Gold Coast stalwarts David Swallow and Sean Lemmens have announced they will retire at the conclusion of the 2025 season, with Saturday’s blockbuster elimination final against Fremantle set to mark the beginning of their farewell run.
The pair broke the news to teammates in an emotional meeting on Tuesday morning, with family members present as the SUNS prepare for their first AFL finals campaign.
Between them, the duo have clocked up nearly 400 games in club colours, with Swallow, the SUNS’ very first draft pick, also holding the games record.
Two club pillars bow out
Swallow, who debuted in the club’s inaugural AFL fixture in 2011, has lived every twist of the Gold Coast story. A former co-captain and Club Champion, he was the first player to reach 200 games and is now immortalised through the ‘David Swallow Award’, renamed last year in his honour.
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“I’ve waited my whole career to get this point, and I’m proud to still be here and get to be a part of that,” Swallow told the club. “It’s just the beginning for this team and this club.”
Lemmens, meanwhile, departs as a fan favourite and cultural leader. A proud Tiwi man, he has combined fierce on-field commitment with tireless mentoring through Indigenous programmes.
“To the playing group, it’s been an absolute privilege to go to work every day with such a connected group that I care about so much,” he said. “The way I play is hard and I put my body on the line, but it’s easy to do that for people you love and care about.”
Gold Coast CEO Mark Evans hailed both men as “forever SUNS family.”