WEST PERTH GREATS HUNT, TSALIKIS TO RETIRE

THE West Perth Football Club will lose two of its very best players at either end of the ground to retirement at the end of the 2014 WAFL season with Anthony Tsalikis and Dan Hunt calling time on their outstanding careers with the Falcons.

Tsalikis and Hunt have been mainstays of the West Perth line-up for the past 10 years now with both passing the 150-game barrier to become life members of the club and holding down crucial roles at either end of the ground.

Tsalikis will finish his career as West Perth's third largest goalscorer with him leading the club's goalkicking tally five times and while Hunt might have kicked just two goals in a decade, he has been outstanding in key defensive roles and continues to be one of the best defenders in the WAFL.

However, both have decided that 2014 will be their last season with each now having already played their final home match for West Perth at Joondalup's HBF Arena following last Saturday's loss to East Fremantle.

That means that Tsalikis and Hunt now have three matches remaining of their outstanding careers starting this Saturday against Peel Thunder at Mandurah's Bendigo Bank Stadium before also playing Claremont at the Showground and then finally Perth at Lathlain Park.

Tsalikis came to West Perth from Ocean Ridge Junior Football Club and for at least 12 years now he has called the Falcons home and become one of the favourite sons.

Always a favourite of the Falcons faithful, Tsalikis has proven himself a tremendous forward over a career that has now spanned 187 matches for West Perth when taking into account his appearances in the Foxtel Cup.

Along the way, the now 31-year-old has kicked 332 goals to now be equal with Les Fong on West Perth's all-time goalkicking list and needing just one more major between now and the end of the season to hold third place all to himself behind Ted Tyson (1197) and Ray Scott (910).

Along the way he was the club's leading goalkicker on five different occasions when he kicked 49 goals in 2005, 58 in 2006, 42 in 2010, 39 in 2011 and 22 in 2012. He is also on track to win the accolade for a sixth time in 2014 so far having kicked 25 goals this season with three games to go.

While always undersized to play as a key forward, Tsalikis has been able to hold down the role due to his outstanding ability to get out on a quick lead and because of his supremely strong hands to hold on to a grab while out on that lead.

Hunt might have taken a very different path to arrive at West Perth, but ever since his arrival in 2005 he has become every bit as much a favourite son of the Falcons.

Hunt came through the ranks at South Fremantle before being drafted by the Sydney Swans in 2001 where he remained until the end of 2004.

Upon returning to WA, Hunt decided to join West Perth and he remained at the Falcons ever since as an outstanding key defender equally adept at stopping the opposition's best forwards while taking cut out marks, helping out his fellow defenders and providing plenty of strong rebound.

The now 30-year-old was rewarded for his consistent form over a long period by playing for WA in 2012 and then by being a key contributor to last year's premiership team when West Perth beat East Perth in the grand final by 49 points.

Hunt has taken on even more of a leadership role this season in defence with the retirement last year of Michael Pettigrew and him being the lone experienced key backman.

The result has been one of the best seasons of his league career, but the 30-year-old has decided to announce his retirement while at the top of his game.

The retirements of Hunt and Tsalikis comes on the heels of the departure of premiership captain Jason Salecic following the 2013 flag following the retirements of Dion Fleay, Dustin Burns, Josh Pearce and Brent LeCras also in recent seasons.

With experienced recruits Andrew Krakouer and Matthew Spencer also retiring during the 2014 season, much of West Perth's experienced core of the past decade has now headed into retirement but there is good news with Matt Guadagnin, Chris Keunen and Ray Bartholomew to play on in 2015.