CARLTON stalwart Matthew Kreuzer has announced his retirement.
The highly respected ruckman told his Blues teammates on Thursday that he has played his last game for the club, following a season ravaged by injury after suffering a fractured foot in March.
Kreuzer, the No.1 draft pick back in 2007, played 189 games for Carlton throughout a valued 13-year career at Ikon Park that was often hampered by a number of frustrating injury setbacks.
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He ruptured his ACL in 2010, dealt with a number of other knee and ankle injuries, while he also endured two serious foot injuries and missed a number of matches due to multiple elevated heartrate issues.
Kreuzer, 31, enjoyed perhaps his best season in 2017, averaging 15.3 disposals and 31.7 hitouts per game in a campaign that culminated in a top-three finish in the club's best and fairest count and a place in the 40-man Virgin Australia AFL All Australian squad.
His retirement leaves Carlton with just two full-time ruckmen on its list, with off-season recruit Marc Pittonet and developing youngster Tom De Koning sharing the load in Kreuzer's absence this season.
“I leaked it so I wouldn’t have to do this.” ????
— Carlton FC (@CarltonFC) September 10, 2020
This is the moment when our No.8 informed the playing group of his decision to hang up the boots.#ThankYouKreuz pic.twitter.com/Vu7XMRao1d
