St Kilda defender Dylan Roberton has retired, effective immediately.
The 29-year-old recently took a period of leave to consider his footballing future, after he sat out the entirety of the 2019 season as a result of an ongoing heart condition.
“I’ve come to a point where I need to put my family and future first,” Roberton said in a statement.
“Football has been a huge part of my life for such a long time and I’ve never lost my passion for the game.
“But after lengthy discussions with my family and on the advice of my doctors, I’ve made the extremely hard decision to hang up the boots.”
Head coach Brett Ratten said he was “really proud” of how the much-loved defender had continued to stay involved at the club during his period away from playing.
“Dylan is a much loved and well-respected member of our club,” he said.
“He should be really proud of how he has dealt with everything life has thrown at him – it’s a real credit to his character.
“During his time off training, he’s really embraced the challenge of supporting the football program. Dylan has a great footy brain and he’ll remain an asset to our program for the remainder of 2021.”
Roberton debuted for Fremantle in 2010 and played 37 games for the Dockers. He joined the Saints prior to the 2013 season and played a further 92 games in the red, black and white for a career total of 129.