SYDNEY Swans premiership player Nic Fosdike may face a premature end to his career with a knee injury preventing him from regaining full fitness.

Fosdike, 28, landed awkwardly on the knee last pre-season and was kept to just one game for the Swans this year – against Geelong in round 20.

He has been unable to train at full capacity and did not join the rest of the squad for this week's community camp to Terrigal on the New South Wales central coast.

General manager of football operations Andrew Ireland told Thursday's The Age that Fosdike's injury could make it difficult for the midfielder to adequately prepare.

"It's not a knee that will stop him playing necessarily, but it could have an impact on his ability to train and get up for games," Ireland said.

"Whether he thinks he can get through is something Nic needs to weigh up and reach a decision on but, as far as it stands now, he's a contracted player for next year and we'll just wait and see how it works out."

It could mean that Fosdike will be restricted to the Swans reserves for a lot of 2009, similar to the fate of teammate Ben Mathews who retired at the end of this season.

The Age also reported that the Swans aren't in a position to pay out the remaining year of Fosdike's contract because it would affect their salary cap for 2008.

And losing the South Australian before the start of next season would give the Swans no opportunity to replace him.

Clubs made their third and final list lodgements on Wednesday ahead of the NAB AFL Pre-Season and Rookie Drafts on December 16.

"He understands he's a contracted player and there are a few complicated issues that go with the whole situation," Ireland said.

"It's not like we can just pay him out and I'm not sure he would want to just forego the money he would get."

Fosdike has played 164 games since his 1999 debut and was one of the Swans' best in its 2005 drought-breaking triumph over West Coast.