Brisbane Lions veteran Luke Power has tonight announced his immediate retirement from the AFL.

In typical Luke Power fashion, the announcement was done with little fanfare, with Power making his decision to retire public at the end of the Lions’ narrow nine-point loss to West Coast Eagles at the Gabba.

So close to Power’s chest was his decision, he only notified his teammates, Senior Coach, Michael Voss, and football staff of his decision barely an hour before the start of the match.

Power, 31, said he had always wanted his last game in the AFL to be at the Gabba.

Power’s post-match announcement marked the end of a glittering 14-year AFL career - all with the Lions.

An avid Fitzroy supporter as a kid, Power was recruited by the Brisbane Lions from the Oakleigh Chargers with Pick No.5 at the 1997 AFL National Draft - ironically a selection received from Fremantle in exchange for current Lions assistant coach, Adrian Fletcher. He made a dream debut in 1998 against Sydney Swans in Round 2 at the SCG, collecting 19 disposals and kicking three goals, in a stunning performance that earned him an AFL Rising Star Nomination.

Big games proved to bring out the best in Power.

He kicked three goals in the first of the Lions three-peat in 2001 before playing valuable roles in the 2002 and 2003 premierships.

Power’s 2003 season also kick-started an incredible period of consistency and durability that would see him miss just eight matches across the final nine seasons of his career and finish in the top five of the Club Champion award every year from 2003-2010 - unfortunately without ever taking out the Club’s highest individual honour.

But Power’s long list of individual achievements extends beyond Club Champion night.

He was selected to represent Australia in the 2000 International Rules Series, was named in the Brisbane Lions’ Team of the Decade in 2006 and realised a boyhood dream by donning the ‘Big V’ for the first - and only - time during 2008’s AFL Hall of Fame Tribute Match.

One of his other great honours was being selected as one of five Lions Co-Captains in 2007 following the retirement of Michael Voss.

His current total of 282 senior matches ranks him sixth overall in the Club’s history (Fitzroy and Bears included) behind only Kevin Murray (333 games), Marcus Ashcroft (318 games), Alastair Lynch (306 games), Simon Black (295* games) and Michael Voss (289 games).

While he falls short of reaching the 300-game milestone, he has already been inducted as an AFL Life Member after achieving an aggregate total of 300 official AFL matches (including State of Origin, NAB Cup and International Rules) back in Round 8 this year.

Power will also remain a Lions Life Member.

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LUKE POWER - AT A GLANCE

AFL Games: 282
AFL Goals: 226
AFL Finals: 19
DOB: 8 January 1980
Recruited from: Balwyn / Oakleigh U18 (VIC)
Draft details: Pick No.5 - 1997 AFL National Draft
AFL debut: Lions v Sydney (SGG), Round 2 1998
Career highlights
AFL Rising Star Nomination 1998, 1999
5th place, AFL Rising Star Award 1999
Lions Most Improved Player 2000
Lions Attitude Barometer Award (Forward) 2000
International Rules Series 2000
Lions Premiership Player 2001, 2002, 2003
Lions Best Finals Player 2003, 2009
Lions Most Effective Tackler 2003
Lions Club Champion Runner-up 2003, 2004
All-Australian 2004
Lions Team of the Decade member 2006
3rd Lions Club Champion 2006, 2008
Lions Co-Captain 2007, 2008
Life Member 2007
AFL Hall of Fame Tribute Match Victorian Representative 2008
Lions Members Player of the Year 2008
Lions Vice-Captain 2009-10