Fremantle cult hero Kepler Bradley has announced he will retire at season's end.
The Dockers website reported the news on Thursday morning, with the versatile big man saying his battle to stay healthy had got the better of him.
He has not played at AFL level since round five of last year, when he seriously injured his knee against Richmond.
“I’m nearly 29 now and I haven’t really played in the past two years after my knee reconstruction,” Bradley told fremantlefc.com.au.
“I’ve tried to come back this year as soon as my body would let me but I’ve done about five hamstrings on the way. Just with the pace of the game now, how fast it is, it looks like the game has gone past me."
Originally drafted by Essendon at No. 6 in the 2003 National Draft, Bradley joined Fremantle via the 2007 draft and found a niche as a makeshift ruckman and handy foil for Matthew Pavlich in the forward line.
He has played 117 AFL games.
- more to come
