St Kilda defender Austinn Jones has reportedly retired from the AFL, bringing his career to a premature end.

Jones, who turned 29 on Wednesday, could easily have kept playing for several more seasons.

But the star Saint told the club he did not have the motivation to continue, the Seven Network reported.

Jones, who began his career with the Saints in 1995, played 226 games and kicked 127 goals.

He was an All Australian last season and this year played 22 games for the Saints, including the club's two finals.

He was also an All Australian in 1997, and was the best player in the Saints' losing grand final side in that season, the club's most recent appearance in the premiership decider.

While his fitness and ability remained at a high level, he said publicly midway through this season he was struggling to maintain his passion for the game, and was contemplating retirement.

His drop in motivation caused a form slump which resulted in him being dropped to the VFL for the club's round 14 match against the Western Bulldogs.

But after missing that game, he returned to the senior side, where he played out the season.

He was contracted to the club for another season, but the Saints are expected to free him from that contract.

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