Claremont champion Jye Bolton opens up on retiring without a premiership after remarkable Tigers career

Jye Bolton concedes it’s “agonising” to hang up the boots at Claremont without a premiership but is proud of the superb career he carved out at Tigerland. Bolton has called time on one of the greatest WAFL careers of the modern era, which includes two Sandover Medals (2016 and 2018), four Simpson Medals and 192 stellar games across a decade. It is a remarkable resume for a footballer who grew up in Geelong and decided to continue his career in Western Australia after one season as a rookie at Collingwood. He had long been slated as a mature-age option for league clubs, but an opportunity never came. Instead, he became one of Claremont’s greatest-ever players. Bolton left VFL side Werribee to join Claremont in 2016, planning on staying two seasons before carving out a legendary 10-year run at the Tigers. The 33-year-old was still playing good football in 2025, polling 18 Sandover Medal votes — the most of any Claremont player — to finish seventh overall. But he said it was the right time to walk away. “The only reason I was playing was to try to win a premiership for the last few years,” Bolton told The West Australian. “I thought we were close and we’ve had some agonising losses in the pointy end of the season and there was no guarantee we’d get back there. Now was the right time for that environment, for the new leaders to come through and fresh voices. It was that combined with work commitments. “And Claremont is quite a hard, professional team which is what I love but the amount of contact hours... I didn’t feel as though I could stay at that level for what they require of me. “I feel I could definitely still play body-wise and what I was contributing, but everything combined I was 50-50 and at this point if you’re not a yes, you’re a no. “I wanted to give the club the best chance to go find someone else and allocate that portion of the salary cap to getting someone else rather than pulling out in January or February.” While Bolton’s accolades are vast, he will end his career without a premiership despite getting close twice with heartbreaking grand final losses to South Fremantle (2020) — when he was named best-on-ground — and West Perth (2022). Bolton played in 21 finals, with Claremont having finished in the top five every year since 2018 to put themselves on the cusp of their first flag since 2012 but never reaching the mark. “It’s agonising. It hurts a lot because we’ve been around the mark since 2018,” Bolton said. “To play in the finals every year, to not get over the line and be top of those five once in that time hurts a lot. “You take so many other things out of it as well, so it does hurt but I am still proud of the career that I’ve had.” One of Bolton’s other goals for many years was to break back into the AFL system, which also eluded him despite being one of the best state players of the past decade. The midfielder revealed there were several times when he was close, but it never eventuated despite his best efforts. “There were indications that clubs were going to give me an opportunity but unfortunately it didn’t happen,” Bolton said. “Sometimes drafts fall certain ways and I’m not angry about it or anything like that. “I got to have the career I’ve had and the way the cards have fallen with work outside of footy and relationships that I’ve been able to create as well as my time at Claremont, I wouldn’t have had it any other way.” As for what is next football wise, Bolton isn’t short of options, with the phone ringing plenty as clubs at all levels look to land his signature. “I’m listening to any opportunities that arise at this point in time. The phone has been quite hot from different clubs around the state, even at state league level as well as in the country and some local clubs,” Bolton said. “I am still really keen to stay involved in footy. I feel as though letting close to 20 years being in a senior program go to waste and the knowledge I’ve been able to build up over that time would be a bit of a shame. “So whether that’s coaching... I would still like to keep fit and still keep playing footy because I feel I can still contribute to a team somewhere, but I am just not sure what that looks like at this stage. I am still figuring that out.”