ONE OF THE most decorated coaching careers in football has come to a close with George Stone announcing his retirement from the game.

He spent 2014 as a development coach with Melbourne, reuniting with his great friend Paul Roos, but it was in two stints each with Hawthorn and the Sydney Swans where he made his name as one of the best assistant coaches in the game.

Stone has been involved in six premierships – 1986, 1988, 1989 and 1991 with the Hawks and 2005 and 2012 with the Swans.

A champion centreman in the old VFA (now VFL) with Camberwell, Prahran and Brunswick, Stone joined Hawthorn in 1986 as runner and skills coach under Allan Jeans. He also worked under Alan Joyce, Peter Knights and Ken Judge at the Hawks before switching to the Swans under Rodney Eade in 1998. 

He returned to Hawthorn under Peter Schwab in 2002, but was back with the Swans once more under Roos in 2005 where he remained until this year's cameo with Melbourne.

At Hawthorn, Stone is given much of the credit for taking a pudgy kid from Queensland, Jason Dunstall, and turning him into one of the greatest full-forwards in League history thanks to countless hours of marking and goalkiciking practice.

His patient teaching approach then paid dividends at the Swans, where he was given Tadhg Kennelly as a project from the moment he stepped off the plane from Ireland and turned him into an AFL star.

Stone, who received a lifetime achievement award from the AFL Coaches Association in 2013, told melbournefc.com.au that he had no regrets about not becoming a senior coach.

"I've been in the backroom and that's where I've fitted in and where I've felt most comfortable," he said.

"I've been really fortunate to be at two great clubs – Hawthorn and Sydney – but I've just enjoyed the football environment. As much as I've enjoyed it at Sydney and Hawthorn, I've enjoyed it at Melbourne just as much, because it's the people that you meet along the way and you make great friendships."

In addition to his coaching duties, Stone was also an early member of the legendary football radio troupe, the Coodabeen Champions.