Cronulla Sharks veteran Dale Finucane RETIRES from footy effective immediately – and the reason why will have the NRL on edge
- Dale Finucane has played his final game in the NRL
- Shark Star, 32, advised to retire by medical experts
- Suffered repeated head impacts in his football career
Cronulla enforcer Dale Finucane has announced his immediate retirement from the NRL on medical advice.
The Sharks co-captain, 32, was told by doctors to hang up his boots after repeated head impacts during his decorated career.
Finucane confirmed the development with coach Craig Fitzgibbon on Tuesday.
The two-time premiership winner with the Melbourne Storm is under contract with the Sharks until the end of 2025, but has been plagued by injuries in recent times.
He missed the end of the 2023 season with a torn biceps and broke his eye socket earlier this year, limiting his appearance to just three times so far.
Cronulla enforcer co-captain Dale Finucane has announced his immediate retirement from the NRL on medical advice
The veteran lock won two premierships with the Melbourne Storm in 2017 and 2020
The Sharks co-captain, 32, was told to hang up his boots by doctors due to repeated head impacts. He is also a talented musician, away from the footy
He missed the end of the 2023 season with a torn biceps and broke his eye socket earlier this season, limiting him to just three games so far.
The lock has played 251 first-class matches, with the Sharks celebrating his 250th appearance in their second-round win over the Bulldogs in March.
Finucane also played five State of Origin games for NSW in a distinguished career that started in 2012.
The confirmation of Finucane’s retirement comes after AFL star Nathan Murphy recently left the sport to ensure he lives a “full and healthy life” after suffering repeated concussions early in his career.
The 24-year-old defender won the premiership at Collingwood last year.
Murphy is the sixth AFL player to retire due to concussion in a 12-month period. He joins Angus Brayshaw [Melbourne]Paddy McCartin [Sydney]Paul Zaadman [Adelaide]Marcus Adams [Brisbane] and Max Lynch [Hawthorn].
βI believe this is the right time and decision to put my football boots aside,β Murphy said in a statement.
Nathan Murphy recently retired from the AFL due to repeated head impacts and concussions
Collingwood star Nathan Murphy has become the second AFL player to retire this year due to concussion, following Angus Brayshaw’s announcement in February
As a key defender, Murphy often threw his head into tough matches which played a role in the concussion that ended his career prematurely (pictured in last year’s grand final)
‘I love football, but my priority is my future and making sure I live a full and healthy life.
βI would like to thank the club, coaches, teammates, staff and the Magpie Army for all their support throughout my playing career and for giving me the opportunity to fulfill my childhood dream of playing AFL.
βIt is not lost on me how fortunate I am to have experienced premiership success with this group and club.
‘I hope I have done the show jumping horse proud and would like to thank the many people and supporters who helped me along the way.’