Sydney Swans defender Marty Mattner today announced his immediate retirement from AFL football, bringing to an end his 222 game career.



Mattner has been plagued by a degenerative hip condition for a number of years, but it has become more troubling in recent times.



The 30-year-old has not played since being subbed from the round seven match against Hawthorn. He trained on Tuesday but remained hampered by the hip condition.



Mattner made his AFL debut for the Adelaide Crows in 2002, after being elevated from the rookie list.



After 98 matches with Adelaide, Mattner was traded to the Sydney Swans at the end of 2007, in exchange for draft selection 28.



“While it has been tough to finally make the decision to retire, it has actually been pretty simple in the end,” Mattner said today.



“I have been managing injuries for a long time and was hopeful that I could get through the remainder of the season, but my body is now telling me that this is the best option.



“I have loved my time at this club and obviously the 2012 premiership will be a highlight and memory I will have for the rest of my life.”



Swans coach John Longmire thanked Mattner for his wonderful contribution to the club since 2008.



“Marty has been one of our most unheralded players, despite his consistency and reliability over a long period of time,” he said.



“We often talk about one-percenters and when you look back on his career, his highlight reel will be full of all the things that are so important to us - tackles, spoils, blocks, smothers and many other efforts that don’t appear on the stats sheet.



“Marty’s tackle late in the 2012 Grand Final is a great snapshot of his whole career. A really important tackle, at a really important moment of the game.”

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