Retiring Swan Michael O'Loughlin plans to attack the last part of his AFL career, with colleagues believing his decision could ignite their stuttering season.

Full forward O'Loughlin, 32, announced on Tuesday he would end his 15 year career at the end of the current campaign.

The South Australian is Sydney's all-time games record holder with 293 and should reach the 300 milestone before his retirement providing he avoids injury.

Initially a half-forward flanker, O'Loughlin was converted to full forward halfway through his career after suffering injury problems.

His glittering career gleaned two All-Australian honours, a club best and fairest in 1998 and twice finishing Sydney's leading goal kicker.

The mercurial forward's tally of 505 goals is second for the club behind the legendary Bob Pratt and he played in three grand finals, winning the 2005 flag and losing in 1996 and 2006.

O'Loughlin picked up a serious ankle injury in round 16 last year that required surgery and during his rehabilitation he realised 2009 was likely to be his last year in the AFL.

He said he was very happy with the decision, which had taken a weight off his shoulders.

"My game is based on twisting and turning and ducking and dodging and I couldn't do those things anymore," O'Loughlin said.

"I really had to look myself in the mirror and answer those tough questions."

Many of his teammates were present at Tuesday's press conference after being informed of his decision.

"It's one of those things that you know is always going to come at some stage, but it was a real shock and I was churning up inside," said midfielder Jude Bolton, one of O'Loughlin's longest serving teammates.

"I really want to set myself for the next 10 weeks or however long, to make sure we send him out the right way."

Bolton felt O'Loughlin's decision could be the catalyst which turned around a 5-7 season, starting with this weekend's clash away against Adelaide.

"I really want to attack the rest of the year, we haven't beaten Adelaide for a long time," O'Loughlin said.

"I told the guys when I spoke to them that I'd really like to bump them off in Adelaide.

"I think the guys can make these last 10 games count."

After starting his 2009 campaign in round six, O'Loughlin has kicked just 8.7 in seven games.

Sydney coach Paul Roos, who also played alongside O'Loughlin, said he would go down as one of the great players in Swans history and was a fantastic person as well as a great footballer.

While O'Loughlin has struggled this season, Roos revealed he had expected the veteran forward to probably continue beyond this year.

"If you would have asked me last Friday would I have thought Mick would have been playing next year I probably would have said yes," he said.

O'Loughlin said he wasn't looking for another football job and would concentrate on his existing commitments to the indigenous community, particularly in the health area.

His fondest memories apart from the 2005 grand final win included the aftermath of the 1996 preliminary final when legendary Sydney full forward Tony Lockett kicked a behind to seal their grand final berth.

"I remember jumping on the big man when he kicked that and I think he had a sore groin and he told me to get off because I was hurting his groin and I said `sorry big man'," he said.

"That was definitely a highlight. Our matches with North Melbourne in that period were pretty tough and obviously the West Coast rivalry was special."

During an emotional press conference, O'Loughlin also recalled feelings of homesickness and a desire to return to Adelaide early in his career which were quashed by his mother, who told him he couldn't come home because she had given his bed to a cousin.

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