to be fitting.

“So to finish off in front of the family, friends, supporters and everybody, win or lose, it always had to happen at Bassendean.”

Doing the travel one last time

Making what Notte has achieved all the more remarkable in his WAFL career with Swan Districts is that for the past three years now he has continued to play while living and working in the south west of WA with his young family.

That has meant that he has had to take the responsibility on himself to ensure he was still in playing condition and touch while training at the Busselton Magpies, and then having to deal with the burden of travel on a weekly basis.

It’s something that he is proud of himself for getting through and for it not impacting what he has been able to deliver on the field, and thankful for all the support he’s received to make it work.

“Some people might say that it must be hard doing the travel or some people might think it’s easy saying that I don’t have to train at the club three times a week, and can just rock up and play on the weekend,” Notte said.

“But it’s not just as easy as jumping in the car and rocking up to play. It’s packing up the whole family and it’s organising my week where I get to go to training for nearly three years now with a different group of players than I’m playing with, train to a different game style and a different intensity to WAFL level.

“I’ve had to keep myself at a level that’s WAFL standard so have had to keep myself accountable and there hasn’t been anyone there to do that, so it’s been up to me.

“I’m super proud that I’ve been able to keep myself at that level and I don’t know that anyone else has done that in recent times so there’s a massive thank you there to a lot of people to allow me to do it, and especially my wife.

“I couldn’t have made this commit without her help and support, and it has been a challenge but a rewarding one as well to prove to a lot of people that it can be done.”

Emotions this week

Just because Notte feels like his decision to retire from Swan Districts now is the right one, doesn’t mean it’s easy considering not only has he been playing in the senior team since 2008, but he played in the colts and development squads prior to that.

It’s been such a huge part of his life so deciding to play a last game even though he knew the moment had to come soon, was far from easy.

“To be honest I’ve had quite mixed emotions and there’s not a lot of people who get to choose when they get to retire,” Notte said.

“I’ve played a lot of footy and it’s still pretty hard to say that you want to finish up, but I think in the end the reasons that I’m doing it is for good reasons and the right ones for myself. I haven’t been forced into it by anyone else so that’s a good feeling.

“I still tossed and turned in bed thinking about it for a good few days before making the final decision, but I’m feeling good about it now. There’s still that bit of sadness that it’s come to an end after playing so long.”

Playing out season in Busselton

Considering Notte is still playing good enough football and his body is still sound enough to keep playing, he is going to be doing that in the South West Football League at the Busselton Magpies.

What that means is that he gets to play with the team he has been training with over the past three years for the first time.

“The plan will be that I end up playing down here in the south west and that’s just because I still enjoy playing footy, and my body is still feeling good enough,” Notte said.

“I still feel like I’ve been playing my role at Swans so I think I still have something to offer, and I’ve always wanted to be playing at the highest level that I can and play at a high standard.

“So I’m going to try doing that down here with the Busselton Magpies to finish off the year and it will be good to get to play with this group that I’ve been training with over the last three years. Hopefully it’s quite an easy transition to run out there with them on the weekends.”

Words from the President

Swan Districts President Peter Hodyl has paid tribute to one of the club’s great living legends ahead of his farewell game on Saturday.

“Tony’s place is forever etched in our history and his commitment and loyalty to Swans is unparalleled,” Hodyl said.

“Having ridden the highs Tony stayed the course through some very challenging times at the club when things were very tough.

“Through his determination to help the club rise up again has seen Swans in a strong position to challenge for their next premiership and Tony has played a pivotal part in this journey.

“There is not much Tony has not achieved, Swans games record holder, captain, multiple Swan Medallist, five consecutive State games, AFL player and club stalwart. A finer career would be very hard to imagine.

“We wish Tony, Jess and their beautiful family the very best in their next adventure and thank you for all you have given to the Mighty Black and Whites.”