HAWTHORN vice-captain Jess Duffin has announced her retirement at the end of the season.
Taken by Collingwood with pick 75 in the inaugural AFLW draft, Duffin played 13 games in two years with the Magpies before joining expansion side North Melbourne ahead of the 2019 season.
In that first season at the Kangaroos, she was named All-Australian in the backline, thanks to her intercepting prowess, before sitting out the 2020 season to give birth to baby Georgie.
With the most recent round of expansion, Duffin joined the Hawks with 32 games under her belt. Named as the club's vice-captain, she has starred at both ends of the ground, including a three-goal second quarter in round six to sink West Coast.
"As a footballer, you get to a time in your career when you know your time's up," the 33-year-old said.
"I've loved every minute of being at Hawthorn. I've played six seasons of AFLW, and I can genuinely say this is the best club I’ve been at. I know where this group is headed, and I know what success they'll have in the next couple of years. I'm really excited to watch the brown and gold in the next couple of years."
Duffin has played every game this season under coach Bec Goddard and is still looking toward the final two rounds of the home and away season.
"Jess has been one of the pioneers of AFLW and we're very grateful to have been a part of her journey," Goddard said.
"We look forward to enjoying the last two rounds with Jess where I expect she will finish her playing career where she started - leading by example."
