In his regular column in Melbourne's Sunday Age, Bell announced his retirement and flagged his intention to run for pre-selection in Carmen Lawrence’s recently vacated seat of Fremantle.

"I've been contemplating the move for while" Bell wrote "Carmen and I spoke in November about a possible move into politics but I told her my sole focus for 2007 was getting Fremantle into a Grand Final"

Bell made his debut for Fremantle in 1995 and played just two games before being shipped off to North Melbourne for 5 seasons where he picked up a premiership medallion and a Best & Fairest before returning to Fremantle where he won the Doig Medal in his first season back and was named captain in his second. He went on to win the Doig in 2003 & 2004 and remained captain until he handed it to Matthew Pavlich at the end of 2006.

Fittingly, Bell will end his 252 game career having played 2 more games for Fremantle than he did the Kangaroos - the two that he played in 1995. He will be sorely missed by the club as they try and bounce back from their loss against Port Adelaide and the club has begun arrangements to give him a lap of honor before the start of the Derby in 13 days time, on the 14th of April.