Jason Winderlich Biography

Jason Winderlich announces his retirement for the second time.

Winderlich first called it quits in 2014, but was persuaded to go around again with the Bombers this season after flirting with a move to Richmond.

However, after just one senior match this season Winderlich has decided it is all over, saying he could walk away from the game knowing he had nothing left to give.

"I'm disappointed I could only manage to play one senior game this season," Winderlich said.

"It's been well documented my career has been interrupted by injury, and while this year didn't pan out the way I would have liked, I hang up the boots with no regrets.

"The club has been fantastic to me, and I've said it before, but to play for the team you supported as a kid is incredible, and I've made plenty of life-long mates along the way."

Jason Winderlich says he's questioned his decision to play on this season, amid concerns about how much damage he is doing to his quality of life following another back injury.

Winderlich shelved his retirement plans at the end of last year, but is yet to play at senior level in 2015 after suffering more issues with his troublesome back.

"As soon as I got a sore back again I was like 'Geez, what have I done?'. That was the whole reason why I didn't really want to put my body through it again," Winderlich told SEN.

"I've had the two back operations when I was 22-23 and I know I'm always going to have a bad back for the rest of my life, but it was just quality of living.

"I actually injured my back again right around the time when we had our second daughter, so I could only stand up for two minutes and hold her before it felt like I was going to have a massive back spasm.

"So that was the thing that worried me the most, quality of living."

Essendon upgrades tall forward Shaun McKernan to its senior list.

He replaces veteran speedster Jason Winderlich who has been placed on the long-term injury list because of an ongoing back problem.

Essendon is hopeful Jason Winderlich will be available for round one, despite the veteran's training being restricted by back soreness in recent weeks.

Winderlich completed most of the Bombers' pre-season block before Christmas in strong form, but has been eased through recent workloads as he deals with pain in his back.

Essendon coach James Hird says Essendon's retention of players like Jason Winderlich and Ben Howlett shows the Bombers are not the undesirable club they've been made out to be.

"The competition is at a point where players have a lot of power and they're entitled to leave, or retire," Hird said.

"And certainly Jason and Ben looked at their options and preferred to stay at Essendon, which is a great sign that the Essendon Football Club is still a club players want to play at.

Jason Winderlich will play on with Essendon in 2015 after back-flipping on retirement plans.

"I had a number of really positive chats with Hirdy (James Hird) and Paul Little, and the boys were constantly in my ear, encouraging me to change my mind," Winderlich said.

"Our recent family holiday gave me time to weigh everything up, and I felt I still had a real hunger and the ability to go around for another season.

"To have Mark Harvey return as an assistant coach is exciting for me personally, and it's a massive boost for the playing group and the footy club in general."

Richmond has confirmed it is interested in securing Essendon speedster Jason Winderlich if a deal can be struck to acquire him as a free agent during the trade period.

Essendon coach Mark Thompson says Jason Winderlich's terrific form belies the 29-year old's decision to retire at the end of the season.

"He's helped us win a few games this year. I haven't seen it really before. I haven't seen someone in such good form be wanted by a club…it's clear that the club want him to play and he's leaving on his terms," Thompson said.

"It's great for him. It's the best way to do it, to leave on your terms. He's obviously ready to exit the game and move on.

"I try and change [his mind] every week. I'm trying to change it right now. It won't work though, he's pretty stubborn."

Jason Winderlich has told teammates of his decision to finish at the end of 2014.

"I've enjoyed every single minute during my time here at Essendon," he said.

"To be drafted to the club you supported as a kid was a dream come true. I would have been honoured to play the one game, so to pull on the jumper for 12 years has been an absolute privilege.

"I'm certainly going to miss the banter around the club and playing alongside a great group of blokes, but I've got a young family and I have to think about my long-term future and I think it's fair to say the body probably didn't have another full pre-season in it."

Jason Winderlich is in doubt for the Bombers' round one clash with North Melbourne after suffering a hamstring injury against Port Adelaide during the NAB Challenge.

"Jason suffered a minor strain to his hamstring during the match and with his injury history we are going to be careful as to how we manage his rehabilitation," Essendon doctor Bruce Reid said.

"We will send him for scans later in the week and continue to closely monitor his progress."

Bombers veteran Jason Winderlich signs a new one-year deal with Essendon to play on in 20114.

"I've been at the club for 11 years now, I barracked for Essendon as a kid and I couldn't see myself playing in anything other than the red and black jumper," Winderlich said.

