"As I said to the boys, I’ve got nothing left. Unfortunately my body has had enough, so that's it," Maxwell told a media conference on Wednesday afternoon.

Maxwell said years of battling injuries had taken a heavy toll.





"It's almost impossible now to carry injuries.





"Having played through a lot of injuries, I just knew I had nothing left."





Maxwell said breaking the news to his teammates was emotionally draining.





"I almost lost it at one stage. I kept it pretty brief," he said.





Maxwell said he was motivated in the early part of his career by those who said he'd never make it to the top level.





"Early on I did, just wanting to prove people wrong and make a career out of AFL footy."





He has played 208 games and kicked 29 goals, and retires as one of just 11 Collingwood premiership captains and with a reputation as one of the best leaders of his generation.



Several clubs had overlooked the Geelong-raised youngster before the Magpies offered him a chance and he soon made up for any lack of natural ability with a strong work ethic and a refusal to give up.





Click here for Nick Maxwell's career in pictures



Maxwell made his debut against Adelaide in round nine, 2004, as the club was rebuilding after successive Grand Final losses.



He came off the bench wearing No.43 and immediately bumped an unsuspecting Crows opponent, displaying the sort of football belligerence that became a hallmark of his career.



He graduated to No.27 and became a fixture in defence for the Magpies.



Maxwell's reputation was enhanced in 2008 when, wearing the number five present coach and club champion Nathan Buckley bestowed on him after retiring, he played a final against Adelaide with a broken wrist.



Playing in the unfamiliar role of tagger, he shut down Crows playmaker Scott Thompson to be instrumental in an against the odds win by the Magpies.



Nick Maxwell is joined by Nathan Buckley, Scott Pendlebury and Eddie McGuire as he announces his retirement. Picture: AFL Media







He became the club's skipper in 2009, winning the nod ahead of Josh Fraser.



Following a patchy start he hit top gear and had his best individual season, being named All Australian, finishing second in the best and fairest and earning the only three Brownlow votes in his career.



He also willed himself to win the match-winning centre clearance late in the tight first semi-final against Adelaide that season.



At that stage Maxwell had turned himself into one of the game's best defenders.



He could play on talls or smalls, was brilliant at getting across to aerial contests to support teammates and was a dependable intercept mark. As his confidence grew he began to create more run from defence.



He was also renowned as an organiser of the backline and a stickler for people playing their roles and contributing.



Analysis: Collingwood's leading man



Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley played with Maxwell and, when the two were teammates, urged him to consider a future as a leader and, possibly, captain.



“It was obvious quite early in his career that he carried in him a lot of the virtues that we hold dear as a club - excellence, discipline, relentlessness, community and remaining side by side,” Buckley said.



“Every one of his teammates, past and present, would have a story about how ‘Maxy’ helped them in some way, of how he gave everything he had and inspired them to do the same. And the fans saw it so obviously in his play on match-day, too.



“It’s easy to love a bloke like that.”



Maxwell's finest moment came in 2010 when he led the Magpies to their first premiership for 20 years.



His efforts in the final quarter of the Grand Final draw against St Kilda when he ran down a kick from Saints' captain Nick Riewoldt to rush a behind, and marked over Sam Gilbert allowing Collingwood to score a goal, were career defining.



Speaking on the ground after the game he famously told television interviewer Matthew Richardson: "I don't know if I have ever seen 44 guys go to war like we did just then. That was amazing."



