Former Richmond captain Kane Johnson has retired from the AFL in another sign of the changing of the guard at Tigerland.

The two-time premiership player at Adelaide called time on his 220-game career due to persistent knee problems and will move into a development role at the Tigers.

The position became available following Jade Rawlings' elevation as Richmond caretaker coach and the move of Craig McRae to the role of Coburg Tigers coach.

"I dearly would have loved to play until the end of the year but my ongoing issues with my knee have forced me to reassess the situation and make the decision earlier than expected," Johnson said in a statement.

"It is the start of a new era at the club and as I had no intention of playing on next year, the timing was right to step aside and play some of the new generation of players."

Johnson played 104 games for the Crows, including their back to back flag winning sides of 1997 and 1998 before moving to the Tigers for the start of the 2003 season, the team he grew up supporting as a child.

The midfielder played a further 116 games for the Tigers, including 77 as captain, and won the club's best and fairest award in 2006.

He stepped aside as captain this year to allow a younger man in Chris Newman to take over the reins.

Following Terry Wallace's exit on the weekend, the times certainly are changing at Punt Road.

Johnson was one of six players at Richmond on the wrong side of 30 at the start of the season along with Matthew Richardson, Joel Bowden, Ben Cousins, Nathan Brown and Troy Simmonds.

There are question marks over how many of those veterans will still be playing for the club when the coach for the 2010 season is announced later in the season.

Richardson paid tribute to Johnson.

"Kane has been a great leader at our club and although we will miss his presence on the field, it will be exciting he is still at the club in an off field capacity," Richardson said.

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