Ryan Griffen Biography

After 257 games across 14 seasons, Ryan Griffen calls an end to his AFL career following the Giants' semi final loss to Collingwood.

"It's shattering we couldn't quite have the team success, but I just know it was my time to hang them up," Griffen said.

"I just think mentally the game's sort of got to me. I am slowing down a bit. These younger kids playing these days are fitter and stronger and faster and it does get harder."

Ryan Griffen will play in his 250th game for GWS this weekend against Gold Coast at Spotless Stadium.

"When I got drafted I was a chubby, lazy kid from the country, who didn't understand how hard you had to work," he said.

"I was a pretty shy and nervous kid as it was, and you got thrown pretty much straight into it back then.

"I wanted to earn the respect of the playing group, but I didn't really know how to do that, so I just concentrated on my training, put my head down and didn't say boo to anyone.

"There were times after training that I'd sit in the shower and think 'what am I doing?' because pre-seasons back then were brutal."

Ryan Griffen reflects on his early days at the Bulldogs when he was mentored by Scott West.

"Scotty was my mentor for the first three years I was there, and he really taught me how to get the best out of myself," Griffen said.

"He was such a competitor and was ruthless on the track in terms of standards, and the way he trained was unbelievable to watch.

"It was scary sometimes, but he expected everyone to train to a standard he expected, and it taught you pretty quickly that it was a pretty serious business."

Ryan Griffen is ruled out of round one with an ankle injury and no set date for his return.

"It’s quite a complex problem with Ryan’s ankle," GWS head of athletic performance David Joyce said.

"He was really close, then his ankle started to swell up a little bit prior to the JLT game in Canberra.

"We’re going to gradually introduce him into more and more demands, some rehab running and then get him back into training, and hopefully playing in the not too distant future."

Greater Western Sydney coach Leon Cameron has conceded Ryan Griffen is likely to miss the start of the season with an ankle injury.

"His ankle is all over the shop at the moment," Cameron said.

"It's disappointing because he had a really good five or six weeks of training, then played in the practice match against the Swans a few weeks ago, but it just hasn't gotten any better."

Ryan Griffen says he never contemplated retiring despite a horror 2017 season.

Two separate ankle problems limited Griffen to just three games for the Giants in 2017, with his second serious ankle syndesmosis injury coming just as he was ready to return to the field, forcing him to have surgery.

The 31-year-old made a late bid to salvage his season when he lined up in a trial game against Adelaide's reserves side in early September, but realised he was done when he struggled through the second half.

"I never really thought about giving it away or sat back and thought I've had enough," he said.

"I had plenty of support around me that kept my chin up, and I always thought I could get back and play some good footy.

"I've been pretty lucky throughout career so I can't really complain."

Ryan Griffen set to miss the rest of the home and away season after having ankle surgery.

"Ryan was progressing really well from his initial ankle injury and a few weeks from returning to the field," GWS head of athletic performance David Joyce said.

"Unfortunately, during a drill at training, he's re-injured the ligaments at the top of his ankle.

"It's a more severe injury this time around and required surgery."

Ryan Griffen is set to miss 8-10 weeks with an ankle injury.

Griffen suffered a syndesmosis of the left ankle during the second quarter of the Giants' 42-point win over North Melbourne.

Ryan Griffen could miss a number of weeks after suffering a serious ankle injury against North Melbourne.

"It's a pretty nasty ankle injury," GWS coach Leon Cameron said.

"We'll have to deal with that and see where it ends up in the next few days."

Ryan Griffen will relish heading into September for the first time since he trudged off the MCG in 2010, following a third consecutive preliminary final defeat with the Western Bulldogs.

Griffen, 30, is one of only six players on the GWS list with finals experience and he will be keen to lead his club to a win over the Sydney Swans at ANZ Stadium next week, given he has tasted success just four times from 11 finals appearances.

"You don't realise how lucky you are and that’s what I've told the young guys here," Griffen said.

"You just think you're going to make another finals series year after year, but you just don't know what's going to happen so you've just got to take your opportunities.

"You realise the opportunities don't come around that often, so hopefully now we can make it count."

Ryan Griffen is set to miss a month of football after straining his hamstring at training.

