Essendon champion Matthew Lloyd today ruled out a return to AFL football saying that Sunday's 'Lloyd tribute' game would officially end his playing career.
 
""Gary Lyon wrote about me coming back in a year's time and how I am younger than Barry Hall but Sunday will be the curtain, I suppose, on my career if it hasn't been already,"" he said to Bomber.tv today.
 
""I couldn't be happier and I have moved onto other things. Mentally I just wasn't enjoying the game like I was and so I have moved on and won't be coming back.""
 
 
The 270 game veteran will be farewelled from 1:30pm on Sunday before the Bombers' clash with Fremantle at Etihad.
The highlight will be the unveiling of the 'Lloyd' end which will replace the Coventry end for all Essendon home games at Etihad in 2010.
 
""What an amazing honour to turn up ... and see that (his name) behind the Bomber faithful,"" Lloyd said at a media conference at Etihad today.
 
""Over 15 years you have many highs and lows but then you have a day like this and it makes it all worth while - I really want to thank the Essendon Football Club for putting this on.
 
""It was a really nice touch to see Richo go around last Thursday and now to have the opportunity not only for the fans to thank me but for me to thank them for their support over a number of years is fantastic.""
 
Lloyd said the naming of the end would remind him how much the club means to him and revealed he should have created another piece of history at Etihad.   
 
""I played in the first ever game here and had a pretty good game myself and the team dominated Port Adelaide but I actually missed a sitter, to be honest, in the first shot ever here so I got the first score but Michael Long got the first goal,"" he said.
 
The 32-year-old said after seeing Matthew Richardson's farewell, he knows he will be emotional at his tribute game.
 
""I was on the boundary watching Richo .. I had a quiet moment thinking about my own day .. and how nice it will be to have plenty of kids on the oval with No.18 on their back,"" he said.
 
""It will be a nice thankyou for my family too who have been there .. everyone who has meant everything to me will be here inside the stadium too so hopefully we can pack the stadium out. There will be nothing better than to get a full house to will the Bombers over the line on Sunday.""
 
 
He described the Bombers' efforts against Geelong on Friday as very positive and the side would have beaten most other teams.
 
""The average games for Essendon was 70 and for Geelong it was 130 and you just saw that experince shine out,"" he said. 
 
""I think there were stages in the game, and for the majority, that Essendon was the better side and that hasn't been the case for a number of years. It is an exciting future (at Essendon) and they will be there about over the next few years if things keep progessing the way it is.""
 
Meanwhile, fans only have until the close-of-business today (Wednesday, 31st March) to sign-up and be part of the Lloyd tribute against Fremantle this Easter Sunday.

299 fans (number of goals Lloyd has kicked at Etihad) can register to be on the ground as Lloyd does a pre-game lap (there are less than 40 places left).
 
For your chance to be involved, you will need an Essendon jumper with the number 18 (and a ticket into the ground) and have registered here. All lucky participants will be contacted via email by Thursday at 10am containing full event details.
 
The lucky 299 entrants will receive an email from the club explaining the logistics of the day.
 
Don’t miss your chance to be a part of this special day as we honour former captain and champion goalkicker.
 
The Matthew Lloyd tribute kicks off at 1.30pm.

Following his lap, the Lloyd end will be unveiled (at the current Coventry end) before one of the 299 fans will have the chance to stand the mark as Lloyd kicks his 300th career goal at the venue. 

The Lloyd end will become a feature of all Essendon home games at Etihad stadium in 2010 and will help the Bombers as they continue to build a red and black cauldron at all home matches.

Others highlights of the day include:

  • The opportunity to purchase a commemorative Lloyd coin (only 3000 available)
  • Lloyd tribute on the big screen
  • Lloyd SMS scoreboard trivia (prizes to be won)
  • Lloyd to toss the coin pre-match

HOW YOU CAN BE INVOLVED

Members wishing to be part of the Lloydy celebration can collect their membership packs (gate 5) and scarves (on footbridge) from 11am which will ensure enough time to enter the arena in time for the tribute.