Western Bulldogs midfielder and Melbourne premiership player James Harmes makes shock retirement call on eve of AFL season

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Western Bulldogs midfielder James Harmes has made a bombshell retirement call just days out from the start of the 2026 AFL season. Harmes, 30, has been working through some personal issues and recently took indefinite leave from the club. [{ "selector": ".omutj-a", "duration": "500ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "transform": "translateX(calc(360px - 24px))", "opacity": "1", "visibility" :"visible"}, {"offset": 1, "transform": "translateX(0)", "opacity": "1", "visibility" :"visible"} ] }]