Ryan Griffen has shed five kilos over summer after admitting he was overweight and inconsistent last season.

"Last year I got too big and was playing too heavy, so I've dropped 4-5 kilos," Griffen said.

"When you're playing and training at 90 kilos instead of 85 or 86 (kilos) … it makes a huge difference, you move a lot better and it's not as hard on your knees and your legs.

"I needed to drop those kilos and now I feel 10 times better."

Ryan Griffen will miss the Giants' final match against Melbourne after scans revealed the veteran has a grade-two medial ligament injury.

Griffen suffered the injury to his right knee in the third term of the Giants' 81-point win over Carlton at Spotless Stadium.

Griffen won't require surgery and is expected to be available for the beginning of pre-season training in November.

Western Bulldogs captain Matthew Boyd says Ryan Griffen's decision to leave the club last year for the Giants was a major surprise.

"'Griff' gave me a call at the time and told me what he was going to do and I was shocked at that decision (and) that it had come to that," Boyd told Fox Footy.

"Knowing Griff pretty well, I knew that it would've been a decision that wasn't taken lightly from him; some extraordinary circumstances in his mind had played out.

"I know what sort of person he is and he's a quality person, so it was disappointing but we just had to move on."

Ryan Griffen says former coach Brendan McCartney, who was sacked by his old club, was not the reason he moved from the Bulldogs to the Giants.

"There were so many other issues than Macca," Griffen said.

"A lot of people think it was the coach and we had this shocking relationship, but with Macca, he taught me so many good things, I had so many good years under Macca. He taught me a lot of things along the way.

"It wasn't just Macca. It was the environment, it was just me - I don't know. I just got to a point where I wasn't enjoying training, I was worrying about a lot of other things with the captaincy as well that were bringing me down."

Griffen said the reason behind him leaving was simply about happiness.

"I didn't stop thinking about certain stuff, especially last year (2014), and that was affecting, like relationships because I wasn't there - I was thinking about other stuff," he said.

"[My mother] came up through the year and said I've changed, my personality's changed, you're not happy, what's wrong, you're not your normal self. Because your mother knows."

Griffen says the sacking of McCartney upset him.

"You know I wasn't sitting there with a smile on my face," he said.

"I was distraught and that was a horrible time in my life, that whole process. But I still feel they were separate issues. I don't feel that it was just me leaving, that's the reason why Macca had to go."

GWS coach Leon Cameron has dismissed rumours that star recruit Ryan Griffen has been hampered by a back complaint this pre-season.

"We couldn't be happier with Ryan Griffen. He's completed 85-90 per cent of our pre-season and he's in fantastic shape," Cameron told 3AW radio.

"It was actually quite funny when I started to hear that, because it's not the Ryan Griffen I've seen running around and enjoying his pre-season thus far."

Greater Western Sydney appears determined to maintain the rage against the Western Bulldogs, taking the animosity between the two clubs to a provocative new level on social media.

In a tweet to its 26,000 followers, the official GWS account posted a picture of former Bulldogs Leon Cameron, Ryan Griffen and Callan Ward, touting them as 'lost dogs' and using the hashtag #belessbulldog.

Ryan Griffen's manager Nigel Carmody says his client felt compelled to leave the Western Bulldogs and get out of Melbourne to rediscover his love of the game and life.

"He just simply wasn't happy in the environment,' Carmody said about Griffen.

"To go to GWS, for him, it's as far away from this Melbourne football environment that … (everyone) feeds off. He's someone who wants to turn up, play, train his butt off, and then be away from it.

"He's a very quiet, unassuming type. He's a guy who likes to be away in his own thoughts or amongst close friends and family."

Carmody conceded Griffen had been a reluctant captain, adding that leadership responsibilities had weighed heavily on him.

"It was a hard thing for him, and it was a major adjustment that had to take place. He's a leader but he's not a leader in the true sense of what we think perhaps an AFL captain to be these days – they're a mouthpiece, they're a spokesperson," he said.

"Captaincy's probably a bit of an iceberg too – there's that public part of it but there's an enormous amount of work that's required behind the scenes. He did certain things well, within his capabilities, but there's an element of things that don't sit comfortably with him."