Collingwood won the replay by 56 points and Maxwell held aloft the premiership cup. Maxwell made his debut against Adelaide in round nine, 2004, as the club was rebuilding after successive Grand Final losses.He came off the bench wearing No.43 and immediately bumped an unsuspecting Crows opponent, displaying the sort of football belligerence that became a hallmark of his career.He graduated to No.27 and became a fixture in defence for the Magpies.Maxwell's reputation was enhanced in 2008 when, wearing the number five present coach and club champion Nathan Buckley bestowed on him after retiring, he played a final against Adelaide with a broken wrist.Playing in the unfamiliar role of tagger, he shut down Crows playmaker Scott Thompson to be instrumental in an against the odds win by the Magpies.He became the club's skipper in 2009, winning the nod ahead of Josh Fraser.Following a patchy start he hit top gear and had his best individual season, being named All Australian, finishing second in the best and fairest and earning the only three Brownlow votes in his career.He also willed himself to win the match-winning centre clearance late in the tight first semi-final against Adelaide that season.At that stage Maxwell had turned himself into one of the game's best defenders.He could play on talls or smalls, was brilliant at getting across to aerial contests to support teammates and was a dependable intercept mark. As his confidence grew he began to create more run from defence.He was also renowned as an organiser of the backline and a stickler for people playing their roles and contributing.Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley played with Maxwell and, when the two were teammates, urged him to consider a future as a leader and, possibly, captain.“It was obvious quite early in his career that he carried in him a lot of the virtues that we hold dear as a club - excellence, discipline, relentlessness, community and remaining side by side,” Buckley said.“Every one of his teammates, past and present, would have a story about how ‘Maxy’ helped them in some way, of how he gave everything he had and inspired them to do the same. And the fans saw it so obviously in his play on match-day, too.“It’s easy to love a bloke like that.”Maxwell's finest moment came in 2010 when he led the Magpies to their first premiership for 20 years.His efforts in the final quarter of the Grand Final draw against St Kilda when he ran down a kick from Saints' captain Nick Riewoldt to rush a behind, and marked over Sam Gilbert allowing Collingwood to score a goal, were career defining.Speaking on the ground after the game he famously told television interviewer Matthew Richardson: "I don't know if I have ever seen 44 guys go to war like we did just then. That was amazing."Collingwood won the replay by 56 points and Maxwell held aloft the premiership cup.





"Just to win one … you feel so lucky and so privileged. It's all about timing," Maxwell said. Thankyou for all your kind words and support over 12 years. Its been a great journey and one I have enjoyed immensely! #Sidebyside — Nick Maxwell (@maxy_5) July 16, 2014 His successor as captain, Scott Pendlebury, said Maxwell made every teammate he played alongside better.

As a player, he was among the best of teammates.

"He would run through a wall for any of us. The amount of times he helped blokes out or did things that didn't reward himself but made other players look good was countless. He is one of the greats of the footy club," Pendlebury said.

The premiership team consisted of seven players who, like Maxwell, started as rookies.



The captain would gather the first-year players in a room at the start of the season and tell rookies they should be aiming to play round one. He was empathetic, respected at the club for his honesty and communication skills. The premiership team consisted of seven players who, like Maxwell, started as rookies.The captain would gather the first-year players in a room at the start of the season and tell rookies they should be aiming to play round one. He was empathetic, respected at the club for his honesty and communication skills.





When asked what made him keep the faith that he could make it, Maxwell admitted he didn't always believe it possible. It was a moment of honesty within the rhetoric. It was that empathy and authenticity that made people follow Maxwell.

"I just tried to focus on the things I could control," Maxwell said.

In his final address to his teammates, he exhorted them to make the most of their talent, saying he had only ever seen in his career two teammates fail to make it because they weren't good enough despite doing everything they could to make it.

"Don't take no for an answer and don't wait for someone else to make it happen for you," Maxwell said. "There are always ways and avenues to get where you want to be."

The lowlight in his career came the following season when he was reprimanded and fined for telling a relative he would be playing forward in a game without tellling them they were not allowed to use that information to bet.



The relative then backed the Magpies' skipper to kick the first goal against Adelaide without his knowledge. Teammate Heath Shaw was suspended for eight weeks for backing Maxwell to kick the first goal in the same game.



Maxwell also missed the final two games of the 2012 finals series when suspended for bumping Hawthorn's Paul Puopolo.



In 2009, he won an appeal when suspended for bumping West Coast's Patrick McGinnity, who broke his jaw in the incident.



The success of the appeal led to the AFL's rules being tightened around the bump and Maxwell has often said he avoids bumping where possible.



Never a favourite with opposition fans, he was loved by Collingwood supporters. The lowlight in his career came the following season when he was reprimanded and fined for telling a relative he would be playing forward in a game without tellling them they were not allowed to use that information to bet.The relative then backed the Magpies' skipper to kick the first goal against Adelaide without his knowledge. Teammate Heath Shaw was suspended for eight weeks for backing Maxwell to kick the first goal in the same game.Maxwell also missed the final two games of the 2012 finals series when suspended for bumping Hawthorn's Paul Puopolo.In 2009, he won an appeal when suspended for bumping West Coast's Patrick McGinnity, who broke his jaw in the incident.The success of the appeal led to the AFL's rules being tightened around the bump and Maxwell has often said he avoids bumping where possible.Never a favourite with opposition fans, he was loved by Collingwood supporters.





"I loved the battles and I loved having to prove people wrong," Maxwell said.

"I loved having to fight against the odds, not only individually but also when our team and when our club had our backs against the wall."

Maxwell, 31, had an outstanding career after Collingwood selected him in the 2003 NAB AFL Rookie draft.