COLLINGWOOD great and 2011 Brownlow medallist Dane Swan will announce his retirement on Tuesday, ending a storied 258-game career.

Collingwood has made arrangements for a special media conference on Tuesday, when Swan will confirm that a serious foot injury has prompted his decision to retire after 15 seasons at the Magpies.

Swan suffered a severe foot injury in Round 1 against the Swans and while he had nursed a hope of potentially returning to play, he has been unable to run. Swan is understood to have informed coach Nathan Buckley of his decision to retire last week.

While Swan was out of contract at season end, the fact that a foot injury — he suffered a ruptured Lisfranc ligament in Sydney — has ended his career means he will seek a substantial one-off compensation payment for having had an injury end his career, as the rules permit. He is entitled to 50 per cent of his 2016 salary if he can demonstrate that the injury forced his retirement.

Round 18

Collingwood is expected to bring significant figures from Swan’s career to the media conference at the club on Tuesday.

Dane Swan with his Brownlow medal in 2011. Source: News Limited

Swan’s exit ends the career of one of the game’s greatest and most consistent midfielders. Swan, a key member of Collingwood’s 2010 premiership team, won three best and fairests and was a five-time all-Australian.

Swan will become the third Collingwood player to announce his retirement this week with 2010 premiership teammates Alan Toovey and Brent Macaffer confirming their exits from the Magpies on Monday.

It is unclear how Swan will say goodbye to the football public and/or Collingwood supporters. He can participate in the Grand Final motorcade for distinguished retirees. Collingwood’s last game of 2016 is a Hawthorn home game and Fox Sports cannot confirm whether Swan will be in attendance for a send-off.

Swan won the Brownlow Medal in 2011 receiving 34 votes, the most ever recorded with the exception of the 1976 and 1977 seasons when twice as many votes were given out in each match.

If the Magpies trade forward Travis Cloke, they will open up a number of places on their playing list and significant room in their salary cap for next season, though the club doesn’t have a first-round draft pick having given it up for Adam Treloar.

Swan is about to release his autobiography, Dane Swan: My Story, in what is expected to be a candid look at his colourful life and career.