Ask most retiring AFL players what they think of the game's trends and they will talk about the faster pace or more handball.

Richmond's Joel Bowden nominated a major weather pattern.

"El Nino has helped. It has been drier for the last 10 years, so the footy has been better," he said.

"People have been going to the footy without a poncho and in my time, I've only played a few wet games. That's just remarkable."

The 31-year-old utility, AFL Players' Association (AFLPA) president, businessman and qualified teacher, has never been a footy meathead.

But it would not have taken Bowden's undoubted intelligence to see his time as an AFL player was up.

The two-time All-Australian will play his 265th and final AFL game this Saturday against Collingwood.

The Tigers will also honour him that night with a testimonial dinner.

Bowden played the first 11 games of the season, but was dropped when Jade Rawlings took over in round 12 and had not returned from the VFL.

While he wants to keep playing, Bowden knows he is 30-plus at a team undergoing widespread change.

"Everyone wants to play AFL. I think (games record holder) Michael Tuck wanted to play another year," Bowden said.

"There is that sense that I would have liked to have played more games, but ... I see myself as extremely fortunate and lucky.

"Only on reflection, has it dawned on me the honour and the privilege of AFL football.

"Yes, I would have liked to have played a few more games, but I understand the position of the club."

Bowden will stay on as AFLPA president and will now have more work at the association as they look for a new chief executive.

Only two days ago, his former Richmond team-mate Brendon Gale announced he was resigning as association CEO to take the same role with the Tigers.

As Bowden noted, there is change everywhere at the moment.

But once his term as president expires in February, Bowden is unsure about his football future.

He is considering some post-graduate study and is determined to spend more time with his family.

The Bowdens have a strong history at Richmond, with father Michael and brothers Sean and Patrick also playing for the club.

Joel came to the Tigers from Alice Springs in 1995 under the father-son rule.

The Tigers made the finals that year, but Joel only experienced September action once, in 2001.

"My father (a 1969 Richmond premiership player) always said he was lucky to play at Richmond in a time of great success and I probably didn't really understand that until a couple of years ago, when I'd only played in one finals series," Bowden noted.

He will not miss the media scrutiny or the freezing dips in Pt Phillip Bay, but Bowden is very proud of his career.

As a midfielder, he was competitive against all-time greats like Nathan Buckley and James Hird.

Later, he moved to defence and went against Jonathan Brown and Nick Riewoldt.

Bowden was a smart defensive general who helped prompt the league to crack down on rushed behinds, when he stepped across the line twice last season to ensure a tight win over Essendon.

Reminded of that game on Wednesday, he smiled and blamed team-mate Jordan McMahon for not making it easier for him by running off Jason Laycock.

Above all, Bowden is smart enough to know how lucky he has been.

"We were driving (past) the `G (MCG) and I said (to his daughter) `that's Daddy's old workplace'," Bowden said.

"A lot of you work in offices. I have worked over there on the biggest stage of all.

"It has been sensational."

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