Scott Gumbleton has announced his retirement from the AFL.



The 26-year-old, who was the number two pick in the 2006 National Draft, played 35 games for Essendon until 2013. He joined Fremantle for the 2014 season but was unable to play a senior game because of injuries.



Gumbleton said his battles with his body were not the reason he decided to give the game away.



“It was basically that I had eight good years playing footy and I found out that it wasn’t working for me, so I’ve decided to move on with my life and try something new,” he said.



“But that’s alright I’m happy with that.



“It’s disappointing that footy didn’t work out the way I wanted it to, but I can’t fault myself for having a crack. I gave it all I had, it just didn’t work out."



Gumbleton said he had been very impressed by what he had seen in his time at the club.



“There’s a fantastic coaching staff here and it’s a club that’s very dedicated to the cause of winning a premiership,” he said.



“You can tell by the way that all the players plan, prepare and train that they’re so dedicated to getting to that final step.



“It’s a fantastic club that’s fantastically run and I’m disappointed that I wasn’t able to contribute as much as I would have liked to.”



Fremantle general manager of football operations Chris Bond said Gumbleton had made a good impression in his short time at the club.



“Scott has great character, he displayed professionalism in all aspects of his football and he really fitted in with the group,” Bond said.



“We thank Scott for his contribution to the club in the time he was here and we wish him all the best for the future.”