Adelaide stalwart Nathan Bassett's retirement from football arrived complete with particular thanks for coach Neil Craig and Crows fullback Ben Rutten.

Without the help of those two, it is likely Bassett would have lost his sanity - if not his spot on the Crows' list - years ago.

For the first six seasons of his time at Adelaide, who he joined from Melbourne's rookie list at the start of 1998, Bassett was known as a courageous but cantankerous and often comically under-sized fullback.

When matched against the likes of Tony Lockett, Alastair Lynch and David Neitz, Bassett often did better than his relatively light physique and then coach Gary Ayres' man-on-man style should have allowed.

Nevertheless, he could often be seen exasperated, cursing his rum luck after another attacking behemoth had marked in the goalsquare.

It was almost as though Bassett felt his defensive calling was a cruel trick of the fates.

So the sight of "Truck" Rutten being shifted to the last line of defence after Craig's ascension to the Crows' coaching job in mid-2004 was cause for much relief from Bassett, and heralded the start of a decorated second half of his career as a more creative defender, culminating in All-Australian selection in 2006.

"I never asked to play fullback - I just got lobbed there at Melbourne in 1997 and Jammo (Rod Jameson) was injured when I started here in 1998," Bassett, 31, said.

"I couldn't get out of there for six years, so I'd like to thank Ben Rutten and Craigy because he put Truck to full back in his first game as coach.

"I remember David Neitz kicking the first two goals in about five minutes (in Rutten's first game back) and I thought, `here we go, straight back to full back', but Craigy left him there and has left him there every since, which has been fantastic for me.

"I've actually been able to get out and play some footy."

Bassett had waxed and waned on whether this would be his last year, discussing the matter at length with Craig, an influential figure for Bassett ever since the two were together at SANFL club Norwood in the mid-1990s.

His final realisation that another season would be one too many arrived in the lead-up to last week's 48-point loss to St Kilda, when he noted how sore he still felt leading up to a game he'd had eight days to prepare for.

Known for an agile mind off the field, Bassett was not overly emotional, reasoning that the lack of tears showed he had made the right call.

"I think after saying that I'm going to retire, if I can live with it comfortably, and I've been able to pretty easily over the past few days, then to me that's the right decision," he said.

"I nearly teared up (talking) with the players, but I didn't and the guys said it was a good effort because normally the first thing you say is `I'm retiring' and then you can't talk."

Asked to sum up Bassett's time at the Crows, Craig said he had been hugely influential - a view borne out by Bassett's role in helping establish a much-copied leadership program at West Lakes.

"Personally, I've seen Nathan grow from what I thought was an angry young guy - angry at the world - to a guy now that has a great capacity to build relationships," Craig said.

Bassett has so far played 208 games, plus however many remain in Adelaide's season.

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