Sydney champion Jarrad McVeigh will transition to the Swans' coaching staff after retiring at the end of the AFL season.

The 34-year-old has been given a four-year coaching role after deciding to draw the curtain on a 17-year AFL playing career - all with Sydney - during which he played in four Grand Finals, including the premiership win in 2012 as co-captain.

A two-time club champion and All-Australian, McVeigh has played 324 games -- one shy of great mate Jude Bolton -- and kicked 200 goals.

Injury has limited McVeigh to just five games this season and he remains sidelined by a hamstring issue but he said he still hopes to play one final game.

After playing two-thirds of his career as a midfielder, McVeigh made a successful transition to half-back.

McVeigh missed out on a place in the 2005 Grand Final-winning team and then suffered the heartbreak of a one-point Grand Final loss to West Coast in 2006 before enjoying the famous victory over Hawthorn in the 2012 title decider.

Further Grand Final defeats followed in 2014 (Hawthorn) and 2016 (Western Bulldogs).

Sydney coach John Longmire paid glowing tribute to McVeigh.

"As a coach, I'm forever indebted to how he has played and led this club," Longmire said.

"He walked into my office in 2011 when I first took over as coach and said that he wanted to lead the club.

"He was appointed co-captain with Adam Goodes, and the next year stood on the stage absolutely exhausted on grand final day and held the premiership cup aloft; achieving his dream.

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"He then continued on to set a great example for every single player that pulled on the red and white jumper.

"Jarrad has simply made as large an impact on and off the field as any player that we have had through this successful period.

"He has displayed the very best qualities that you could ever wish for in a player; he's talented, a fierce competitor, selfless, a great decision maker, strong leader, elite trainer, has first-class football knowledge and he's a fantastic teammate."