AFL journeyman Jacob Townsend has called time on his 62-game career after turning down a pre-season training invite with the Suns.
A member of Richmond's 2017 premiership side, Townsend played with four clubs across his 10 years in the league, beginning his career as a member of Greater Western Sydney's inaugural side in 2012.
The Leeton product made the move to the Tigers ahead of the 2016 season, playing 20 games in the yellow and black, which included a purple patch of form late into his second year at the club.
After booting 11 goals across two weeks, Towsend cemented his place in Richmond's grand final lineup, where he kicked two goals in the win over the Crows.
Townsend then joined Essendon via the Pre-Season Supplemental Selection Period in December 2019, playing one season with the Bombers before being delisted.
The Suns drafted the 28-year-old through the Rookie Draft later that year, with Townsend featuring on just two occasions with the Queensland club in 2021.
Gold Coast decided not to offer Townsend a new deal for next season, however would give him the chance to train under Stuart Dew ahead of next year's SSP, an invite the forward declined.
In speaking with AFL.com.au's Callum Twomey, Townsend revealed that "the time was right" to retire.
"I thought about it and knew I was going to be fighting for my spot with someone else and I thought the time was right for me to call time," Townsend said.
"I've got the next phase already planned out and I'm really keen for that so that was why I chose not to take up that offer. I was still keen to play AFL footy if they picked me up in the rookie draft but unfortunately they didn’t and I thought the time was right.
"It was a tough call because everyone's always saying, 'You're a long time retired', which I completely get, but I've been fighting for my spot the last four years and I wanted a bit of certainty."
The next chapter of Townsend's life is set to see the New South Welshman step into carpentry work following his career.
