Western Bulldogs skipper Brad Johnson has announced he will retire at the end of the season.
Johnson spent large periods of Saturday night's qualifying final loss to Collingwood on the bench because of an Achilles injury that has troubled him for much of 2010 and restricted him to just 13 appearances.
And while the Bulldogs are struggling, needing to bounce back on Saturday night against the Swans just to stay in the premiership hunt, Johnson has decided not to hang up his boots immediately after 362 games, hoping that he can recover to take part this week.
Johnson told reporters at the announcement on Monday afternoon that he had made up his mind a couple of months ago but was encouraged by coach Rodney Eade to give it further thought.
Eade suggested that there was still the possibility of going around for one more season, minus the burden of the captaincy, but Johnson said he is convinced now is the correct time to pull the pin even if he shed plenty of tears when he told his team-mates earlier in the day.
The former Western Jet also said that after a reasonable season 12 months ago he was in top shape in the early stages of the pre-season before he was first struck down by the Achilles problems around Christmas and was never able to fully shrug them off.
The 34-year-old made his debut for the Dogs way back in 1994 and has gone on to become their games record-holder, booting 558 goals along the way but his season-long battle with his ageing body has forced his hand.
Johnson was a remarkably durable player for much of his career, following his nine games in his debut season with at least 21 appearances in each of the next 15 seasons but played on in 2010 chasing the drought-breaking premiership the club craves.
The decision comes weeks after his former team-mate Jason Akermanis said Johnson should in fact have retired at the end of 2008 but had selfishly played on, with Akermanis adding that he hadn't said anything before now because that would have been talking out of school.