FREMANTLE coach Ross Lyon says the end of the season marks the "perfect time" for champion forward Matthew Pavlich to hang up the boots.



Pavlich, a six-time best-and-fairest winner at the club, is just three games shy of his 350-game milestone.

The 34-year-old has been carefully managed in what will undoubtedly be his final AFL season, and has not travelled interstate with the team on two occasions - against Hawthorn (round eight) and the Brisbane Lions (round 12).

"I don't think we'll take him to (the) Gold Coast (in round 18 but) he'll go to Darwin this weekend, and he's earned that right," Lyon said on Fox Footy.

Lyon said the end was nigh for his club great.



"I don't think the body's wanting. I think it's probably in as good a shape in my time I've been there, but mentally, it's time for us to move on.

"If we were guaranteed up and going, he could maybe go (on) but he puts that much work to get himself up.

"It's a perfect time for Matthew to move on, for us and him."

Pavlich is a six-time All Australian.



He gave up the captaincy at the end of last year after nine years in the job. He is the club's greatest goalkicker and its games record-holder.



It was widely speculated he would retire at the end of last season when Fremantle was knocked out of the finals.





