Brisbane veteran Daniel Rich says he has not made a decision on his playing future beyond this year but is prepared for life after footy when the time comes.
Rich has endured a rough 2023 and is still two weeks away from being considered for selection as he nurses a hamstring injury back to full strength.
With the Lions trying to lock in a top-two spot with a win over St Kilda on Saturday, the 33-year-old is realistic about his chances of earning a senior call-up this season, saying the team was winning and the defenders were doing everything right.
He said he hadn't yet thought about whether he would add to his 275 games in 2024 or not.
"We'll cross that bridge at the end of the year and have a chat," Rich said.
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"I've always been a big one who's done stuff away from footy, so when that time comes it's a transition that's pretty smooth.
"I'm just a small piece of our footy club and I don't want to be any distraction when it comes to that side of things.
"There's a lot of thoughts but an exact decision has not been made yet.
"It's pretty black and white that I'm not getting any younger and that's the lay of the land.
"I don’t want to be a distraction. There's still plenty of time, the finals are a new season and I want to … be ready if I'm needed."
Rich was philosophical about his place in the pecking order, saying he'd love nothing more than watching his teammates lift a premiership cup without him if that's the way it panned out.
Now in his 15th season after being taken with the seventh pick of the 2008 AFL Draft, the West Australian said he still had the club very much at heart.
"To be honest I couldn't think of anything better," he said.
"I'm not going to let one season define me as a person or career. I'm still part of the team whether I'm out there or not.
"I love my teammates and I love the club, so I'd be the happiest man in the world if they were to win the Grand Final and I wasn't out there, it wouldn't change anything.
"I'd be so happy for the boys, for the footy club, for our fans if we were able to win, whether I'm out there or not."
