Maguire stuck on 99
29/10/2009 5:41 PM
Matt Maguire's AFL career has seemingly ended on 99 games after the popular defender was dumped by St Kilda on Thursday.
The stunning season of former Hawthorn defender Zac Dawson combined with continual injury problems sealed the 25-year-old's fate with Dawson - who was a revelation in 2009 in his first year with the Saints - promoted off the rookie list to take Maguire's place on the senior list.
The Saints also promoted another rookie in Luke Miles onto its senior list on Thursday with Maguire's axing coming on top of the recent retirement through injury of Jarryd Allen as well as Colm Begley's return to Ireland. Xavier Clarke has also moved to Brisbane, Max Hudghton retired and Eljay Connors was delisted to round off the club's departures ahead of the national draft on November 26.
Maguire was the Saints' first choice centre-half-back during the 2004 and 2005 seasons - which ended in preliminary final heartbreak on both occasions - and was a member of the 2004 pre-season premiership team.
But his career never recovered from a serious broken leg injury he sustained in Round 18, 2006 against West Coast at Etihad Stadium.
From that time on Maguire would play just 14 games over the next three seasons - mostly due to foot problems - and was stuck on 99 games throughout the entire 2009 season when he did not manage a single game, spending much of the season in the VFL.
Maguire's position on the list was also under pressure following the recent recruitment of Essendon star Andrew Lovett and former Fremantle midfielder Brett Peake.