Geelong accepts champion Matthew Scarlett is heading for the exit

GEELONG have virtually given up on talking champion full-back Matthew Scarlett out of retiring to join his junior club South Barwon in 2013.

GEELONG have virtually given up on talking champion full-back Matthew Scarlett out of retirement, with the Cats great set to line up with his junior club South Barwon in 2013.

The Cats last night said Scarlett had made the club aware his 15-year career would close at the end of the season.

Facing a player who has dominated the full-back position for 15 years in the AFL is a frightening prospect for full-forwards in the Geelong Football League - Scarlett is rated among the best of all time.

At 33, he has played 279 games, which places him fifth on Geelong's all-time list of games played behind Ian Nankervis (325), John "Sammy" Newman (300), Darren Milburn (292) and Peter Riccardi (288).

He is a best-and-fairest winner (2003) and a three-time runner-up, a six-time All-Australian (2003-04, 2007-09, 2011) and a three-time premiership player.

A future Hall of Famer, Scarlett's record rivals, and often betters, those of full-backs such as Carlton's Stephen Silvagni and Geoff Southby, North Melbourne's David Dench, Hawthorn's Chris Langford and Kelvin Moore, Essendon's Dustin Fletcher, Brisbane's Mal Michael, Collingwood's Jack Regan and the only full-back to win the Brownlow Medal, South Melbourne's Fred Goldsmith (1955).

It's a topic of great debate: Is Scarlett the best full-back of all time? The Cats would argue yes, and if they weren't so keen to generalise the names of the new grandstands at Simonds Stadium, he would be vying with Gary Ablett and Doug Wade for honours.

Scarlett to go out on his terms

Geelong don't want Scarlett to retire, but know they are helpless in changing his mind

"He has indicated to his friends and to us he won't be playing with us next year," Cats chief executive Brian Cook said last night.

"He has set his mind on playing with the club he started with, and that's South Barwon. He wants to do that next year as a farewell to football.

"As far as Geelong goes, he has pretty much made up his mind."

It's possible the 33-year-old will announce his retirement in the coming weeks, and then play out the rest of the season.

Asked if they would have another crack at talking him around, Cook said: "We'll abide by what he wants to do.

"I'd love to see him play again, but he's one of those guys who, when he makes up his mind, is so stubborn and inflexible, which makes him a man of conviction.

"He doesn't say too much, but he does walk the talk."

In fact, Scarlett was talked around to play this year.

"We've always known this was going to be his last year; he actually told us that," Cook said.

"Even last year, he was thinking about retirement, but he changed his mind midway through the finals.

"He was ready to shoot off last year.

"So, basically, we've already talked him into another year, and if he could do (yet) another year, that would be fantastic.

"We're not going to forget about it completely; we'll have another crack at it . . . but he has indicated to his friends and to us he won't be playing with us next year."

Cook reckons Scarlett, a quiet man, will just up and leave. "I think he'll sneak away and we won't see him for a year," he said.