An emotional Ryan Griffen says he was burnt out and would have quit football if he hadn't orchestrated a trade away from the Western Bulldogs and joined Greater Western Sydney.

"I just needed a fresh start," he told a packed press conference, choking back tears.

"I found myself in a hole last year and wasn't enjoying the game and if I'm not enjoying something, I don't really want to do it.

"I was thinking about retiring next year at the age of 29 and that was something I didn't want to do.

"I'm getting a bit emotional about it, but I needed a change and the best fit was GWS."

The Giants trade Tom Boyd to the Western Bulldogs, receiving veteran Ryan Griffen and pick No.6 in return.

Despite the trade, GWS CEO Dave Matthews says he is confident other youngsters won't leave the club in coming seasons.

"We've got real confidence in the loyalty we're starting to build here, strong culture," Matthews said.

"Clearly it's a culture Tom didn't feel comfortable in, but a lot of others do.

"We've got a great young coach in Leon Cameron, we've got an outstanding facility at Sydney Olympic Park. As we start to win more often I think not only will we hold players for longer, we'll start to attract players.

Western Bulldogs president Peter Gordon has demanded "unprecedented" compensation for captain Ryan Griffen should the club choose to trade him.

"He's just played his 200th game, captain of the club, All-Australian, one of the most credentialled guys going around," Gordon said.

"There wouldn't be a player, except maybe Gary Ablett, that's changed clubs in the last couple of years that's had the cachet and the value that Ryan Griffen has got.

"Dealing with it on a theoretical level, if we agreed to that sort of request, then the sort of quid pro quo we'd be looking at would be pretty much unprecedented in the competition."

Rocked by captain Ryan Griffen's request to be traded to the Giants last week, the Western Bulldogs hit back at GWS by declaring that Tom Boyd is seeking a move to the Whitten Oval.

"Managed sensibly with mature heads, this can be a win for both clubs," Western Bulldogs president Peter Gordon said about a potential exchange involving the two key players.

"Not managed in that way, neither club gets what it wants and we'll be the only two of the 18 clubs that don't benefit from that.

"Wiser heads will prevail at both ends of the transaction … Tom's a real priority for us now."

GWS CEO David Matthews said Boyd would not be released from the final year of his contract to join the Bulldogs.

"We have been clear with them that despite any speculation or interest, Tom Boyd will not be traded under any circumstances," Matthews said.

"With pick four and potentially another high first-round selection we are confident we are in a strong trade position as we enter the week."

Ryan Griffen remains set on a move to Greater Western Sydney despite Brendan McCartney's resignation as Western Bulldogs coach.

The media reports Griffen's deteriorating relationship with McCartney was a significant factor in his decision to seek a move, but that his concerns about remaining at the Bulldogs ran deeper than that.

During a dramatic media conference, Bulldogs president Peter Gordon said he had not spoken to Griffen since the skipper said he wanted out but hadn't given up hope Griffen would see through the contract extension he signed in early 2012 that ends into next year.

"An agreement's an agreement. It has legal effect and people ought to think seriously before they sign them because when they sign them, they're bound by them," Gordon said.

"He (Griffen) is a much-loved and valued member of our footy club and we remained distressed and disturbed about the events that have played out.

"We believe that at the Western Bulldogs and in the AFL contracts are contracts and we hope he will see his way clear to honour his obligations that he undertook when he executed that contract."

Tom Lonergan knocks back a three-year offer from the Western Bulldogs to stay a Cat.

The 30-year-old was being heavily courted by the Dogs with a lucrative contract attempting to lure him from the club he won the 2011 premiership with.

But with Bulldogs coach Brendan McCartney resigning from his post on Friday following trade request by captain Ryan Griffen, Lonergan has opted to stay put.

"It was a very exciting offer from the Doggies but in the end I love the boys at the (Geelong) footy club and I'll end up staying," Tom Lonergan told Triple M.

"It probably started yesterday when the skipper (Ryan Griffen) walked out, there was a little bit of uncertainty around the footy club.

"But I sort of had a chat with Macca (McCartney) and as of yesterday I thought he was still going to be there and then of course today the bombshell was dropped and he was leaving.

