ANOTHER member of Richmond's premiership era will leave the club at the end of the season, with Dion Prestia announcing this week's home game against St Kilda will be his last for the Tigers.
But in a strange twist, the 33-year-old says he is "still leaving the door open a little bit" to continuing his career at another club.
On Thursday afternoon, Richmond said Prestia would not continue at the Tigers next season, announcing he will "retire as a Richmond great" and that he had "called time on his tremendous AFL career". Prestia then shared the Tigers' post on Instagram announcing the end of his career.
However, in an interview with SEN later in the afternoon, Prestia said he is interested in playing again next season.
"I don't know if it's completely a retirement," Prestia said.
"I'm still leaving the door open a little bit. I'm feeling pretty good still, body wise and mentally.
"I made sure I didn't put the r-word (retirement) into my announcement.
"I just feel that it's always going to come to an end at some point, but I feel really good physically and mentally.
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"I get the odd hammy and calf every now and then, but I've been doing that since I was about 15.
"I'm just trying to stay on the steady path, open to any kind of opportunity to go on.
"I know it's a lot harder as a 33-year-old, 34 at the end of the year, but we will see how it all pans out."
Prestia has played a total of 253 AFL games across his career at Gold Coast and the Tigers, including Richmond's flags in 2017, 2019 and 2020.
The high point of his career was the 2019, when he won the club's best and fairest in their premiership campaign.
Prestia's impending departure follows that of defender Nathan Broad, who will also farewell the Tiger Army against the Saints on Saturday afternoon.
Their departures mean there are just five premiership players remaining at the Tigers; Tom Lynch, Toby Nankervis, Nick Vlastuin, Noah Balta and Jayden Short.
"I felt like a Richmond Man from the very beginning," Prestia said in the club-issued statement.
"My decision to come to Richmond was not to prove what I could do, but to be a part of a club that I saw potential for greatness, and didn't we prove that right?
"This last 10 years has been everything that I ever dreamt of as a kid, kicking the footy in my front yard and imagining 90,000 fans screaming. Thank you, Tiger Army, for making this happen.
"To go there one more time and celebrate with a legend in Broady and for Lynchy's 250th is going to make it extra special."
Richmond traded for Prestia at the end of a disastrous 2016 campaign, also bringing in Nankervis from Sydney and Josh Caddy from Geelong as the club looked to fill holes it identified as weaknesses.
All three were vital parts of the side that went from 13th to winning the flag in 2017.
However, Prestia's body was never the most reliable, managing to play every game in a season only twice over his 16-year career with soft-tissue injuries dogging him throughout.
Despite this, he managed four top-three finishes in club best and fairest awards (twice each at Gold Coast and Richmond), and was named in the extended All-Australian squad in 2019.
"We were delighted to bring Dion across from Gold Coast at the end of 2016 because of the consistently high level of performance we knew that he would bring through the midfield," Richmond executive general manager - football talent, Blair Hartley, said on Thursday.
"Dion has delivered in spades across the last 10 years, and his role at our Club has been enormous on and off the field.
"He played some outstanding football in some of our biggest games. He has been a true difference maker.
"More recently, he has helped set up the next generation by imparting his football knowledge to younger teammates, all while continuing his strong form as an individual player.
"Dion will forever be a Richmond Man, and he and his family will always be welcome at the Club."