Retired West Coast star Brad Sheppard played football “the way it should be played” and helped those around him be better, according to close friend and long-time teammate Shannon Hurn.
Twenty-four hours after Sheppard emotionally announced his playing days were prematurely over, Hurn reflected on his teammate’s stellar 216-game career and ranked the 2020 All-Australian backman highly.
“Played with him for so long, he’d been such a great player, when that happens it’s always a bit sad to see that,” Hurn told reporters on Wednesday.
“I was fortunate enough to see ‘Coxy’ (Dean Cox), ‘Glassy’ (Darren Glass), Matty Priddis and ‘Lecca’ (Mark LeCras) as well, and I think ‘Shepp’s’ through there.
“His 12 years, 13 years at the club you get to spend so much time with him and really enjoy his company as everyone does.
“It’s unfortunately what it is in football, but it’s disappointing for him because he could have still kept playing for a couple of years.”
Hurn witnessed Sheppard’s career blossom from close quarters after he found his spot in defence under coach Adam Simpson from 2014 onwards, and hailed his ability to shut down talls and smalls while also finding the Sherrin himself.
“He’s been a unique player who can defend exceptionally well and still go and get the ball himself,” Hurn said.
“There aren’t too many players that are like that, and that’s why we’ve thoroughly enjoyed playing with him … because you know he’s going to get the job done and he helps everyone be better.
“We’ve got some blokes who are still working with that about learning how to defend and then coming through and still being involved with the ball movement.
“It’ll be hard but I think we’ve got a couple of players who will be able to fit into that.
“But ‘Shepp’ was a great player to play with, a very good mate and the way he played footy is the way it should be played.”
Hurn, who started his career four years before Sheppard debuted in 2010, will go around for a 17th campaign next year and his trim physique has been turning heads since returning for pre-season training.
Never leaving anything to chance, the 34-year-old has always kept a fastidious eye on his body and continues to do whatever is necessary to get the best out of himself.
“Over the last three or four years I’ve tried to lighten up a touch, just because I think through your early 20s to 28 you can get away with being a bit heavier, running, you cannot do anything, but you can just do it,” Hurn said.
“When you get a bit older you just need to be a bit smarter I reckon about not carrying excess weight because you need to run in the game today.
“My body shape has always changed anyway, the off-season I don’t do a heap of weights (in the gym, I do) weights in the pre-season and then the games start, so those three (phases) my body changes over that time.
“I roughly stay the same weight – two or three kilos different – but the body shape changes.”
