Speaking to former Hawk Ben Dixon on hawthornfc.com.au, Crawford said he had initially been keen to continue his career into an 18th season following the Hawks' 2008 premiership triumph.
But, while admitting it was a difficult decision, he realised the time was right to pull the pin on his 305-game career.
"It's something that I really needed a lot of time to think about because I adore the footy club, I absolutely love everything to do with it," Crawford said.
"But I realised that it was just a perfect ending to be part of a grand final team, after being there for such a long period of time, I just realised that you know that would be the perfect ending for me to move on and start a new career.
"I'm going to miss it, I already miss it."
Crawford has recently become a father for the second time and while partner Olivia had initially been keen for her man to extend his career in the brown and gold, she too understood what was a heart-wrenching decision.
"Olivia was good; she knew for a while that I was thinking this way," Crawford said.
"She was excited when I said 'Oh, I'll probably keep playing on', but after having a real good think about it and really working out where my future was heading, you know I just said to her 'I'm going to go and announce that I'm retiring today'.
"She gave me a hug and then off I went, so I tried to remove myself as much as I could from getting too emotional."
Perhaps the hardest part for Crawford was telling the men with whom he spent the large majority of his time at Hawthorn.
And one – defender and close mate Croad – proved the most difficult.
"I did have a time with Croady on the phone … and [he] was asking me why [I was retiring] and to re-think it and to stay around," Crawford said.
"But I just knew in my heart it was the right time to move on and it was nice that he felt that way.
"I said to him 'I'm just going to be up the road and I'm sure that I'll come down and catch up with you and I'll still be a part of your life and I'll still be a part of the ride – I'll just be on the other side of the fence'."
Crawford, who turned 34 in September, recalled a time when he flirted with the idea of leaving the Hawks.
With his club struggling on the field and having seen a few senior Hawks depart, the star midfielder wondered whether his time might also be up.
But he decided to stay around – making the club's recent premiership all the sweeter.
"We'd lost our way in every area," Crawford said.
"I was coming towards the last few years [of my career] and I thought 'Maybe it's time for me to move on because the club might be taking a whole new direction'.
"That was hard to take because, obviously being part of a club for a long time, to even think about that was a big thing. But it was only a discussion that I had.
"It wasn't anything that I really pushed on with. You know I just needed a bit of time out and a bit of reassurance that we were heading in the right direction.
"And, wow, I'd be kicking myself now if I wasn't around and part of a premiership this year, which made all those years so rewarding."
See the interview here