"So I suppose that probably did turn it."

Western Bulldogs captain Ryan Griffen has dropped a huge bombshell by requesting a move to Greater Western Sydney.

The 28-year-old announced his intentions through his management on Thursday with a year left to run on his current contract.

The statement said Griffen had requested the trade "after ongoing consultation with the Western Bulldogs, his family and management".

"At 28, Ryan feels a fresh start outside Melbourne after 202 games with the Western Bulldogs is the right thing for him," the statement said.

"The decision has not come lightly and has been extremely difficult for all involved."

Western Bulldogs president Peter Gordon has slammed Ryan Griffen for reneging on an undertaking he made to the club to work with coach Brendan McCartney on an ongoing basis.

Griffen shocked the club on Thursday when he requested a trade to Greater Western Sydney.

Gordon conceded Griffen raised concerns about the senior coach on the day after the club best and fairest was held in early September which were relayed to club CEO Simon Garlick and McCartney.

It led to a meeting between McCartney, the club's football director Chris Grant and Griffen where the concerns were aired and addressed.

"We arranged for Ryan to meet with Brendan and our football director, Chris Grant, and they discussed his concerns. Brendan acknowledged some faults and agreed to work on them. At the conclusion of the meeting, Chris asked Ryan if he was happy with the meeting and agreeable to working with Macca on an ongoing basis," Gordon said.

"Ryan answered yes to both questions and added that while he was on leave he wanted to reflect upon whether he was best suited to captain the club in the future."

Bulldogs development coach Cameron Mooney says the Western Bulldogs should show captain Ryan Griffen the door after he sensationally requested a trade to Greater Western Sydney.

"It's a huge call for the captain of your football club, someone you've put so much time and interest into, to then (get) up and leave," Mooney said.

"If he doesn't want to be around for the long run and long journey (then) don't talk him around into spending one more year there, if your captain says he wants out you show him the door."

Bulldogs captain Ryan Griffen says he isn't a natural leader, but he's using his own style to make an impact on his teammates.

"I'm really loving the role, and I lead by example. I'm looking to get better in the role, guys around me are helping me and I think my voice has improved," Griffen said.

"I care for the younger guys; I care for the older blokes. I want the team to get better so that's all I can work on."

On the eve of his 200th game, Western Bulldogs skipper Ryan Griffen says his early struggles to reach the standards of AFL football made him slow to reach his true potential.

"It took me a few years to realise how hard I had to train. I was a careless kid who came in, and I think the standards probably weren't there for the first few years," Griffen said.

"I had a lot of good guys around me like Scott West and Luke Darcy who really trained me up well. I think after being in the system for four or five years I realised I had to lift my standard, and that's when I played better footy.

"When I first started I didn't think I'd make 200 but to make it, I'm very happy."

Ryan Griffen is expected to miss two to three weeks after a flare up of his pre-season back injury.

Griffen was subbed out of the Bulldog's game against Port Adelaide after his whole back seized up and went into spasm when he landed awkwardly.

Ryan Griffen admits his form has been disappointing but says it is not related to his captaincy of the Western Bulldogs.

"I'm not playing the sort of football I'd like to," Griffen said.

"I love captaining the club. That (captaincy) is not having an impact on my game.

"I'm not sure where it's come from, but I'm working extremely hard to find that form."

After missing the Bulldogs' season opener, Ryan Griffen will play his first game as skipper of the side against North Melbourne in round 2.

"I think missing last week as his first game as a captain he said he felt it even more so, because he wanted to be out there to help his teammates," Bulldogs coach Brendan McCartney said.

"It'll be good to have him back and he's really excited about playing. It's probably a good reminder that they do love playing the game and when you can't play it because of injury or different reasons then you do miss it."

Ryan Griffen hopes to overcome a back complaint in time for the Western Bulldogs' season opener against West Coast at Patersons Stadium.

"It's more a niggle than an injury at the moment. I'm just taking a cautious approach to it. I still have three weeks until round one so I am very confident I will be fully fit," Griffen said.

New Dogs skipper Ryan Griffen says he will bring a different leadership style to the club compared to past captains.

