Hawthorn wingman Tom Scully called time on his AFL career at the age of 29, effective immediately.
Scully, a former No.1 draft pick, told Hawks teammates on Tuesday that he would be hanging up the boots after recently stepping away from the game for personal reasons.
New Hawthorn captain Ben McEvoy says Scully had been doing it tough prior to his decision to retire.
“We’ve known for a while that Tom’s had a lot going on,” McEvoy told Sportsday.
“He came in and addressed the players and the footy department this morning (Tuesday) which was really good, and he spoke really well and presented himself very well.
“It’s been going on for a while with Tom, he’s had a lot of stuff going on off-field. Most people would be aware he’s had a split in his relationship which is really tough, and he’s just thinking about some other things in his life.
“It’s a unique one because not often does someone retire at this time of year, but ‘Sculls’ has had 11 years of great service to our industry across three clubs.”
McEvoy paid tribute to Scully who joined the Hawks from GWS for a future fourth-round pick at the end of 2018.
“I’ve been rapt to play alongside him in the last couple of years so all you can do is support him in that decision … what’s best for him is most important,” the Hawks ruckman added.
“What’s best for him is most important and he’s made the decision that his time in the game is done.
"All we can do is applaud him for his efforts over the last 11 years and wish him the best.”
Scully finished on 189 games across three clubs – Hawthorn, the Giants and Melbourne.