Tributes as Crows captain Mark Ricciuto retires

AdelaideNow... Tributes as Crows captain Mark Ricciuto retires: "Many of the AdelaideNow comments said it was the right time for the Roo to hang up his boots, expressing their overwhelming support of the decision in congratulatory messages tinged with sadness."

It is sad he is going. He has been a great player and a fantastic captain. He has never big noted himself and he has supported younger players. He doesn't hog the ball or the limelight. He knows the joy of football and he understands how important it is to just run with that ball and how much that means to a player. So he lets his team play. He just lets them play. He leads by example and he enjoys what he does. He has grown up with the sport and he executes it a multifaceted fashion by being both player, leader and inspiration. He will be replaced, life goes on, but his life will continue to grow because it is founded on solid principles and he just lives what he is doing and he dreams big. He has been a major influence in South Australia and can only continue to grow through that. It'll be good seeing the next step in his life take shape and form. It's looking pretty interesting!