“It is probably one of the areas of coaching that you don’t always feel great about – in regards to retirement of your players that have been at the club for over a decade. Steve is probably one of the great stories at the club in my time here. He just walked in off the street and blitzed at training in the under-19s one night. To go on and play in a premiership and play in pre-season premierships has been just a marvelous contribution to our club.
""We have probably had one of the best ‘persons’ in our club that I can remember, for a club. He would have won the best clubman on two or three occasions and played in the 2000 premiership team, which would be one of the best ever sides that played in this clubs history.
""Steve has been a pleasure to coach and has a marvelous attitude towards the black and red. It has been a fantastic period in your life and your help off the field, working in and around the club has also been great. The players have always really cared about you and have known they have had a great leader in you.
Good luck for the rest of your life and thank you very, very much for what you have been able to do here with a lot of our young players coming through, particularly David Hille, Simon O’Keefe and Tristan Cartledge.""
Steve Alessio:
Alessio played 16 games for Essendon in 2003 bringing his career total to 184. Together with his 18 pre-season games, he retires as a member of the AFL’s 200 Club.Alessio was a member of Essendon’s 2000 Premiership side and the pre-season Premiership sides of 1993 and 2000. He was named the Bombers’ Best Finals Player in 2001. His contribution off the ground during his 12 years at the club was outstanding. He was named Essendon’s Best Clubman on three occasions - 1995, 1999 and 2001.
