WESTERN Bulldogs forward Nathan Djerrkura has quit the club and the AFL to return home.

The 23-year-old has played 25 AFL games since being taken by Geelong with pick 25 in the 2006 NAB AFL Draft.

After being traded from Geelong for pick 58 in 2010, Djerrkura played 21 games and kicked eight goals in his two seasons with the Bulldogs.

Click here for Djerrkura's career stats

The retirement comes as a surprise, with Djerrkura seemingly a part of future plans with the Dogs after playing 13 games in 2012 - including eight of the last nine.

"My decision to retire from AFL football and return home after ten years away was a difficult one but one I feel comfortable with," he said.

"I have given the best part of my life, wholeheartedly, to playing AFL football and have had some terrific experiences. But being away from my family, community and the cultural responsibilities I hold, are reasons enough to head home."

The Dogs have also lost Lindsay Gilbee and Ryan Hargrave to retirement, while Andrew Hooper, Brodie Moles and James Mulligan have been delisted.