THESE days I think there’s a bit of a stigma attached to a player once he turns 30.

It’s like suddenly you’re too old and can’t play anymore.

I really disagree with that whole theory and don’t agree with some of the calls clubs make in relation to their senior players.

At this time of year, when it becomes obvious that some teams can’t make the finals they start looking at list management and often they bring in young guys in place of experienced players.

I’m fully for playing young guys if they deserve a chance but dropping guys just because they’re over 30 is something I don’t understand.

I think, as long as your form is up to scratch, there’s no reason why a 30-year-old shouldn’t play instead of a 21 or 22-year-old.

The Crows are a great example at the moment with Simon Goodwin, Tyson Edwards, Andrew McLeod and Brett Burton.

They are playing some amazing footy and they’re all 31-32-years-old.

Those guys look like they could go on forever, but there are some guys that with just six rounds to go are playing for their careers.

Peter Burgoyne is probably an example of that at Port Adelaide.

Peter’s out of contract at the end of the year and he got dropped last week, which was a massive call for a player like him who has been a legend of our footy club.

Choco told Peter he’s got six weeks to show, firstly, that he still wants to play and still has that passion.

That’s something Peter has to decide for himself because we all know he’s got the ability and when he’s up and going he’s one of the best onballers in the league.

It’s more a case of if he wants to go on and if his heart is really in it.

Peter found out early last week that he was going back to the SANFL, but he didn’t drop his head.

He went back and played with the Magpies on the weekend and he said he had a bit of fun doing it.

He got a few touches and didn’t set the world on fire, but he got back, relaxed and enjoyed his footy, which is a good sign.

Another senior player that was dropped last week was Josh Carr.

Josh’s return to the club has been great for me personally because we’re pretty good mates.

I suppose his form hasn’t been where he wanted or expected it to be, but he’s still brought leadership to the club and he’s a mentor for a lot of the younger guys.

I don’t think the game has passed Carry by. The way he played against the Brisbane Lions a few weeks ago showed that he can still play a role for us.

His leg speed mightn’t be up there with some of the other midfielders in our team, but the other stuff he brings to the table are things that most of the other guys don’t have.

He plays with a lot of aggression and he can really get under the skin of opposition players. I think there’s definitely still a role for that in AFL footy and I definitely hope he goes on next year.

Once you start seeing guys you’ve grown up playing with start to struggle and your body doesn’t feel like it did five years ago, you do start to think about how long you’ve got left in the game and what you’ll do after footy.

It’s a scary thought, but luckily I signed a contract for another two years earlier this season so I have that security.

Now, I’m just looking to get my knee right, so I can play those two years to the best of my ability.

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the club.