'Hold very close': New adventures await as Siddle exits on his terms

Ball in hand, Peter Siddle knows he could keep going.

Wickets wise, the evergreen right-armer is fresh off his best Sheffield Shield campaign since the season he retired from Test cricket, as well as his most productive Australian summer across all formats in three years.

Add in a maiden one-day five-wicket haul last October and pushing the speed gun to 148kph during last summer's Big Bash, there is no question Siddle is still at the top of his game.

But there is life after cricket to consider too, and Siddle – an avid cyclist – has grand plans.

Not long after taking a wicket with his final ball in first-class cricket to seal a season-ending victory for his beloved Victoria, the veteran paceman was on his bike tackling the legendary Roubaix cobblestones northern France.

"It was nice to be able to go when I wanted to," Siddle told cricket.com.au of his decision to hang up the bowling boots in first-class cricket after almost 20 years at the top level.

"More than anything, just being able to finish up like I have while still being fit is something that I hold very close to me.

"I've got a lot of things that I want to do; I want to ride my bike and enjoy that side of things so the body being healthy is something that I appreciate a lot."

Not many fast bowlers have made it to 40 years old still at the peak of their powers; Siddle, who turned 40 last November, and England's James Anderson, 42, being the notable modern-day exceptions.

And like Anderson, who is currently nursing a calf injury but has signed to play on with Lancashire in this year's County Championship and T20 Blast, Siddle will also continue next summer after signing a one-year deal with Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League.

But content with achieving everything he could have dreamed of over the past two decades, Siddle knocked back approaches from both Victoria's coach Chris Rogers and captain Will Sutherland who tried to convince him to play on into a 21st season in state cricket.

"The body is fine, and I still love bowling, that's the good thing," said Siddle.

"But the time in the field, I'm done with that. I've had enough time standing out in cricket fields for long days and sessions, that's grown old.

"So I'm glad that side of it's over, that's for sure."

In his 20 years of professional cricket, Siddle's career has transcended generations of players, so much so that Victoria's debutant in his final first-class game, 18-year-old Ollie Peake, wasn't even born when he made his own debut in late 2005.

Having risen through the Victorian age-group sides in the early 2000s, the Traralgon-born quick earned his one-day bow in October 2005, which was followed by his Victorian baggy blue cap in a tour match less than a month later against a formidable West Indian batting line-up featuring Chris Gayle, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan.

A then 20-year-old Siddle held his own, picking up the wicket of opener Devon Smith. Within two years, the curly-haired tearaway was a mainstay of Victoria's Sheffield Shield side with his 33-wicket 2007-08 season catapulting him onto the global stage with a Test debut against India in Mohali the following October, where his first international wicket the great Sachin Tendulkar.

Across the next decade-and-a-bit before retiring from international cricket in December 2019, Siddle played 67 Tests for 221 wickets (15th most for Australia), 20 ODIs and a pair of T20 internationals, and was part of an Ashes series win (2013-14) and Australia's 2009 Champions Trophy triumph. With two Sheffield Shields as well (2014-15 and 2018-19), Siddle says he finishes up with Victoria fulfilled.

"As a young kid, you always have big dreams and high hopes of representing your country and playing for Australia, but sometimes you don't really get to what you were dreaming," Siddle said.

"I was never super talented when I was younger. It took me a lot of time to work out the player that I wanted to be, rather than just the guy that runs in and bowls fast.

"To be able to get what I did out of my career, as a guy that was consistent … I'm very happy with how it's finished up.

"Over 400 games all up in all formats, I couldn't have asked for anything more.

"I think what I'm nearly the happiest about is how I've been able to stay in the game since retiring from Test and international cricket, and to come back and play state cricket and not just play for the sake of it.

"I was able to perform and continue to perform right up to the end.

"This season probably has been one of my best domestic seasons in nearly my whole career, so I've definitely got everything out of my body that I could throughout the time."

Siddle believes knowing it was his last season helped him enjoy the success that he did in 2024-25, where his 53 wickets across the three formats was the fourth most successful Australian summer of his career (international and domestic cricket combined).

"Part of the reason I've probably been able to get up for each game, and play as well as I have, is knowing it was my last crack at it and these opportunities, whenever I did play, was potentially my last game," he said.

"Having that in the back of mind, with that extra effort I'm putting in to try and perform well myself and to help the team win, probably made it a little bit easier playing.

"And in my last game to be able to still play a part in getting the job done for the team to get the win … with a wicket in my first over of that second innings, and then to get the last wicket of the match with my last ever ball was very memorable, and something I'll probably cherish a lot more down the track once I've fully realised that the time is up."

With the long hours in the field now of a thing of the past, Siddle plans to take some time away from cricket to travel abroad this winter after going back and forth between the Australian and English seasons almost every year since 2014.

But with another season with the Stars on the horizon in BBL|15 and an interest in pursuing a career in coaching, Siddle won't be lost on Victoria just yet.

"I'm very grateful getting that extension with the Stars and being able to go around again next summer, it's given me a little bit of freedom to relax and take a bit of time away from cricket this offseason, which is something I haven't done in nearly 15 years," he said.

"I've pretty much been going 12 months a year, so it'll be nice to go away on holiday, a few cycling trips and just relax and enjoy my time.

"But I'll definitely still be around the Vics.

"Once I get back home later in the year, I'll pretty much be a net bowler to prepare for the Big Bash, so that'll be a bit of fun.

"Next year, after Big Bash finishes, I'll look at my options and what's around to see where I go, but I definitely love the coaching and mentoring aspect and helping the next generation.

"You love to finish up and know that the team's in good hands, and there's good players at Victoria to continue on the baggy blue and hopefully have a lot of success along the way."