St Kilda defender Dylan Roberton has decided to step away from football for the entire 2019 season, as he continues to battle a heart problem.

Roberton felt "wonky" after St Kilda's second JLT clash last weekend, and has since made the decision to walk away from the game this year.

However, the defender won't retire just yet.

“It’s extremely frustrating because I physically feel fine, and if you exclude those two incidents, I’m as healthy as I’ve ever been,” Roberton told the club's website.

“Unfortunately, I need to listen to the professionals and take some more time out of the game.

“I still have a great desire to play at the highest level and want to make sure we look at every possibility.

“Given the club’s ability to add a player to the list, I wanted to make the call while they still had time to do so.”

The 27-year-old hasn't played a regular season game since round four last season, after collapsing on the field against Geelong.