Dane Swan, the 2011 Brownlow Medallist, has confirmed his retirement after 258 games of AFL football for Collingwood.

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A serious foot injury in the opening minutes of the 2016 AFL season proved impossible to beat, and the 32-year-old star midfielder confirmed his decision on Monday.

Doing things slightly differently as always, Swan swerved the usual post-career press conference in favour of a question and answer session including his father Billy, Magpies president Eddie McGuire, and the current and past coaches of the club, Nathan Buckley and Mick Malthouse.

Taken at pick 58 in the 2001 AFL draft, Swan had his share of headlines for the wrong reasons.

In 2003, Swan was arrested with two others following a brawl at Federation Square in Melbourne. He was convicted of affray and ordered to complete 100 hours of community service.

"I thought I was going to be sacked after that blue I got into and obviously got to the meeting, Mick just sort of said this is your last chance, but I've proven him wrong because I've had more than one," Swan said.

Malthouse deflected the talk of last chances, focusing on the ability of the man who wore the 36 guernsey for Collingwood.

"Second chance and third chance, life is about that so that's not the issue. It was more to say don't waste the talent you've got," he said.

Swan went on to become one of the Magpies' fiercest performers on the big stage, winning a premiership in 2010 and the Brownlow the following year.

He also was a five-time all-Australian (2009 to 2013) and won three Copeland Trophies as the Magpies' best-and-fairest in 2008k, 2009 and 2010.

"For all the whingeing and moaning that I do about AFL, I'm under no illusion that I'll never have a better job in my life," he said.

Famously frosty with the media, Swan had one last crack at some of the coverage over the years.

"It's obviously the gossip (journalists) I had the problem with," he said. "I'd much rather be on the back of the paper than the front of the paper."

Collingwood star Dane Swan's final AFL season was derailed within minutes after a serious foot injury in round one. ( Getty Images: Cameron Spencer )

Swan, who played 258 AFL games for the Magpies and kicked 211 goals, injured his foot in the opening minutes of the round one game against the Sydney Swans - he broke three bones including a Lisfranc fracture.

"Playing football for Collingwood was fun. As some of you may have gathered over the years it is a powerful motivation of mine," Swan declared on Instagram post on Monday morning.

"In a way, I will never leave Collingwood because I know Collingwood will never leave me.

"I wore our black and white stripes with pride, always feeling that you were equally proud to see me waddle out in Number 36. We were good together."