At a media conference today former Collingwood captain Nick Maxwell announced his immediate retirement from the AFL, following his recent battles with calf and ankle injuries.
The 31-year-old said his decision to end his career came after a doctor informed him it would take 10 weeks to recover from an ankle injury sustained during the Magpies’ loss to Essendon on Sunday.
“To be completely honest I was actually relieved that it was a 10-week injury and not four weeks, and not having to fight everyday to be fit to play before the season’s end,” Maxwell said. “I am disappointed not to be able to play out the season but in the end I gave everything I had and I knew I had nothing left.”
The former Collingwood captain, who lead his club to their first victory in 20 years in 2010, was expected to retire at the end of the season. He had dealt with may injuries in the latter years of his career.
“I just knew I had nothing left. Unfortunately my body has had enough, so that’s it,” Maxwell told the media conference. “It’s almost impossible now to carry injuries. Having played through a lot of injuries, I just knew I had nothing left.”
According to the AFL, Maxwell has played 208 games sinc Collingwood selected him in the 2003 NAB AFL Rookie draft and kicked 29 goals. He retires as one of just 11 Collingwood premiership captains.
He said breaking the news of his retirement to his teammates was emotionally difficult. “I almost lost it at one stage. I kept it pretty brief,” he said.
