For the first time in 16 years, Luke McPharlin will not have to complete an exhausting pre-season.
 
Rather, the 256 gamer will explore a number of interests away from football while spending more time with his family.
 
McPharlin announced to his team mates on Wednesday he had played his final AFL game.
 
Among his first goals off the field is to finish his pharmacy degree at Curtin University, which he has been completing for 10 years.

Ross was vastly different: McPharlin
 
“I’ll finish the degree I’ve been plugging away with,” McPharlin said.
 
“It’ll be great to tie that up at some point in the next year or two.
 
“My wife and I, have an interested to do a bit of travel at some point with our young family.
 
“Some music for myself too.


Luke McPharlin with his family at Fremantle Oval on Wednesday.

“I haven’t ruled out possibly staying in football in some capacity.
 
“They’ll be a bit of exploring in the next few months to find out what I feel like doing and what fits.”
 
McPharlin said he would take some time away from the club but expected to remain involved at some level.
 
“The instinct is just to step away for a while because I have been so intimately involved for so long and get some perspective on things,” he said.

Respect for our McPharlin
 
“I could spend a week away from the club and want to be back involved, I haven’t ruled that out at all.
 
“Then again, I might need a year away to do some travel.”
 
McPharlin said what he would miss most is the people at the football club.
 
“(I’ll miss) the relationships I’ve forged, I’ve met some extraordinary people in football,” he said.
 
“In and around the club people have such a high work ethic, they are striving for excellence every day and pushing to extraordinary limits.
 
“I’ll miss the variety of different people you come together with and work with.”