Jared Rivers forced to retire due to chronic knee problems after 194 games for Geelong and Melbourne

DEFENDER Jared Rivers has announced his immediate retirement after 194 games over 13 seasons for Geelong and Melbourne.

Round 1 Hawthorn v Geelong Jared Rivers Picture:Wayne Ludbey

DEFENDER Jared Rivers has announced his immediate retirement after 194 games over 13 seasons.

The current Cat and former Demon has been forced out of the game due to chronic knee problems.

Rivers tore his meniscus in his final AFL game against Hawthorn, telling the club website that after he felt the injury it would be his last match.

“At halftime I got a bit of help from the doc to get me through the second half,” Rivers said.

“It was a bit sore, but you just push through those things knowing that it’s going to be your last game.

“It was a big game against the Hawks in front of 50,000 at the ‘G, so I suppose I can be thankful that my last game was a big one.”

Rivers was taken by Melbourne with the 27th pick in the 2002 draft and won the 2004 Rising Star award.

He played in three finals for the Demons before moving to Geelong in 2013 and playing in five more.

Unless he polls in 2015, Rivers will have polled a solitary Brownlow vote for his career. It came in a win over the Western Bulldogs in 2004 where he recorded 14 disposals.

Originally published as Jared Rivers forced to retire due to chronic knee problems after 194 games for Geelong and Melbourne