All over for Dew: veteran Hawk calls it quits

DUAL premiership player Stuart Dew has announced his retirement.

He will retire at the end of Hawthorn's 2009 season.

Speaking at a packed media conference that was also attended by most of his teammates, Dew said frustration with his own form and fitness was the key reason behind his decision.

“I went in to the mid-season break not happy with the impact I’d had for the first half of the year. I made the decision that if I couldn’t have that impact in the last half of the year that would be it and I got injured before the next game. I didn’t actually get a chance to have that impact,” Dew said.

“I think the club is at the stage where you can’t carry someone that can’t give 100 per cent. Every time I tried that I seemed to break down with soft tissue things. As we know, they don’t get any better when you get to 30.

"I thought it was the right time for myself and the club to call it a day.”

Dew will be available for selection for the rest of the year.

After making his debut with Port Adelaide in 1997, Dew played 180 games with the Power before initially retiring at the end of the 2006 season.

After a one-year absence from the game Dew was controversially drafted to Hawthorn in the 2007 National Draft.

The 29-year-old played 15 games in his comeback year in 2008 and 11 games this season, including his 200th game in Round 5.

Dew was a key part of Hawthorn’s 2008 flag after also tasting premiership success with Port Adelaide in 2004.

He was the only member of Hawthorn’s premiership side to have had had previous premiership experience.

The contentious draft pick was justified for the instrumental role he played in the Hawks grand final win.

He proved to be the game turner in the third quarter – beating three opponents to get a handball off to Mark Williams for a goal before kicking two majors of his own in a five-minute display.

While he has no set plans yet, Dew said he would be interested in an assistant coaching role at AFL level.