"It was an easy decision really, this year we played some really good football and proved we're certainly on the right track to achieving success, and I want to be part of our push for a top four finish next season."

Jason Winderlich will miss two weeks with hamstring tightness.

"At first we were a little bit fearful that he might have torn it and we know he has had a bit of a history with his hamstring," Essendon football manager Steve Alessio said.

"His hamstring is very tight but it is probably the better case scenario for us with regards to Jason. It still means, with his history, he will still miss a couple of weeks."

Essendon coach James Hird praises the efforts of the Bombers' leadership group in skipper Jobe Watson's absence against the Bulldogs.

"Probably three of our best players were Brendon (Goddard), Brent (Stanton) and Dyson Heppell, and also Jason Winderlich," Hird said.

"They're all part of our leadership team and they really stepped up tonight, and Michael Hurley worked really hard in the forward line. I thought our leadership group did a great job in Jobe's absence."

Brendan Goddard along with Jason Winderlich and Dyson Heppell, is elevated into the Bomber's leadership group which also includes reigning Brownlow medallist and captain Jobe Watson, Brent Stanton, Heath Hocking, Michael Hurley and David Zaharakis.

Essendon has lost midfielders Ben Howlett and Jason Winderlich to hamstring injuries for three and four matches respectively.

Bomber Jason Winderlich has suffered complications in his return from a hamstring injury.

It's just progressing a little bit slower than we would have hoped," Essendon football manager Paul Hamilton said.

"When he goes to take the next step up he's hit problems with tightness and those sort of things.

"With that he's got to take a little step back to take some steps forward and the fitness and medical staff are working on the strengthening of the muscle."

Bomber Jason Winderlich has suffered another injury setback, tearing his hamstring at training.

Jason Winderlich is set to make his comeback from a knee reconstruction against the Sydney Swans this Friday in the NAB Cup.

"It's been a long time for him," Essendon football manager Paul Hamilton told The Age.

"He's done a good chunk of the pre-season. He's looked after himself really well. He had some minor setbacks in the pre-season … but he's in good condition and happy to be back out there again."

Essendon coach James Hird says knee recostruction duo Courtenay Dempsey and Jason Winderlich will be available for round one.

"Jason Winderlich has had some really good periods. We've backed him off a little bit just over the past week or so because we want to make sure he doesn't get too much knee soreness," Hird said.

"His reconstruction required a little bit more surgery than Courtenay's, so we've got to be a bit more careful with him, but they'll both be fit and ready to go by round one."

Essendon coach Matthew Knights hopes forward Scott Gumbleton will play again this season, but a run in the seniors is unlikely.

Knights said Essendon hoped Gumbleton's recovery, after surgery to repair a bulging disc in his spine in April, would mirror that of midfielder Jason Winderlich, who was operated on for a similar injury last year and has been a shining light this season.

"We've just got to hope Scott follows that path. Many times we've started with Scott but it hasn't worked out for us, or for him," Knights said.

"So we can only hope he comes through. We can't guarantee anything, unfortunately, because he has had a history of not being able to get on the ground over the last two or three years."

Jason Winderlich has more reason than most to relish Essendon's exciting ride this year.

Two back operations last year restricted him to just nine games, but he has missed just one this season and has emerged as one of the prime movers for the Bombers.

"It's been great because I didn't expect to play much footy at all this year, so I really go out there with just a pretty clear mind week-in, week-out," Winderlich said.

"For the first half of the year Scotty Lucas was a bit out of form and we had a few injuries, so I was the fourth or fifth-oldest player and I'm only 24.

"It was pretty exciting (to be) looking around the rooms before a game and see so many young guys there, and obviously our game style suits the way I play so it was very exciting running out, it still is each week."

Essendon is set to welcome three key players back for Friday night's match with Melbourne.

Key defender Dustin Fletcher and onballers Andrew Welsh are almost certain to line-up, while speedster Jason Winderlich will be named depending on how he recovers from training today.

Jason Winderlich has a new attitude to football after suffering though some dark days following back surgery last year.

"There were times I did not think I would play again," Winderlich said. "But I'm stoked to be back playing again."

"For a while I did not think I would make it back to play, so I am playing with a lot more freedom," he said.

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Essendon welcomes back important trio Mark McVeigh, Scott Lucas and Jason Winderlich to full training after injury.