St Kilda midfielder Brad Crouch has officially hung up the boots despite the club redrafting him as a rookie last week.
Crouch's career ends with 161 games next to his name, spending time at Adelaide and the Saints across 12 seasons.
The Victorian made the switch from the Crows to the Moorabbin club at the end of the 2020 season, but struggled to consistently remain on the park, with injuries hindering his time and ultimately being the reason for the end.
"It's been a really tough few months, and this is definitely not how I saw my footy career ending," Crouch said.
"That being said, I've been able to live out my dream of playing AFL at two incredible clubs over 12 seasons, played in a grand final alongside my brother and made many lifelong friends.
"I'd really like to thank my family for their constant support not only through this period, but throughout my entire career.
"Without them, none of this would have been possible and spending more time with them is something I'm very much looking forward to in this next chapter of my life."
St Kilda EGM David Misson shared the same sentiment, flagging the "disappointing" way Crouch's time in the AFL came to a halt.
"This is a really disappointing way for Brad's career to end," Misson said.
"We've been working with Brad for several months now as he has worked through his knee issues, and we were hoping that we could get him back to a place where he could make an impact on-field, which is why we retained his place via our rookie list.
"However, we respect that Brad needs to think about his long-term health first and support him in this decision.
"Brad and the entire Crouch family will always be welcome at St Kilda, and we wish them all the best for the future."
Crouch's decision to call it quits following his recent redrafting as a rookie could be a financial benefit to the Saints.
According to Herald Sun's Jon Ralph, the former Crow was set to earn $550,000 in 2025 as the final year of his current contract.
But by reverting him to the rookie list, St Kilda may be able to put "$100,000 of his eventual payout figure outside the salary cap if they kept him on the rookie list".
The 30-year-old is already working in commercial real estate at Essendon Fields and has been appointed as a non-playing assistant coach of Eastern Football League (EFL) club Noble Park next season.
Crouch's departure has opened up a list spot at the Saints, with the 26-year-old Magarey Medallist in line to claim the slot.