MITCH Morton has told his Sydney Swans teammates he will retire at the end of 2013.
Morton was one of the fairytale stories from last year's premiership after he kicked two goals in the Grand Final.
The Grand Final was just his fifth game for the season after he was traded from Richmond to the Sydney Swans at the start of 2012 for a fourth round draft pick.
He played in all three finals and kicked four goals for the finals series.
The 26-year-old Morton has played just 11 games for the Swans but has gone down in history as a premiership player.
He began his career with West Coast in 2005 and played 12 games with the club before joining Richmond. He then played 59 games for the Tigers before taking his last chance with the Swans.
He kicked 115 goals in 82 games and became known as a brilliant exponent of the snapshot. His two second-quarter goals in the 2012 Grand Final turned the game, while his effort in the last quarter to create a contest that spilled the ball loose for Kieren Jack to kick a goal was crucial to the result.
"It has been an absolute privilege and honour to be part of this football club for the past two seasons and I will always be grateful for the opportunity the club has given me to improve," Morton told sydneyswans.com.au.
“The 2012 premiership will always remain the highlight of my career and I look forward to staying in close contact with my premiership teammates for many years to come."
Morton has admitted previously that the stresses of football had a taken a toll on him but he had great evasive skills and was the classic opportunist forward. He also showed he could play on the wing when at Richmond.
His coach John Longmire said Morton remained a chance to play senior football in 2013.
"We certainly haven’t ruled a line through him for the remainder of the season and last year is the perfect example of simply getting an opportunity and taking it," Longmire said.
