CARLTON veteran Andrew Walker has announced his retirement after fighting a losing battle with his body over recent seasons. He will play a farewell game this Sunday against St Kilda at the MCG.

Walker, the No.2 pick in the 2003 NAB AFL Draft, last played for the Blues in the round 16 loss to Adelaide, having been sidelined since by the chronic left knee soreness that has plagued him for the past three seasons.

The 30-year-old was contracted until the end of 2017, but has decided to hang up his boots early.

Walker has played 201 games for the Blues and kicked 139 goals, in the process becoming the first indigenous player to play 200 games for Carlton.

Walker said it was an emotional time but a knee injury he had battled for the past three years had forced his hand.



"I just can't do my job anymore and I am just finding it really hard to get up every week to play AFL football," Walker said.



"I have had some great years. It's been the best part of my life."

Blessed with height (190cm) and extraordinary athleticism before his body started to fail him, the former Bendigo Pioneer was an outstanding mark who could play in almost any position.

He finished second in Carlton's 2013 best and fairest award playing as a creative half-back, having two years earlier led the Blues' goalkicking (56) when stationed primarily in attack.

Walker also had the hard inside edge required to start at centre bounces and could be damaging on a wing with his speed.

The Echuca product did not hit the heights he seemed destined for, however, because injuries all too regularly cut him down.

Most seriously, two shoulder dislocations ruined his 2008 and 2009 seasons, while he broke his collarbone in 2010 and underwent three operations on his left knee from 2014-15.

Highlight of my career, kicking the ball to @Walkytalky1 and watching him defy all odds! Amazing career, great bloke/father. Congrats legend — Mitch Robinson (@MitchRobinson05) August 2, 2016

Walker thanked his family, Blues fans and his four coaches at Carlton, Denis Pagan, Brett Ratten, Mick Malthouse and Brendon Bolton for their contribution to his career.

He told Bolton of his decision three weeks ago and his teammates on Monday.

"The club is in a really, really good position," Walker said.

"Our game plan is really solid and the kids are learning really quickly, which has certainly made my job [of leaving] a lot easier knowing that these kids are developing in the right way."

Noted as a utility that could play anywhere, Walker said he was best suited to roles that maximised his running power.

He finished second in the club's 2013 best and fairest playing across half-back and won the Blues goalkicking award in 2011 when he kicked 56 goals as the club went within three points of reaching the preliminary final.

"I had a really good year up forward playing as that high hit-up forward. When my body is right, that is probably my position," Walker said.

Surprisingly denied mark of the year in 2011 for his hanger at the MCG over Essendon's Jake Carlisle, he joked that his mark was probably the best for the year even though Collingwood's Andrew Krakouer won the honour.

"[Krakouer's] was a solid mark, [but] … mine was better," Walker joked.

Ratten had told him moments earlier to stop flying for marks but he ignored the instruction and took off into the stratosphere to grab the ball on his chest.

He then stood back and watched it replayed on the scoreboard as he lined up for goal.

"I was pretty happy with myself," Walker said.

Walker's memorable debut in round five, 2004 was one of the game's best ever debuts.

It was a game he played on emotion after his grandfather had died four days earlier.

"It was a tough week. To get up for that game, I still sometimes wonder how I did do it because I was all over the place the week before.

"I think knowing I had about 50 [family] in a room [watching]. I did actually glance back at that room when I ran out and saw all my family so it was pretty comforting," Walker said.

He says his body is in good enough shape for one last crack against the Saints with the Blues planning to give him a lap of honour before Carlton's final home game of the season against Melbourne at the MCG in round 22.