PORT Adelaide defender Alipate Carlile says he got the most out of his 167-game career after injuries forced him to hang the boots up at the age of 29.

The entire Power playing list and club officials were on hand to see the popular clubman announce his retirement on Wednesday.

A combination of wrist, hip and knee injuries restricted Carlile to just 16 games in the past two seasons and two games in 2016.

"I told the boys this morning and I've been thinking about it for probably a year now," Carlile told reporters.

"Obviously the knee was the last straw.

"I said to myself if I’d done my knee, I'd pull the pin, so I thought it was a pretty timely."

Carlile played the first two games of the season before being sidelined with a wrist injury.

He then tore the posterior cruciate ligament in his knee while playing in the SANFL. 

"I just can't deal with it anymore," Carlile said. 

"This year's been pretty stop start as well.

"(I) felt sort of bad I've been on the sidelines, but can't help it."

Carlile admitted the speed of the modern game worked against him.

"I've been a sloth chasing around cheetahs my whole career, so it's no real surprise there," he said.

"The game has gone ahead in leaps and bounds and will continue to get quicker, so I thought I’d better get out of here while I still can." 

Selected with the 44th pick in the 2005 draft, Carlile established himself as one of the premier key defenders in the competition.

"I've got no regrets at all," Carlile said. 

"The start of my career was a bit up and down, now it's all about how I am as a person and I think I've come along in leaps and bounds."

Power coach Ken Hinkley praised Carlile for his ability to shut down the opposition's most dangerous forward.

"At full-back, you have the responsibility for team defence really and Bobby's one of the smartest players I've been involved with as far as seeing the game of football," Hinkley said. 

"The people that are around here today, you can tell he's very important to us as a person.

"His ability to play on the main men of the opposition and get it done is very handy.

"As a coach, you just need that player."

Carlile is the fifth player to leave the Power after their round 23 win over Gold Coast. 

Experienced forward Jay Schulz will seek to play on elsewhere while Kane Mitchell, John Butcher and Sam Colquhoun were delisted.

"It's the worst time of the year. It's the worst thing you have to do as a coach," Hinkley said. 

"Sometimes they're ok and sometimes they're a bit more difficult.

"Situations like Bobby's, you know that he understands where he's at and I reckon that makes it much easier to deal with.

"You admire what he's done and you respect what he's done and you don't spend too much time being disappointed.

"It's all about the celebration of what he's been able to do for us."