"I think my style is going to be caring for my teammates," Griffen said.

"I love this club dearly, so it's all about the players underneath me and making sure they feel comfortable in their environment, and that they're playing good footy."

Ryan Griffen is named skipper of the Bulldogs in 2014, taking over from Matthew Boyd.

"It's a huge honour to lead this club – a club I love dearly," Griffen said.

"I'm extremely humbled, that the coaches, staff and my teammates nominated me as the person to captain the club."

Bulldogs coach Brendan McCartney says Griffen's leadership in years past has already been apparent during matches.

Matthew has been a great leader of this club, particularly through some challenging times over the past three years where he shouldered some enormous responsibility both on and off the field," McCartney said.

"We see Ryan as the right person to help take this club forward and we look forward to seeing him continue to grow as a leader, player and person."

Ryan Griffen takes out his second consecutive Charles Sutton Medal as the Bulldogs' best and fairest with 273 votes of Tom Liberatore on 242 votes, while ruckman Will Minson with 184 votes came third.

Ryan Griffen will undergo scans to determine th extent of his shoulder injury sustained during the Dogs' 52-point loss to Adelaide.

Sam Kerridge says playing a run-with role on Bulldog Ryan Griffen in just his second game was an invaluable learning experience.

"It was good, it was something that allowed me to chase around a very good player for four quarters, or three and a half, just to see how they go about it," Kerridge said.

"Just to see where they run, when they run and how they go about it, the decisions they make. [It] was obviously great for my development and something I'll put in the memory bank."

Matthew Boyd wins his third Chalie Sutton medal as the Western Bulldogs' best and fairest award ahead of Ryan Griffen.

Bulldog Ryan Griffen tallies a club-record 47 possessions in a loss to the Swans at Etihad Stadium.

"Statistically it was extraordinary, but just to see a person give so much," Bulldogs coach Brendan McCartney said of Griffen's effort.

"He has been carrying a sore body around for a while, and he's been playing in a midfield where he gets tagged heavily and he's only got a couple of young boys and 'Boydy' (Matthew Boyd) to help him. We have lost some troops in that part of the ground. It was an extraordinary effort."

Ryan Griffen signs a contract extension with the Western Bulldogs for a further three years which will prevent the club from losing him to free-agency.

"I was really thrilled (to extend terms)," Griffen told the Herald Sun.

"I always wanted to stay at the Bulldogs and for them to re-sign me it was fantastic. I love the guys here and the club, so I jumped at the opportunity."

Bulldogs midfielder Ryan Griffen has capped off his best season yet by winning his first Charles Sutton medal as the club's best and fairest for 2010.

Ryan Griffen has signed a two-year deal with the Western Bulldogs ahead of its qualifying final against Collingwood after reportedly being courted by Adelaide and Essendon.

"In my mind, there wasn't much doubt. His mates had said he wasn't going to go anywhere, he wanted to stay," Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade said.

"He was buying property in Melbourne to live in so there were a whole range of factors and we knew he wanted to stay even though there were other people circling.

Fresh from signing a new contract with the Bulldogs, Ryan Griffen says he never considered leaving the club.

"I have been here for six years now and I'm extremely happy," he said.

"I have got a girlfriend here and I am pretty settled to Melbourne life so I didn't even think about going home. And I love the club so leaving wasn't in my thoughts."

Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade is confident that Adam Cooney, Ryan Griffen and Jarrod Harbrow will re-sign before season's end, keeping them away from Gold Coast's reach.

"I would like to think they would and I'm confident because of our environment and culture and the fact the team has been together for a while," Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade said.

"No club is going to be able to match the Gold Coast's money. But our team has been relatively successful in winning games and making the finals and we'd like to think that's going to be enough."

Ryan Griffen says a flawless pre-season has given him every possible chance to put his consistency issues to bed.

"I've hardly missed a session and I'm fit and I've got a lot stronger as well so I hope it's going to be a good year," he said.

"I work pretty hard on my game. It's just a confidence, between-the-ears thing. I've got to start believing in myself a bit more because I know everyone else does."

Bulldogs midfielder Ryan Griffen has dedicated this season to his father, John, who died last month after a long struggle with cancer.