BARRY Hall - who will finish his AFL career at the end of the season - says he wants to be remembered as a Bulldog rather than as a Saint or a Swan.

At a press conference at the Whitten Oval this afternoon, the full-forward announced he would play out the remainder of the season, with the Dogs, 12th on the ladder, still hanging on to hopes of making the finals.

The 34-year-old, a veteran full-forward of 283 games, hangs up the boots after a career spanning 16 seasons at three clubs - St Kilda, Sydney and Western Bulldogs.

Hall said he started to think about retiring around two months ago, and his body was telling him it was time to leave.

"I’m really content with the decision … my body’s screaming out for it,” Hall said.

"I don’t want to be a player who takes another contact and really struggles the next year and is dropped to reserve grade football and finishes his career that way."

The Swans premiership captain said he'd made the announcement now so he could farewell the Sydney fans this weekend, and so the Dogs could start planning for the future.

Hall - who was a gifted junior boxer - said he wouldn't rule out a career in boxing, but would have to consider if his body was up to the rigours of training after 16 years at AFL level.

He said his time at the Whitten Oval had been the most enjoyable in his AFL career, and thanked the Bulldogs fans and the media for "laying off him a bit".

"(The Dogs) put their head on the chopping block, had their knockers and doubters, put a bit of faith in me that I could change my way and do a bit of good for the football club," he said.

"Without a doubt my most enjoyable time playing AFL football, and that’s a credit to the players."

He said when he looked back on his career, he would consider himself a Bulldog player, the team he barracked for as a kid.

CEO Simon Garlick agreed, saying the club was very happy with the decision to recruit him.

“Any of those questions have been confirmed over the past two years. (He is a) great football club person, something a lot of external people won’t understand. Understand the meaning of team over individual. Most certainly left his mark on Whitten Oval.” Garlick said.

"We consider Barry one of our own. A Bulldog through and through.”

Coach Rodney Eade said Hall had made an impact from the moment he entered the club.

"He’s very old school. He wanted to ear his respect here. He just didn’t walk into the place thinking people would respect him straight away,. Frionm our club’s point of view, we’ve got more out of it than we expected," Eade said.

In kicking five goals in the Dogs' loss to North Melbourne on Sunday night, Hall became the first player in AFL/VFL history to kick 100 goals at three different clubs.

Hall's has been a career of intense highs and lows.

After kicking 144 goals in 88 games for the Saints, Hall was forced out of Moorabbin as the club built towards the future with the likes of Nick Riewoldt and Justin Koschitzke up forward.

He headed north to the Swans where he captained the club to a drought-breaking premiership in 2005.

He was named All-Australian in each of the 2004-06 seasons, but the low-point of his career also came in a Swans jumper in 2008 when, in Round 4, he punched West Coast's Brent Staker in the face in a horrific behind-the-ball incident.

Hall was suspended for seven matches and then, after again being suspended for striking in mid-2009, announced for the first time he would retire, only to be lured from that retirement by Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade.

After being traded to the Bulldogs, Hall finished second behind Jack Riewoldt in the race for the Coleman Medal last year and was named in the All-Australian team for the fourth time.

But his 2011 season has been plagued by ankle injuries.

He admitted last month that he would not overstay his welcome at Whitten Oval, saying "If I can't give this group anything, any contribution and it's not about goals or anything like that, I'll certainly retire, I'll step aside for a younger guy."